Happy Hump Day: Foods That Can Help You Smile Your Way Through The Mid-Week Blues
It's the middle of the week, work hasn't been going that well, your mom keeps calling to bug you, and most of all; you just want Friday to come. When it's the middle of the week you don't have to get the mid-week blues because these foods are bound to put a smile on your face.
Click here for 10 Foods That Can Make You Happy During Your Mid-Week Blues
Incorporate calcium into your diet, for starters, along with folate and iron; these are just a few of the things that you need in order to boost your spirits. Calcium helps you maintain bone strength and it also lowers the risk of Type 2 diabetes. Low levels of calcium also play a role in PMS-related depression for women. Calcium in conjunction with vitamin D can regulate mood swings. This means that if you add more calcium to your diet, Friday might not look so far away after all.
Most people probably assume that calcium can only be found in milk or other dairy products, but it can also be found in vegetables like collard greens and kale.. Try our Ultimate Energizing Kale Smoothie recipe on a Wednesday morning and it's bound to keep you smiling throughout your day.
Some sources of folate are black-eyed peas, Brussels sprouts, and asparagus. Folate helps your body create new cells in support of serotonin regulation. Serotonin helps determine your mood, so more folate equals a better mood. For lunch, have a Pomegranate and Brussels Sprout Salad to get your serving of folate for the day.
To get more iron in your system, try eating soybeans, lentils, and turkey. For dinner, enjoy our Lemon Basil Turkey Tenderloins. Iron in your system helps fight the fatigue and apathy which can lead to depression.
We have you covered for breakfast, lunch, and dinner on your next hump day. With these recipes your mood will be up all day, so turn that frown upside down and start cooking.
Best Mashed Potatoes
Mashed potatoes contain chromium, which increases levels of serotonin (which in turn regulates mood). We may have been under the impression that mashed potatoes put a smile on our faces because they're comfort food, but there's more to it than that.
Photo Modified: Glory Foods/ CC 4.0
Spice-Roasted Almonds
Almonds have magnesium, which also increases levels of serotonin.