An expert has offered an intriguing strategy for couples looking to reduce conflicts during the winter months.
While winter brings its share of cozy moments like Christmas, warm fires, and hot beverages, it’s also a season where couples may find themselves arguing more frequently.
Just as sweltering summer heat can dampen moods, winter’s challenges are not hard to relate to.
Shorter, darker days accompanied by cold and rainy weather can set the stage for increased tension.
Though Christmas offers a break, it can also stir up family tensions, potentially leading to heated disputes.
However, a specialist suggests another aspect contributing to winter disagreements.
Karine Patel, a private dietitian at Dietitian Fit in the UK, believes diet could be a factor in increased winter arguments.
Winter influences our bodies in various ways, affecting hormones, mood, and vitamin levels.
She suggests certain foods that might help alleviate winter-induced irritability.
A decline in vitamin D, due to shorter daylight hours, can impact ’emotional balance, patience, and happiness’.
To combat this, ensure you’re consuming foods rich in vitamin D.
The shorter days can also disrupt sleep patterns, influencing mood, as Karine notes.
Additionally, the change in diet, with sugary holiday foods, can lead to sugar crashes affecting our temperaments.
Karine also points out that indulging in comfort food, more common in winter, can cause inflammation, which in turn impacts mood.
The cold season keeps us indoors more, and if the Covid lockdown taught us anything, it’s that being confined with someone can lead to more disagreements.
As for recommended foods, Karine suggests options that could help, though they might not be a cure-all for relationship issues.
To boost vitamin D, try incorporating more oily fish into your diet to counter the lack of sunlight.
Eggs and bananas are also good choices, known for ‘calming the nervous system’.
Pineapple is another fruit to consider, bringing to mind images of vacation and sunny getaways.
Lastly, matcha is recommended for fostering a ‘relaxed, focused mindset’.