Nutritionist reveals what to eat to remain upbeat
KELLOW JULIETTE
PORRIDGE OATS for eczema or itchy skin
FILL a muslin bag with a handful of porridge oats and add to a bath. Or grind oats in a blender or food processor until finely milled then add directly into the bath and swish around for a few minutes before getting in. Oats contain antiinflammatory compounds which are thought to help soothe the skin.
OLIVE OIL for earwax build up
EARWAX usually exits the ear naturally, but a build-up of it is quite common, especially as we get older. It can make the ears feel ‘full’ and even cause partial deafness. Simply apply a few drops of olive oil in the ear, twice a day for about five days. This should loosen the wax and help it exit the ear, perhaps when you’re lying on your side in bed at night.
USED TEA BAG for an eye stye
STYES are sore, red lumps that form at the root of an eyelash. Place a warm (not hot) used teabag over the eye for 15 minutes – the warmth of the teabag and tannins in the tea are thought to have an anti-inflammatory affect which helps reduce the swelling.
If the stye discharges pus, you may need antibiotics, so check with your doctor.
GRIND some chillies into a paste, then add to a base cream or olive oil and apply to the affected area. Capsaicin, the substance responsible for the heat in red chillies, helps deplete the paintransmitting chemical in nerve-endings known as Substance P, effectively stopping pain signals reaching the brain.
Try on a small area at first to check for irritation. Never use on broken skin and wash your hands thoroughly after each application.
Chillies
CHILLIES for joint pain
AT THE top of the list for feeling blissful rather than blue is eating regularly and not skipping meals.
This may be harder than normal when usual routines have been disrupted as it’s vital to keep blood sugar levels steady. When they drop dramatically, for example due to missing a meal, many people feel irritable, tired, unable to focus, miserable and ‘hangry’.
BE CARB CLEVER
TO keep blood sugar levels steady it’s important to limit chocolate, sweets, cakes, biscuits and sugary drinks as sugary carbs are quickly broken down, leaving us lethargic.
It’s also important to swap white starchy carbs for higher-fibre versions such as brown rice, wholemeal bread and pasta, cereals, oats and potatoes in their skins.
FEED YOUR BRAIN
CARBS also help to boost levels of serotonin – the chemical in the brain that promotes sleep and keeps us happier and calmer.
Carbs trigger the release of insulin, which allows amino acid tryptophan – found in foods such as chicken, turkey, lean red meat, fish, eggs, cheese, nuts and seeds – into the brain. This is used to make serotonin.
MEDITERRANEAN DIETS WORK
STUDIES have shown a traditional Mediterranean-style diet of fruit, vegetables, fish, wholegrains, olive oil and nuts, fewer processed foods and smaller amounts of meat – is linked to less depression, possibly cutting the risk by 32%.
NET SOME HAPPINESS
THE Mediterranean diet’s moodlifting benefits may be due to seafood as people who eat more fish are less likely to suffer depression – possibly due to omega-3 fats.
Fish is also rich in other nutrients such as some B vitamins, so eat two portions a week, including one oily variety. Tinned and frozen count.
TAKE FIVE
EATING more fruit and veg may also partly explain the benefits of a Mediterranean diet. They are rich in antioxidants, which mop up cell damaging free radicals, and studies have found lower antioxidant blood levels in depressed people. Frozen and tinned both count.
TASTE THE SUNSHINE
STUDIES show low vitamin D levels are linked to a greater risk of depression. We make this vitamin in our body when skin is exposed to sunlight.
Self-isolating means many of us are stuck indoors, so, eat more vitamin D-rich foods such as oil-rich fish, eggs and fortified foods such as breakfast cereals and yogurts.
And if you’re getting little or no sunlight, take a 10mcg vitamin D supplement daily.