Combat SAD Naturally: Essential Nutrients for a Better Mood

It's days like these when we feel down and are plagued by the winter blues due to the seemingly endless cold and dark months. Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) affects millions of people worldwide, but a change in diet can help. With a lack of sunlight in this season, a vitamin D deficiency can occur, with a link between SAD and low vitamin D levels. To counteract this, you should take vitamin D supplements or incorporate fatty fish like mackerel and even mushrooms into your diet. Magnesium is known as a "feel-good nutrient," and people struggling with depression often have a magnesium deficiency. Magnesium-rich foods include nuts like almonds and cashews, dark chocolate, brown rice, peanut butter, and even pumpkin and chia seeds. Tryptophan is an amino acid that converts itself into serotonin. Consuming foods like lean chicken and eggs leads to the formation of the happiness hormone.