Boost Your Fiber Intake to Boost Your Mood!
Until I moved from sunny Australia to the Mid West, I would never have believed it. But yes, cabin fever and the winter blues are real! Shorter days and grey skies can certainly impact our mood and energy...and not in a good way! But, it's not all doom and gloom. Lifting your mood might be as easy as adding some additional fiber-rich foods to your daily intake. A study published in the journal Nutrition in October 2018, found that people who reported eating the most fiber overall (think beans, grains, veggies and fruits) had fewer depressive symptoms. This particular study suggests that consuming at least 21g of fiber daily is adequate to reducing depression risk.But how does fiber play a role in improving our mood? Essentially, high fiber foods also contain a bulk load of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that improve brain function. In addition to that, you all know my love for probiotics and all things gut health related. High fiber foods also help to improve our gut bacteria and overall brain health too. Moral of the story folks? Eat more fibrous foods! Not sure what foods are high in fiber? Read on...
HIGH FIBER FOODS & THEIR FIBER COUNT
Chickpeas (1/2 cup cooked) =12gKidney Benas (1 cup cooked) =11gRaspberries (1 cup) =8gLentils (1/2 cup cooked ) =8gGreen Peas (1/2 cup cooked) =5gQuinoa (1/2 cup cooked) =5gFlaxseed (2T ground) =4g