Good mood food

Nutritional therapist Sarah Hanson explains how to beat the winter blues

As the days get shorter and darker, around two per cent of people in Northern Europe suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), while as many as 10 per cent put up with milder symptoms, known as the "winter blues". This is due to falling levels of serotonin, the "happy hormone" our brains produce during exposure to sunlight. While you can benefit from a light box that simulates daylight and fresh air during the day, the food you eat can help, too.

When we're down we crave junk foods and refined carbohydrates, such as white bread, cakes and pastries. The problem with these foods is they cause blood sugar levels to rise, giving a temporary high followed by a crash. As well as causing weight gain, these foods deplete the body of essential nutrients, especially serotonin and B vitamins, important in fighting depression. Stimulants, such as coffee and alcohol have a similar effect and should be reduced, if not avoided.

Get your carbohydrate fix from brown rice, oats and lentils which help keep blood sugar steady. These also contain the amino acid tryptophan—which the body converts into serotonin—and are also rich in B vitamins. Other food sources include turkey, chicken, nuts, fish, milk, eggs, fruit and vegetables.

Oily fish, such as salmon and mackerel, is rich in omega 3 fats, thought to boost serotonin receptors. It also contains vitamin D, a lack of which has been linked to depression. If you're not keen on fish it is worth taking a good quality fish oil supplement. Zinc, chromium and magnesium deficiencies have all been linked with feeling down, so munch a handful of nuts and seeds and treat yourself to one or two pieces of dark chocolate, which is rich in magnesium.