Life presents us with many challenges. The right diet can help us cope with them well.
Life presents us with many challenges. Eating right can help us cope well.
The diet industry has gone to great lengths to tell us what to eat. Everyone knows that fruits are better than chips, nuts are better than chips, and salmon might be the perfect food. But until now, we have paid little attention to what is best in certain situations. There is now scientific evidence that proves: Timing is crucial, including for food. Anyone who wants to maintain their weight, prevent illness and live a long, healthy and happy life should not only know what they are eating, but also when the right time to eat is.
Eating right when you’re tired and exhausted
Too little sleep, poor diet, side effects of medication, hormonal disorders, undetected illnesses, too little exercise, too much stress – there are so many reasons why we sometimes feel tired. And it’s important to get to the bottom of the problem and find the causes or the trigger.
Many of us resort to artificial or unhealthy stimulants to get going. But in the end, we only harm ourselves with it: Instead of maintaining and increasing the energy level, sweet "soul comforters", for example, lead us into an up and down state. And that’s bad, because then we eat even more unhealthy, "empty" carbohydrates, which give us a short-term high, but which is then inevitably followed by a crash in blood sugar levels again.
First of all, eating earlier helps keep the energy system going throughout the day. Another means of keeping the fuel tank full: Drinking water. Lack of water is one of the main causes of fatigue. If not sufficiently hydrated, the body consumes resources to balance the water balance.
Eat right when you’re down
There are many strategies against the typical mood swings: Exercise is good for you, as is maintaining social contacts. In addition, we can reach for foods that stimulate the brain. The interaction between its physical structures and chemical substances is not yet fully understood. However, we know that our mood is controlled from different areas. The amygdala (the part of the brain responsible for emotions) plays a role here, as do various neurotransmitters (such as the feel-good hormones dopamine and serotonin). That’s what makes us so susceptible to sugar.
There’s only one thing that helps: we have to overcome the instinctive desire for a "quick drug" and think in the long term. If you want to improve your mood and reduce the risk of depression, you should eat a diet rich in fish, vegetables and healthy fats. A 2018 study found that those who ate more vegetables, fruits and whole grains were less likely to develop symptoms of depression than those who frequently ate meat, potatoes and animal fats.
Salmon contains omega-3 fatty acids. The brain benefits from this. Eating fish also helps if you have trouble falling asleep.