Fight the January Blues with these Mood Enhancing Foods.
If the festive season has left you feeling sluggish, glum and in a state of pie-bernation do not fear, we have rounded up some super foods to give your mood the little boost it needs to see you sailing through January with a smile on your face.
Chicken
Chicken is not only protein rich (essential in your diet if you’re fighting the festive plump) but also contains an essential amino acid which the body uses to make serotonin, a mood boosting hormone, melatonin which helps regulate your sleep and tyrosine which can help reduce the symptoms of depression! Who knew the humble chicken was such a mood boosting superstar.
You can find your chicken fix in the Freeranger pie (with free range British chicken, ham hock, leeks and West Country Cheddar).
Did you know? Pieminister is the only national pie manufacturer to use 100% free range meat!
Spinach
If partying your way into 2014 has left your body deficient in B vitamins, it could leave you feeling a little low. Eating plenty of leafy green veg such as spinach and broccoli will help boost your levels and spinach is also packed with iron (look what it did for Pop’eye!)
The Heidi Pie is a delicious mix of spinach, sweet potato and Somerset goats’ cheese. Or try a pile of wilted spinach as an accompaniment to your favourite pie.
Asparagus
These super green spears are a great source of tryptophan which helps your body produce mood-regulating serotonin… which in non-gobbledegook makes you feel happy! Asparagus is also packed with a nutrient called folate which can help fight depression.
The Wild Shroom pie is full of asparagus and mushrooms in a white wine and cream sauce. Or if you feel like getting out your baking mitts our cookbook ‘a Pie for all Seasons’ has a recipe for an Asparagus, Pea and Ricotta pie on page 48 which is sure to blow away the cobwebs. If you aren’t lucky enough to own a copy yet then drop us a note at hello@pieminister.co.uk and we’ll send the recipe your way.
Beetroot
Beetroot is our friend in January because of its ability to detoxify the liver….hurrah! Not only will this brilliant beet help clear out all of the sludge left over from a month of Christmas parties but provides magnesium and tryptophan which help fight the blues.
Here’s a beetroot recipe from our cookbook for a Winter Salad which is a perfect accompaniment to any pie or as a healthy snack:
Winter Salad Recipe
Serves 6
1 large raw beetroot, grated
1 small celeriac, peeled and grated
1 fennel bulb, finely sliced
4 shallots, finely sliced
2 bunches of watercress, tough stalks removed
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Juice of one lemon
A big blog of creamed horseradish
Sea salt and black pepper
Put all of the ingredients into a bowl and toss together well…simple! (just don’t make too far in advance or the watercress will wilt).
And after all that if you’re still not feeling in tip-top shape with a spring in your step for 2014 then keep an eye on the blog and our website for some exciting news…