Blue Monday, the saddest Monday of the year, “is like Santa Claus: he doesn’t exist but we like to believe in it”. And “the myth of a superfood that gives a good mood” should also be placed in the realm of fantasy. Because, explains to Adnkronos Salute Edoardo Mocini, dietitian and researcher at Sapienza University and Umberto I Polyclinic of Rome, in reality it is not a question of ‘magic’ foods, but of the overall scheme of what we eat, which can be a valid ally. And in this sense, the Blue Monday ‘tale’ can be seen as a starting point for a new beginning at the table, he assures. An opportunity to launch a ‘Food New Deal’.
Ever since a false scientific study identified the third Monday of January as the saddest day of the year in 2005 – it was a publicity stunt by a travel company to promote holiday offers in January as a remedy for sadness – there has been no than to talk about the risk of running into the ‘Blue Mood’, when returning from the Christmas holidays. “Thanks to the resumption of work and school, the colder climate, the shorter and darker days and the physical form weighed down by binges”, although it is not possible to identify the ‘D-Day of sadness’, it is easy to feel sadder and demotivated, observes Mocini.
“There is perhaps a dualism – he reasons – On the one hand, one feels drained or emptied, on the other, however, one wants to start good habits or to have a moment of renewal”. And it’s the wave to ride, for the expert. “The best thing to do, in my opinion, is to sit down and establish what your goals are: I want to eat better, or I want to improve my body composition because I realize I’m out of shape, or I want to improve my fitness fitness, because I realize that I walk for a while and I’m out of breath. And I must be aware that I will be able to achieve these goals only as a result of a constructed daily life”.
Plan
Once the objectives have been set, it is necessary to take stock, a bit like one does with economic income and expenditure, suggests Mocini. “To build a new lifestyle, we need to ask ourselves what our resources are. Is it realistic for me to go to the gym every day? Probably not, because I could only do it for 2 or 3 days. So it’s important to set goals realistic and coherent with one’s own resources and pre-established goals. In order to have an authentic motivation – he underlines – that allows one to renew one’s choices on a daily basis”.
But what is the right diet to maintain a good mood – or rather to feel good about yourself – without getting caught up in emotional eating, which can instead lead to eating disorders? It starts with breakfast which for Mocini must be “balanced, without exceeding with simple sugars”, therefore with biscuits or sugary creams, which can be part of the diet but must be dosed, he points out.
Then getting to the heart of the fixed points of a new food course, and therefore of the foods on which to focus, “the first rule that the vast majority of Italians do not respect is to consume 5 portions of fruit and vegetables a day. Let’s think about it: if we eat something inevitably something else will probably be reduced. So, with 5 portions of fruit and vegetables, we don’t risk exaggerating with the rest. If all Italians ate the right quantities of vegetables, we would be far ahead “, points out the expert.
When composing the main meals, Mocini continues, “we must also remember to always add a wholemeal cereal if possible, even wholemeal pasta when we can, and a possibly healthy source of protein, trying to minimize meat and prefer vegetable sources Therefore, consume more legumes, in fact we often use them too little (also because the less we eat, the more they bother us from a gastrointestinal point of view)”.
Mediterranean diet, some exceptions to the rules and conviviality
In other words, a hamburger does not bring happiness “and neither does the usual slice of chicken”, smiles Mocini, who recalls how the lighthouse is a “healthy Mediterranean diet”, rich in vegetables, fruit and vegetables, healthy fats rich in omega- 3, mainly whole grains. A diet that “guarantees the proper functioning of the central nervous system, of our microbiota and of our body in general”.
The dietitian also recalls the important role of exceptions: “Knowing how to allow yourself ‘festive’ moments from a food point of view, exceptions that confirm the rule”. Another help: don’t forget to have snacks during the day, and for this purpose fruit is “highly recommended”. Hydration is also important and planning is crucial here too. Using ecological water bottles, giving us the goal of filling them twice for example, gives us that rhythm that helps us. One last piece of advice is “remember that conviviality plays a very important part in nutrition”, says Mocini.
Therefore, “if we are in a family or live with someone, let’s try to do an exercise: turn off the TV, eat together and try to tell each other something. Television can be very attractive, because it is seen as a source of relaxation at the end of the day. But let’s try to turn it off and tell each other about our dreams and aspirations. This also improves the quality of our diet – he assures – Because the Mediterranean diet is not made up only of foods, but also of pleasure. Even if we are alone, we can treat ourselves to these moments by inviting a friend. These are moments that do not damage a path to health, but on the contrary enhance it”.
