This vibrant dish is a wonderful plant-based meal providing you with the nutrients needed to support your mental health!
Filled with vibrant vegetables and bold flavours, it is the perfect staple recipe!
Edamame is a type of soybean with a nutritional profile built to support your mental health. Edamame has a low glycemic index, meaning that when consumed it does not spike your blood sugars. This is an important quality when it comes to your mood, as fluctuating blood sugar levels have been shown to have negative impacts on one’s mood. Individuals diagnosed with diabetes, who typically have fluctuating blood sugar levels, are at a higher risk of being diagnosed with a mood disorder such as depression or anxiety (1).
Mushrooms are believed to provide a plant-based source of vitamin D. While vitamin D can be produced in the body when our skin is exposed to sun, the limited hours of sun exposure during the winter months make dietary sources of vitamin D important. Low levels of vitamin D is correlated with mood disorders such as anxiety and depression (2). Vitamin D supplementation has been shown to decrease depression and anxiety symptoms (3). While mushrooms provide a good source of dietary vitamin D, protective against poor mood, it is important to ensure that they were grown in sunlight for optimal vitamin D levels (4).
Ginger is used to enhance the flavours of this dish. Ginger’s known benefits include containing high levels of antioxidants to fight oxidative stress and protect against cell damage. Recently, animal models have shown promise that ginger may be effective at reducing anxiety symptoms (5), giving it potential to support mood in humans.
References:
- Li, C., Barker, L., Ford, E., Zhang, X., Strine, T., & Mokdad, A. (2008). Diabetes and anxiety in US adults: findings from the 2006 behavioural risk facto surveillance system. Diabetic Medicine, 25(7), 878-881. doi: 10.111/j.1464-5491.2008.02477.x
- Bicikova, M., Duskova, M., Vitku, J., Kalvachova, B., Ripova, D., Mohr, P., & Starka, L. (2015). Vitamin D in anxiety and affective disorders. Physiology Research, 64(2), 101-103. doi: 10.33549/physiolres.933082
- Byrn, M., Adams, W., Emanuele, M., Mumby, P., Kouba, J., & Wallis, D. (2017). Vitamin D Supplementation Improves Mood in Women with Type 2 Diabetes. Journal of Diabetes Research, 2017, 1-11. doi: 10.1155/2017/823863.
- Cardwell, G., Bornman, J., James, A., & Black, L. (2018). A Review of Mushrooms as a Potential Source of Dietary Vitamin D. Nutrients, 10(10), 1498. doi: 10.3390/nu10101498.
- Fadaki, F., Modaresi, M., & Sajjadian, I. (2017). The effects of ginger extract and diazepam on anxiety reduction in animal model. Indian Journal of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, 51(3), 159-162. doi: 10.5530/ijper.51.3s.4
Glazed Mushroom and Edamame Stir Fry
Ingredients
- 1½ tsps Sesame Oil
- 10 Cremini Mushrooms sliced
- ½ Red Onion small chunks
- ½ Yellow Pepper sliced
- 1 cup Broccoli Florets
- ½ cup Carrots julienned
- 2 cups Edamame in Pod can substitute snow or snap peas
- 2 tbsps Water
- 2 tbsps Coconut Aminos
- 1 tbsp Ginger fresh, finely grated
- 3 cloves Garlic minced
- 1 tsp Dried Basil
- pinch Red Pepper Flakes optional
Instructions
- Heat sesame oil in a large pan or skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add mushrooms and onions to the pan, cooking for 3 to 5 minutes or until the mushrooms and onions have started to soften.
- Add sliced peppers, broccoli and carrots stirring to combine. Continue to cook, stirring frequently, for another 3 minutes.
- Add in edamame and cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until the edamame has warmed through.
- While the edamame is cooking, combine the water, coconut aminos, ginger, garlic and spices in a small bowl.
- Add the ginger-garlic sauce to the pan. Stir to combine for 2 to 3 minutes more until all ingredients are well coated and sauce has reduced.
- When the stir fry is fully cooked, remove from heat and divide evenly onto serving plates. Enjoy!
