Oxytocin is a hormone that makes us feel bonded and trusting, but also helps in the release of mood-boosting chemical messengers, dopamine and serotonin – and you can think your way to greater levels of both.
When researchers in Japan measured oxytocin in people practising the Arigato Zen form of meditation (which involves chanting the Japanese for ‘thank you’), they found it rose by 36% on average.
Another form of meditation called Loving Kindness meditation, where you wish wellness and happiness on people you like and even those you don’t, also raised levels.
Practising kindness on a regular basis produces direct physiological changes in the brain and body in these areas. The part of the brain that controls it just starts to grow.
Our diet has a huge impact on how well we sleep, but what should we be eating – and avoiding – to ensure we get a good night’s rest?
Sleep-friendly foods:
Oily fish This is a high in omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin D, which increased levels of serotonin. This is later converted into melatonin, the sleep hormone. Sardines, mackerel and tinned salmon are excellent sources.
Whole grains A low-fibre diet is associated with lighter, less restorative sleep. Fibre helps balance blood sugar and is good for your gut flora and cardiovascular system, in turn helping sleep. Try to eat wholegrains like wholemeal bread, brown rice and wholegrain cereals.
Nuts and seeds Many, like sunflower seeds and Brazil nuts, are high in magnesium, which is commonly referred to as the sleep mineral.
Probiotics Fermented foods like sauerkraut, kimchi and yoghurt are thought to help promote good gut bacteria. This correlates with better quality of sleep.
Protein Protein-rich foods like turkey and peanuts contain tryptophan, and amino acid that helps us doze off more easily. Protein also makes us feel fuller for longer, meaning we are less likely to give in to snacking!
Nighttime no-nos:
If you’re struggling to sleep soundly, you should avoid the following…
Caffeine Coffee, tea and most energy drinks contain caffeine, a stimulant that affects our ability to nod off. Have a couple of cups of coffee in the morning but switch to herbal teas after midday.
Alcohol You might feel it’s easier to drift off after a glass of wine but alcohol is proven to disrupt sleep because it can cause us to skip the vital first stage of sleep, known as REM (rapid eye movement). Worse still, alcohol upsets our blood sugar levels and leads to dehydration. There are all sorts of mechanisms by which alcohol disrupts sleep.
Sugar White carbs and sugar-based foods reduce sleep quality. If you’re having blood sugar highs and lows, your body’s constantly trying to balance everything, which is a stress on your system.
Snacks High-fat foods like cakes and crisps are harder to digest and can cause issues at bedtime when our digestive system should be winding down.
Feed the good bugs in your gut, reduce inflammation and put your brain into ‘grow’ mode: all things that can help with depression and anxiety. Pick the food you enjoy eating most from each category below and fill up on more of them.
Leafy greens Spinach, kale, rocket and chard contain plenty of fibre and vitamin A, linked to the brains ability to grow. The vitamin C counteracts free-radical damage.
Aim for: chopped greens every day. Get more: blend kale into a smoothie.
Rainbow fruits and vegetables Nutrients in purple, red and orange foods reduce inflammation.
Aim for: a handful with each meal. Get more: roast, stir-fry or use as the basis for pasta sauces and stews.
Seafood Seafood helps you get the long-chain omega-3 fatty acids that your brain needs to stimulate nerve-growth factors.
Aim for: two seafood meals each week. Get more: turn mild-tasting fish into tacos, or serve steamed mussels over pasta.
Nuts, beans and seeds Rich in brain nutrients including fibre, zinc and iron – important for your red blood cells.
Aim for: at least a small handful every day. Get more: add walnuts to a smoothie, or throw black beans into your favourite soups or stews.
Eggs and dairy Eggs contain protein, B vitamins, which help regulate brain chemicals, and choline, linked to fewer anxiety symptoms.
Aim for: five to seven eggs and three to five servings of dairy (ideally fermented) per week. Get more: whip up a vegetable frittata.
Meat With the rise of vegan and vegetarian lifestyles, many of us feel conflicted about eating meat. Still, it’s a potent source of iron, protein and B12.
Aim for: three servings per week (not required). Get the right stuff: grass-fed beef has fewer calories and better fats for your brain.
Rise and shine Training under the sun raises your vitamin D levels, giving you more than just a mood boost. It supports the immune system and is essential in the absorption of phosphorus and calcium. It aids bone health, helps weight loss and is a crucial ally in fending off illness.
Sweat it out By making your body work harder to keep cool, outdoor training can boost cardio fitness in as little as five days. There are two theories as to why this happens: that heat improves the bodies ability to deliver oxygen to the tissues that need it; and that it increases bloodflow, causing positive adaptation to our blood vessels.
Brighter minds Get up from your desk and go outside at lunchtime. Breathing in fresh air improves your ability to think clearly, as well as helping to alleviate stress and anxiety. Up the ante with a group or partner workout: exercising with others releases serotonin – AKA the feel-good hormone.
Glow up The combination of oxygen and sunshine acts as a kind of muscle Miracle-Gro. Breathing in fresh, outdoor air increases our blood oxygen levels, accelerating muscle repair. Plus, if your training routine feels stale, taking it outside can help you by firing up your motivation.
Better habits Making gains in the sun could also help those who struggle not to devour double helpings of their post-workout refuel. To regulate temperature, your body cuts back on digestion, reducing your appetite. We are likely to rehydrate more often, too, and choose foods that compliment our training.
If gaining muscle is on your radar – and I’m not just talking about bulking up Arnie-style!) – you’ll know that there is a lot of advise out there on the best strategy. A combination of weight exercise and good nutrition will definitely put you on the right road for success. But of the two, is one more effective than the other at helping to build muscle?
You can’t add on muscle mass without any building blocks, which means you need to be taking in more calories then you’re burning off. The tricky part is to ensure that those extra calories end up stored where you want them.
A surplus of between 250kcal and 500kcal per day is recommended. Protein (1.5–2.2g per kilo of bodyweight) will help your muscles repair and grow. Carbs will feel your workouts, and nutritious fats will maintain healthy hormone levels.
Hypertrophy occurs when a muscle is repeatedly stressed, which means pushing yourself to your limits until those limits increase. Research shows that the load doesn’t significantly affect hypertrophy, so long as you’re working close to the point of failure. Keep your rep ranges between eight and 12, using weights that are at least 60% of your one-rep max. Slow and heavy(ish) wins the race.
Feeling tired even at just the thought of your next workout session? Here is a look at whether exercise or diet are more effective in boosting your energy.
Exercise triggers the release of invigorating neurotransmitters such as norepinephrine and dopamine, while also boosting blood flow to the brain. In one study, 10 minutes simply walking up and down stairs proved a better booster shot then 50mg of caffeine.
Be wary of overdoing it, though. One major cause of fatigue is stress. When prolonged, this can cause a malfunction whereby your body is constantly pumping out excess cortisol. In this state, upping your exercise will only make your body more stressed.
A targeted diet is a more reliable energiser. For optimal mental and physical stamina, it is recommended a macro split of 30% protein, 30% fat and 40% carbs. Low-carb diets can cause a drop in energy. Include high-fibre foods such as wholegrains, beans, lentils and potatoes in every meal to drip-feed your body energy throughout the day.
In addition to this, make sure you’re getting enough magnesium (wholegrains, leafy greens), iodine (seafood, iodised salt), vitamin D (fatty fish, eggs) and B12 (red meat, shellfish).
Whatever your exercise goals, keeping your heart strong and healthy has to be top of the list. Here are some of the benefits that working out and eating well have on your heart health.
There are 2.3 million people in the UK living with heart disease. The good news is that many of the big risk factors – high blood pressure, raised LDL cholesterol and a waste height ratio above 0.5 – are under your control.
The dietary protocols are fairly predictable: more fibre-rich whole foods, less processed meat and refined carbs. Keep in mind that diet that are high in sugar can increase the synthesis of LDL cholesterol.
In terms of exercise, cardio is king. And ‘cardio’ it doesn’t just mean a narrow choice between running, jogging and plodding: fast-paced dumbbell circuits and bodyweight drills count too.
If you’ve ever tried to lose weight before, you’ll know that it isn’t easy. Especially keeping the weight off after the initial drop. A mixture of working out and eating a well-balanced diet will always be the best strategy. But if you only have time to focus on just one, which is more effective?
Weight loss happens when your body requires more energy and calories then you’re putting in, and so is forced to break down the molecules in your fat cells for fuel.
There are countless ‘fat-burning’ diets out there, from keto and paleo to intermittent fasting, but all rely on creating a calorie deficit.
Aim for a deficit of between 250kcal and 500kcal per day and see how your body responds. There are two simple ways to work towards a 250kcal deficit: first, consume less; second, move more.
However, an over-reliance on exercise can have its downsides. In one study, people who trained for an average of half an hour per day didn’t lose any more weight than those who averaged 15 minutes – the more committed exercises subconsciously rewarded themselves for their hard work by eating more food.
As well as tracking your calorie intake, it is advised that you boost your non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT). This covers any movement that isn’t part of your structured training plan, such as walking to the shops, cleaning the house, or running around after the kids.
Where exercise does come into its own is weight maintenance. Research shows that people who form good fitness habits alongside switching up their diets are far more likely to stick to their plans. So, think less about burning fat and more about bulking up your willpower.
We all know that a balance of both exercise and good nutrition are paramount to our physical well-being. But what effect do they each have on our mental health?
It may surprise you that our minds are not separate from what we consider to be the physiological elements of our being. The way we use and maintain on muscles, organs and digestive systems informs our emotional state.
In one study, scientists asked test subjects to snack on either crisps and chocolate or fresh fruit. Within 10 days, members of the junk food group were exhibiting greater symptoms of low mood and anxiety than the fruit eaters. High-sugar, high-fat foods can cause a flash of hormones in the brain is pleasure centres, which is followed by a crash. Common deficiencies can also contribute to poor mental health, such as those in vitamins B12, C, D and omega-3.
Your workouts, meanwhile, will give you both a short-term high and a long-term lift. As well as releasing endorphins, exercise also triggers the release of numerous brain-cell mediators, including serotonin, dopamine and noradrenaline, which light up the pleasure and reward centres of the brain.
Research shows that those who trained for just 2 and a half hours each week had a 31% lower risk of depression than those who didn’t. Exercise has been shown to be as effective as medication in reducing symptoms of moderate depression.
For many struggling with their mental well-being, getting outside and moving for half an hour each day will be easier than a total dietary overall.
