I’m looking out my window this first day of December and the sky is solid gray. So’s my mood. I’m no fan of winter, especially here in the gym. All I want to do is eat comfort food and curl up for a long nap just to wake up and eat again. Where is the motivation to get up and workout? Below is a collection of interesting angles on how diet can fight the winter funk.
The Influence of Diet
Foods greatly influence the brain's behavior. A poor diet, especially one with excessive junk foods, is a common cause of depression. What we eat controls the levels of brain chemicals called neurotransmitters, which regulate our behavior--and neurotransmitters are closely linked to mood.
The neurotransmitters most commonly associated with mood are dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine. When the brain produces serotonin, tension is eased. When it produces dopamine or norepinephrine, we are more alert and tend to think and act more quickly. Consuming fruits and vegetables (complex carbohydrates) raises the level of trytophan in the brain thereby increasing serotonin production which has a calming effect. High protein foods, on the other hand, promote the production of dopamine and norepineprine, which promote alertness.
On the other hand, eating junk food reduces the levels of these hormones in our brain--increasing our stress and tension, and reducing our joy and alertness.
A recent wide body of research is showing that some pathways may link the
Paleo Diet to mood improvement. Recent research has demonstrated that the mechanisms underlying depression and anxiety are:
a) Disrupted neurotransmitters metabolism
b) Disrupted neuroendocrine function
c) Disrupted neural plasticity
Continue reading more about paleo
Raw Almond Milk - Funny blooper videos are here
A cheese cloth purchased at HEB can be used instead of a nut milk cloth they recommend in the video.
WOD
800m Run
10 Kettle Bell Swings (35kg/16kg)
10 down to 1 Push ups
alternating
1 up to 10 deadlifts (#225/185)
10 Kettle Bell Swings (35kg/16kg)
800m Run
