{"id":309588,"date":"2025-12-10T21:22:09","date_gmt":"2025-12-10T21:22:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/309588\/"},"modified":"2025-12-10T21:22:09","modified_gmt":"2025-12-10T21:22:09","slug":"christmas-what-to-eat-to-boost-mood-over-the-festive-period-and-hopefully-avoid-that-family-argument","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/309588\/","title":{"rendered":"Christmas: What to eat to boost mood over the festive period and hopefully avoid that family argument"},"content":{"rendered":"

Christmas<\/a> is a time to slow down and relax with family<\/a> \u2014 but being cooped up at home isn\u2019t always as cosy and convivial as you might expect. Whether it\u2019s fighting about how to roast the potatoes<\/a> or getting into a fiery political dinner table debate, it\u2019s not uncommon for the festive season to spark family tensions and make people feel on edge. <\/p>\n

Science tells us that there are a number of reasons why people may feel anxious<\/a> or low during the holidays<\/a>. Shorter, darker days mean that Brits may become vitamin D<\/a>-deficient in the autumn and winter, which can cause fatigue<\/a> and depression<\/a>. Meanwhile, studies show that the stress hormone, cortisol<\/a>, is higher during winter, which can disrupt sleep. That\u2019s not mention all the time spent indoors, which can deprive people of fresh air, stimulation and movement. <\/p>\n

But according to nutritionists, there is another, often neglected factor that may make families feel more irritable over Christmas<\/a>: diet. <\/p>\n

Here\u2019s how your diet may be affecting the vibes at home \u2014 and what to do about it:<\/p>\n

How can diet make families more irritable around Christmas?<\/p>\n

There are several reasons why your diet may be making you feel extra irritable, says Karine Patel, a dietitian at Dietitian Fit<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cEating habits in winter are usually full of sugary foods<\/a>, more caffeine<\/a> and less structured meals. This causes a fast spike in blood sugar followed by sharp drops, which the brain interprets as a stress signal,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

She adds: \u201cThese \u2018crashes\u2019 trigger the stress response system, making you more emotional, reactive and likely to misinterpret your loved one\u2019s tone or interaction. Many people always find themselves saying, \u2018I don\u2019t know why we were arguing, it was over something so tiny\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n

As well as this, high-fat and high-sugar comfort foods cause inflammation, Patel says. She adds: \u201cInflammation affects areas in the brain responsible for emotional processing, making people more likely to overreact and more irritable.\u201d<\/p>\n

Karine Patel\u2019s five top foods to reduce arguments:<\/p>\n

Research indicates that oily fish<\/a> such as salmon, sardines and mackerel lower can reduce inflammation and boost mood. <\/p>\n

Eggs<\/a> are naturally high in tryptophan, which helps to boost serotonin. Research has also indicated that choline, also naturally rich in eggs, can improve memory and boost cognitive performance.<\/p>\n

Bananas<\/a> contain tryptophan, an amino acid that is converted to serotonin, which boosts mood. They also contain magnesium, which helps your nerves and muscles function.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Bananas contain tryptophan, an amino acid that is converted to serotonin, which boosts mood<\/p>\n

Pexels<\/p>\n

Instead of downing eggnog<\/a> and Gingerbread lattes, you might want to opt for a matcha<\/a> instead. Data from small trials indicate that L-theanine, an amino acid naturally found in tea leaves, can help lower a person\u2019s heart rate and reduce cortisol spikes. There\u2019s also evidence that it may improve relaxation and focus.<\/p>\n

Research indicates that fermented foods<\/a> such as kimchi, yoghurt and kefir may boost your mood and reduce stress.<\/p>\n

Karine Patel\u2019s \u201canti-argument\u201d family meal plan<\/p>\n

Breakfast: Porridge oats with walnuts, chia seeds and berries<\/p>\n

Lunch: Salmon and quinoa bowl<\/p>\n

Dinner: Chicken and vegetable stir-fry with brown rice<\/p>\n

Snacks: banana and almond Butter, a handful of nuts, greek yoghurt with honey<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Christmas is a time to slow down and relax with family \u2014 but being cooped up at home…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":309589,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[45],"tags":[3462,2864,37037,102,2846,6636,56,54,55],"class_list":{"0":"post-309588","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-nutrition","8":"tag-christmas","9":"tag-family","10":"tag-foods","11":"tag-health","12":"tag-holidays","13":"tag-nutrition","14":"tag-uk","15":"tag-united-kingdom","16":"tag-unitedkingdom"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/309588","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=309588"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/309588\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/309589"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=309588"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=309588"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=309588"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}