7 Ways to Boost Your Mood on Dark, Cold Days

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If you’re busting out your Canada Goose puffer, it means that the bone-chilling days of winter have arrived—and for about a quarter of Canadians, it also signals a time of year when our mood takes a serious dip. Beyond the “normal” frustration associated with the unpleasant parts of winter (snowstorms, frigid temps), the exact cause of the winter blues remains uncertain. Experts hypothesize that fewer daylight hours reduce our serotonin levels (our happy hormone), cause an overabundance of melatonin (the hormone we secrete when it gets dark) and disrupt our circadian rhythm (our sleepwake
cycle). While we wait for science to get to the bottom of it, indulge in our mood-boosting tips to help you feel happier this winter.

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Eat more protein
Tryptophan, one of the nine essential amino acids, is found in protein-rich foods, like turkey and tofu, and is a key building block for serotonin. But it’s complicated. (Aren’t all good things?) It’s like The Amazing Race for amino acids in your bloodstream, explains Desiree Nielsen, a Vancouver-based registered dietitian and author of Un-Junk Your Diet. Consider tryptophan the slowpokes who almost get eliminated. Eating a carbohydrate with your protein, however, is like getting an Express Pass. “[The carbs] encourage the release of insulin, which shuttles amino acids out of the circulation, eliminating that competition, and tryptophan can cross the blood-brain barrier,” she says. To figure out how many grams of protein you need a day, divide your body weight by two. (A 150-pound woman should have 75 grams of protein.)

Take a gut check
Up to 90 per cent of serotonin is produced in your gut, not your brain. (Mind-blowing, right?). “So to keep you calm and happy, you want really good bugs in your gut,” says Nielsen. “The way to do that is to eat as many plant foods as possible to get tons of fibre, which feeds happy bacteria.” And those “good” bacteria help maintain consistent levels of tryptophan, which helps metabolize and synthesize serotonin. When you’re shopping for probiotic supplements, Nielsen recommends that you look for one with Lactobacillus strains, choose a refrigerated brand (unless it’s declared to be shelf-stable) and aim for a daily serving of at least 10 billion bacteria.

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The Health Benefits of Being Single

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Single? Stop sweating it and start celebrating it. You’re no longer the Bridget Jones-inspired I’m-going-to-die-miserable-and-alone minority. In fact, you’re emerging as something of a boss, outnumbering your married peers in Canada and the U.S., and enjoying some newly discovered health and wellness perks, too. Single adults are more active, more socially connected, leaner, and more likely to grow and change than their coupled-up counterparts. (Take that, Tinder.)
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And yet despite the increasing numbers of fascinating, attractive single women that command mainstream attention (Rihanna! Lady Gaga!), lonely single-girl stereotypes infuriatingly persist. Blame what sociologists call “cultural lag” for the disconnect between fact and fiction when it comes to flying solo, says Bella DePaulo, a California-based social psychologist and the author of Singled Out: How Singles Are Stereotyped, Stigmatized, and Ignored and Still Live Happily Ever After. “Our perceptions of single people have not kept up with the big changes in their place in society and how they are living their lives,” she explains.

Previous generations perceived marriage and commitment as a kind of health tonic, making you happier and healthier and “better off in all sorts of other psychological and interpersonal ways, too,” she says. That traditional view is being challenged by emerging research that reveals that contemporary singles enjoy some enviable health and wellness perks. Here are five single-girl bonuses that may make even smug marrieds sit up and take notice.
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You’re keeping it high and tight
You may not get to wear the big white dress on that special day, but unlike many loved-up brides, you’ll probably still be able to fit into your bridesmaid’s dress in a few year’s time. That’s because leaving the dating pool isn’t always a boon to your health. In fact, according to the results of a 2013 study, newlyweds are more likely to gain weight after getting hitched. The reason may boil down to simple complacency. Coupled-up folks don’t feel the pressure to look attractive in quite the same way so they let their wellness routine slide.