Mental Health Monday

Eating to boost your mood + Food for Thought + In-depth Temp Challenge

"5 foods that might boost your mood in cold weather," Niki Kubiak, Omaha World Herald, 2/28:  "If you are feeling the winter blues settling down on you just like the millions of snowflakes that have fallen outside, you may need more than a regular dose of vitamin D.
        "Serotonin is a neurotransmitter connected to overall feelings of happiness & well-being. Sunlight exposure & regular exercise will help keep serotonin levels up, but if you tend to hibernate in the cold or have been less physically active, chances are that you have lower levels of serotonin than in sunnier seasons.
        "Lower levels are related to increased depression, anxiety & poor sleep quality. Although serotonin is not a nutrient found in food, there are foods that are associated with its production. One of these nutrients is the amino acid tryptophan. It needs iron, vitamin B6 & B2, to be converted into niacin, which then plays an important role in the production of serotonin.
        "Tryptophan supplements are not recommended, & since it is an essential nutrient, it must be obtained through your diet. Fortunately, many common foods are good sources of tryptophan. It absorbs best when foods high in tryptophan are eaten in combination with quality carbohydrates, since they contain the necessary iron, B6 & B2. Include a few of the following meals below every day to give your mood & energy levels a boost until this snow melts into spring.

• "Eat your eggs how you like them. Egg yolks are a good source of tryptophan, so scramble two eggs over whole-wheat toast for breakfasst. Add a srving of colorful fruit on the side to round it out."

TO BE CONTINUED . . . 

Food for Thought

• "Man lost in snow for 5 days survived on Taco Bell sauce packets" [Drudge Report, 3/4]
• "Vegan 'steaks' made with 3-D printer for 'conscious carnivores.' [ditto]

Wit & Wisdom of Jonah Goldberg *

* One of my two most favorite partisan pundits

"The first obligation of the state is to protect human life . . . And a delivered baby outside the womb or in the process of delivery is, simply, a baby." [Drudge Report, 3/2]

An OCD Temp Challenge

I present 2 interpretations of data gleaned from accuweather @ 6:50a this morning.

Wind Chill

#1, Ventura, Iowa, -33

#2, Norfolk, NE, -28

#3, Garrison, IA, -22

#4, Lincoln, NE, -19

#4, Beatrice, NE, -19

#6, Eagan, MN, -13

It's pretty impressive when the warmest wind chill is still -13.

Air Temperature

#1, Eagan, MN, -11

#1, Ventura, IA, -11

#3, Garrison, IA, -9

#3, Lincoln, NE, -9

#5, Beatrice, NE -7

#6, Norfolk, NE -5

And it's pretty impressive when the warmest air temperature is -5.

Dept. of Shameless Joke-Stealing *

* Courtesy of Reader's Digest, Feb. 2019

"I went to the doctor & he said, 'You've got hypochondria.' I said, 'Not that as well!'"