Tiredness, nostalgia and bad mood, also due to the reduction in sunshine hours, are the most common symptoms of autumn sickness. To face this new beginning, you need the right amount of energy that you get, according to the experts of the Almond Board of California and Fitbit, by learning to understand the rhythms of your body, staying active and with the help of the right snacks, at the right time. So, healthy eating, regular physical activity and good quality sleep. Lack of sleep, in fact, is often also associated with excessive consumption of food and / or a poor quality diet. Recent research has also shown that people who sleep less than the average of seven hours a night (recommended as a minimum), tend to make worse choices at snack time than those made by those who sleep well.
“To start the day well, it is important to take the time to a nutritious breakfast – explains Roberta Tundo, dietician of the Technical Scientific Association of Nutrition and Dietetics (Asand) – such as plain yogurt topped with fresh fruit and ground almonds. Almonds contain plant-based proteins, healthy fats, and fiber, which help provide long-lasting energy. They are also a rich source of magnesium, which contributes to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue. They are therefore an excellent fuel. A tasty and nutritious alternative to yogurt could be a porridge based on quinoa, prunes, chopped almonds and fresh seasonal fruit ”.
Also mid-morning and mid-afternoon snacks they are important for staying energetic throughout the day, both physically and mentally. “In order not to be taken by surprise by hunger – underlines Tundo – it can be a good move to plan snacks, choosing nutritious and healthy snacks, with proteins and fibers, which help us stay on track and concentrate for a long time. One study found that an almond-based snack can help control appetite and consequently the calorie intake of the meal following that snack. Another study shows that the simple dietary strategy of substituting almonds for typical snacks can improve the responses of the heart and nervous system to mental stress, improving heart rate regulation. ”
What to do to keep the pace of our days and enjoy a good night’s sleep, so that we wake up refreshed? Carolina Lombardi, Head of the Sleep Center of Auxologico Lombardia, University of Milan-Bicocca, has no doubts: “A correct lifestyle is the basis of an optimal quality of sleep – explains Lombardi – There are many relationships between sleep and nutrition and are based on meal times, quantity but also on some organoleptic and chemical characteristics of the foods themselves (such as foods containing tryptophan or magnesium that support a good sleep) “.
Physical activity and our daily habits – he continues – also play a very important role: having sufficiently regular times to go to bed and wake up in the morning, not falling asleep in places other than bed, not taking naps during the day, especially if prolonged, sleeping in an environment with adequate temperature and lighting, avoiding alcohol, nicotine and stimulating substances such as caffeine in the evening, are all fundamental elements for maintaining the health of our sleep. It is advisable avoid using electronic devices (PCs, tablets and mobile phones) before going to bed both because it stimulates us from an emotional point of view and because it exposes our eyes to artificial light that alters the production of melatonin, the main regulating mechanism of our wake / sleep alternation “.
The expert advises against physical and sporting activity in the evening. “According to some studies – again Lombardi – even if not everyone agrees on this, Intense physical activity in the evening should be avoided, while it produces a beneficial effect on sleep if done by the afternoon possibly in the open air, in order to expose us in a physiological way to sunlight. Most of these components of our lifestyle can for example be monitored through tracker and healthwatch, which analyze, objectifying us, our daily activities, our habits and can also provide us with an estimate of the quality of sleep, night by night ”.
Contact with nature is among the remedies for autumn sickness. “Scientific studies show that spend at least 20 minutes a day in contact with nature (during daylight hours) leads to an improvement in psycho-physical well-being, also important for synthesizing the precious vitamin D. In fact, scientific interest in forest therapies has increased in recent years and several certified forest stations and parks have been created in Italy, rich in biodiversity, particularly suitable for activities in contact with nature. the ‘Forest Bath’ or Shinrin-yoku, the sensory immersion in the forest led by an expert, which could be practiced at the weekend. The benefits of forest therapy have recently been recognized by the UN (Fao and Unep) also in the context of the green recovery of the pandemic, arguing among other things that staying in the forest or in tree-lined parks offers a myriad of benefits for human, physical, mental and spiritual health ”concludes Tundo.
The followers of the California Almonds Facebook page, from the first week of November, will receive notifications on their mobile phones at 8.00, 10.30 and 17.00, to remind them that “It’s Almond Time”- time to recharge with almonds, the smart snack to stay energized during the day and between meals. A handful of 30g (about 23 almonds) is a natural, tasty and easy solution to always have with you, and with 175 calories and 6 grams of vegetable protein it is an ideal snack to maintain energy during a full and busy day.
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