At this time of the year, you may find yourself affected by lack of sunlight. The longer nights and shorter days can promote feelings of melancholy and lethargy. To compensate you may find yourself eating more carbohydrate based foods to raise energy levels, which only have a short term effect.
So try and spend as much time as you possibly can in natural light. If possible, go out for a walk during daylight. Even if it is cloudy the natural light will do you good.
Eating breakfast is important. Try porridge, unsweetened muesli or bran flakes in the morning which are slow to release sugar into the bloodstream, which helps raise serotonin levels.
Basmati rice. The sugar in this rice is slow to release into the bloodstream, which helps blood sugar levels stay constant instead of going through highs and lows. Other foods with a similar effect on blood sugar are rye bread and pasta.
Apricots. This fruit gradually raises serotonin levels and helps keep them there, as do apples, pears, grapes, plums, grapefruits, and oranges.
Avocados. These are high in natural serotonin, which helps to suppress appetite. Also high in natural serotonin are dates, bananas, plums, eggplant, papayas, passion fruit, plantains, pineapples, and tomatoes.
Legumes. To help maintain an even serotonin level throughout the day and night. Beans, peas, lentils and peanuts are also very good.
Shellfish are high in tyrosine, which forms chemicals that act on the brain cells to improve concentration and alertness, both of which may become sluggish at this time of year. Other foods high in tyrosine are fish, chicken, skinless turkey, cottage cheese, plain yogurt, skimmed milk, eggs, tofu, lean ham, pork, and lamb.
Eating protein foods such as turkey, low-fat cottage cheese, chicken, and low fat dairy products can reduce the carbohydrate cravings that many of us are prone to during this time of year and can control the weight gain that occurs during these months, which is a bonus!