by Ben Becker, Newsletter Writer
For some, winter in Wisconsin is a glorious time of year. Many of us look forward to that first snowfall and we rush out to make the first snow angels or to capture the beauty of the luminescent crystals that entrap the bare branches of trees as they frost over. The colder months can also bring long-awaited activities, such as skiing, snowshoeing, or simply a new perspective when viewing a familiar hiking trail. These snowy days and short daylight hours can also be a gift to those craving rest and a respite from the breakneck pace of warmer months. As streets and roads become less passable, they invite a slower gait and a pause for reflection sheltered within our warm, snow-laden homes.
Yet while this annual cool-down brings with it much to marvel at, along with much joy and excitement around the holidays, by February these frigid days can often grow tiresome. The lack of sunlight and long nights may lead you to long for the warmth and glow of far off summer days. Navigating sidewalks and streets covered with slush, salt, and icy hazards can grow tiresome. The wet boots and bitter winds of February may steal away our December cheer only to leave a sullen gloom. As we grind through the dark hours in the sun’s shadow in anticipation of its return to our hemisphere, it is necessary to take steps to keep our spirits up. This need is only amplified by the isolation and limited activity needed to keep our communities safe in this time of pandemic. So while we can’t yet cast off the heavy burden of winter coats or escape from the confines of COVID-19, there are still creature comforts and other strategies to keep our bodies whole and our mental health maintained.
Happy Foods
Most new years start with bold resolutions and a change in lifestyle, at least for the first few weeks or so. Diet and exercise have a big impact on your state of mind, so re-examining your habits and menus can be helpful for boosting your winter resolve. Looking to replace fast foods with more wholesome choices and lean proteins and vegetables are incorporated into improving our physical health, but restocking your pantry or fridge can also be done consciously to improve mental wellbeing as well. There are a number of foods that will supplement healthy brain function and brighten your mood as well. Many of these foods do so by protecting and reinforcing the integrity of your neural cells or by helping to balance the release of energy to your brain. If a pescetarian plate doesn’t force you to turn up your nose, fatty fishes like salmon can be a great staple due to their high concentration of omega-3 fatty acids. As your body is unable to synthesize these compounds, receiving their benefits requires inclusion in diets or supplements. Not only do they work to maintain brain development and cell membranes, but studies have shown they can impact depression.
Beans, Lentils, Nuts, and Seeds
On a frigid day, it's nice to know you can melt the snow off your bones with a hot bowl of lentil stew or a heaping helping of bean chili. It’s common knowledge that beans, lentils, and other legumes are a great source of protein and fiber that can be easily stored and used in cold weather months, but it may be surprising to learn that these small wonders also boast a wealth of nutrients that provide both comfort and energy. Rich in B vitamins, lentils, and beans can promote better function of the many complex processes within your brain, as these nutrients promote higher levels of serotonin, dopamine, and other neurotransmitters that help regulate your state of mind. While the B vitamins also help with communication between nerve cells, other mood-boosting nutrients such as iron, magnesium, and zinc make these legumes a great way to raise your spirits. In addition, other plant-based sources of protein can also help to support not only your body with fiber and healthy fats but with similar supplements for your brain function. Certain nuts and seeds are good sources of essential minerals such as zinc and selenium, the presence of the amino acid tryptophan aids in the production of serotonin.
Bananas
Another great food that combines natural sugars, fiber, and nutrients to create better mood stimulation and release of energy is that everyday exotic fruit the banana. Bananas are both sweet and wholesome, containing fiber and naturally occurring sugars glucose, sucrose, and fructose. Because they contain fiber, the digestion of bananas allows a stable release of these sugars into your bloodstream, allowing for greater mood stability while avoiding swings in blood sugar levels that can make you more irritable. Like other foods that help support mental health, bananas are high in vitamin B6, a nutrient that is important in aiding the brain’s ability to synthesize dopamine and serotonin.
When you buy bananas at the Co-op, you have access to Equal Exchange and other Fair Trade brands. Not only are these bananas organic, but sourced through an alternative supply chain that puts growers first. Getting bananas to market in the US is truly a labyrinth of complex logistical challenges, making these exotic staples an incredible value when you consider what has to happen in order to transport and ripen this fruit before it is ready for you to eat. When you choose bananas with the Equal Exchange or Fair Trade label, more of your money will end up in the pockets of those working hard to grow and package this produce, rather than empowering commodity traders and middlemen. Growing these small, community-based economies make this small investment an incredible means of building a better global economy, which is a great inspiration in addition to the impact bananas have on your brain chemistry.
Chocolate
While many of the foods the best winter foods for stabilizing mental energy and brain chemistry utilize the presence of fiber to supplant the cravings for sugar and fat-rich processed foods, certain comfort foods can also help stimulate a more positive state of mind. When eaten in moderation, the concentration of sugar and chemicals that stimulate the brain's pleasure centers can produce some feelings of elation. These chemicals include not only caffeine, but also flavonoids which counter inflammation and increase blood flow, and a substance similar to CBD known as N-acylethanolamine, providing both stimulation and ease within your mind and body. In choosing chocolate for positive health benefits, it is important to consume small quantities due to its high caloric value and to favor darker varieties of 70% cacao content or more with higher ratios of flavonoids to sugar. These can be found in the grocery aisle at your Co-op, with many chocolate manufacturers donating proceeds to important conservation causes or in the case of Equal Exchange to guarantee that chocolate producers aren’t exploited by carrying the Fair Trade certification.
Fermented Foods
It may be surprising to learn that the fermentation process can actually bring about some positive outputs that can benefit brain health. Fermentation is basically a chemical process that takes place via the digestion of raw materials by microorganisms such as yeast and bacteria. Through this digestion, those microorganisms transform sugar in order to release carbon dioxide, alcohol, acids, and probiotics. At eye level, fermentation changes raw foods and sugar into products such as yogurt, kefir, kombucha, kimchi, and sauerkraut. However, not all fermented foods contain probiotics in significant concentrations as a result of cooking and filtering, including bread, beer, and wine. The acids, probiotics, and the presence of healthy bacteria within your digestive system help to support gut health, and improve brain function as well by increasing serotonin levels, resulting in healthier mood, appetite, and stress management. Maintaining gut health is an important way to support serotonin levels because as much as 90% of your body’s serotonin is produced by the collection of bacteria known as the gut microbiome.
Teas
A hot cuppa can be an especially welcome ritual to warm our bodies on brisk mornings or to soothe the soul at bedtime. If your New Year's resolution includes a decreased reliance on the heavily caffeinated ritual of a daily coffee (or two), black and green teas might serve as a welcome substitute to curb your intake by giving you a nice boost of energy or focus without the jitters of an espresso inspired anxiety. Once again, Equal Exchange is a great brand to fill this need, providing quality varieties of green and black tea sourced responsibly to ensure that growers and producers are treated well and compensated fairly. This author particularly enjoys their green tea with ginger, not only because it contributes to a more just global economy, but because it helps incorporate the health benefits (and antioxidants) of ginger into a fresh verdant brew. Tea doesn’t just have to be enjoyed for the caffeine boost either. White and herbal teas can provide for an exploration of flavors and diverse benefits. Consider trying a Rooibos variety, which is high in antioxidants, contains anti-inflammatory properties, and can help to deal with skin ailments. If you are looking for a tea to serve as more than a warm libation, but also as a natural means of supporting your health and combatting the maladies that long winter months can throw at you, check out the selection of Yogi teas in the beverage aisle. With Yogi’s straightforward marketing, it couldn’t be easier to find the variety to meet your needed form of herbal support. If you are still recovering from the excess of New Years’, give their Detox and Roasted Dandelion flavors a go. These blends help stimulate your liver function utilizing the properties of dandelion root and an enticing but gentle flavor. If the harsh sub-zero temperatures are making you achy and hoarse, try the Yogi Throat Comfort blend. It has a pleasant sweetness that can help to soften and heal that lingering itch. A spoonful of honey mixed in may also enhance the effectiveness and flavor of this helpful satchel. If you are a true tea enthusiast, be sure to track down the loose leaf teas (in the Wellness aisle). Freedom from the prepackaged tea bags can allow for greater experimentation in your brewing experience, as you can not only steep your leaves without any containment but perhaps even blend varieties together. If you have no use for fortune-telling with used tea leaves, you can always brew these bulk blends using a novelty strainer (many of the best ones are designed to resemble aquarian animals such as ducks or manatees), or use a specially designed teapot with a built-in strainer so that you can enjoy multiple cups as you sit at your desk with a book or laptop.
Reducing Coronavirus Stress
In addition to the many foods and recipes you may employ to fortify your mind and body against the attacks of weather and illness, there are also activities you might introduce into your routine to invigorate and defend yourself against winter weariness. Using a playlist to motivate during a run or a workout is a common way to use music as an emotional tool, but it can also be utilized to combat stress amidst the fears and confinement of the pandemic. Take a music break during the day where you employ a comforting playlist as a respite from the world. Often the tracks we choose are informed by our mood, but instead of indulging in melodies laden with heartache, loneliness, or sadness, look to get inspired by more upbeat or uplifting music, as your goal should be less to seek out the catharsis and validation of your emotions. Instead, use music as a remedy to feeling low, by engaging with songs that will help with transcending your state of mind. There are also some other easy-to-do, although perhaps more unique, means you can use for stimulation as well. For something more intense than just splashing water on your face, you may try activating your dive response by dipping your face in ice water. This may seem odd given that you’re dealing with the constant cold temperatures, but by using this method you increase blood flow to your brain. Just fill a bowl with ice water, hold your breath, and gently plunge your face below the surface for 15 to 30 seconds. If plunging your face into an ice bowl sounds too extreme, there are more relaxed ways to reset your brain chemistry. An almost meditative technique called “Anchoring” employs a form of mindfulness to deal with stress. Simply dig your heels into the floor and think to your self “What am I thinking? Feeling, doing? How does my response help me?” This mini moment helps to ground your mind and body, and to think more consciously. For anyone who is a fan of Die Hard, it may remind you of John McClane made balls with his feet to overcome jetlag, which should be a ringing endorsement for this mental exercise.
Getting over the harsh conditions of the year 2020 certainly make this winter a rougher season than most years. However, it is also a time to take stock and to employ mindfulness not only about what foods we eat and how they are serving us but what we can do to influence the way our mind works. By creating new habits and new menus, we can keep this a season of inner warmth and comfort as we wait for the thaw of spring.