While diet plays an important role in physical health, more and more research has looked at its role in mental health. It can be safe to say that nutrition and mental health go hand in hand. In a context where the pandemic has caused a considerable increase in anxiety and depression disorders, in addition to the time of year when seasonal depression is raging, putting the sun on your plate is more topical than ever! The bad news: Our modern and stressful lifestyle, being surrounded by unhealthy foods and other factors can make it difficult to eat healthy meals. The good news? There are ways to eat healthily using familiar foods that you can find at your local grocery store.
We all already know that how you feel can influence what you eat. Anyone who has never jumped on chocolate after a hard day raises their hand! But here’s what we’re thinking less about: the opposite is also true. What we eat definitely has an influence on our mood and mental well-being.
How Nutrition Affects Mental Health?
More and more studies are highlighting the link between mood disorders and eating disorders. Some experts are now pushing for a balanced diet to limit brain inflammation, promote cell growth, and better regulate our mood. It is still too rare to focus on the dietary needs of the body’s most complex and energy-intensive organ: the brain. According to American expert Drew Ramsey, quoted by the New York Times, poor diet is one of the main factors contributing to the rise in the rate of depression in Western countries.
Antidepressant treatments and therapy sessions are still a valid solution. But consuming fresh, nutritious food would be a powerful complement to all existing techniques. Research on the impact of diet on mental functioning is relatively recent. What’s surprising is that the first results do go in the direction of Drew Ramsey’s speech.
Nutrition For Good Mental Health:
- Eat a wide variety of foods to give your body the nutrition it needs.
- Eat three meals a day, plus snacks between meals if you are hungry;
- Prepare and share meals with friends and family;
- Eat thoughtfully. This means sitting at a table, relaxing and eating slowly while enjoying the taste of the food. This helps us to feel the signals of hunger and fullness of our body.
Why You Should Start Eating Healthy?
If you think about it, healthy foods might actually be saving you money. Foods that contribute to good health may require some preparation but may cost less than highly processed foods. You will feel better in your brain and body and that’s the most precious and invaluable thing there is. Studies confirm that it is important to eat healthy for mental health so I pay special attention to what I am eating.
I personally order my healthy meals from BistroMD because they provide high quality food that you can trust. In-fact you can personalize your meals when your order from BistroMD and tailor them to meet your requirements. People with good mental health know that even though science is still young, nutrition and mental health have a positive correlation. As a result such people tend to eat healthier foods such as fresh fruits and vegetables along with whole grains, nuts, beans and lentils.
Depression: Proving The Link Between Nutrition And Mental Health
In 2017, the WHO classified depression as the leading global cause of disability. More than 320 million people around the world are affected and one in five fall ill at some point in their lives. Now scientists have found a link between the global disease and food also. Can it really be so simple that what we put in our mouths can make us depressed and that in that case it can be arranged by simply eating something else? Yes, sir. Clearly. In some of the largest studies in the world, you can see that there are clear links between mental illness and bad food that contains sugar, bad fats, high GI values
Depression can drastically affect a person’s mood. Thus this disorder is proof that nutrition and mental health are linked to one another. Depression is a disease characterized by great sadness, a feeling of despair and a loss of motivation. The affected person may lose decision-making abilities and may experience a decrease in the feeling of pleasure. Morbid thoughts may surround such a person along with the feeling of having no value as an individual. One of the main causes of depression is poor lifestyle habits, especially eating unhealthy foods. I compiled some foods that may help combat depression and act as anti-depressants:
Foods rich in vitamin B12
Whether you prefer a chili with red beans and beef or a Caesar salad made with lettuce and chicken breasts. Both of these dishes are rich in folic acid and vitamin B12. These two vitamins help prevent mood disorders and central nervous system disorders.
Folic acid is found in all varieties of beans and green vegetables. Meat, poultry, fish and dairy products all contain vitamin B12 . The items mentioned above are a good source of nutrition for your mental health.
Other menu ideas
- A spinach salad with pieces of crab or salmon
- An omelette with spinach shoots and light cheese
- A black bean burrito with chicken pieces
Fruits and vegetables at all meals
Its a fact: fruits and vegetables are packed with nutrients and antioxidants that boost your immune system. A study has shown that eating fruits and vegetables can boost your mood. Indeed, it is important to eat lots of fruits and vegetables since they are packed with vitamins and minerals. But did you know eating them raw rather than cooked is highly recommended ? What for? Because the micronutrients they contain are more easily absorbed in the raw state than after a swim in boiling water. These same nutrients would have a direct effect on a person’s mood and overall mental health.
Here are some antidepressant fruits
- Citrus fruits
- Berries
- Banana
- Kiwi
Oily fish every week
Numerous studies have shown that people who eat fish several times a week suffer less depression than others, especially when they choose oily fish such as salmon or sardines. These fish are indeed rich in Omega-3, fatty acids that allow a good fluidity of the membranes of our neurons. A minimum of 400 grams of oily fish per week is recommended to maintain healthy dopamine levels.
Fish Rich in Nutrients:
- Salmon
- Trout
- Sardines
- Mackerel
- Tuna
Vitamin D every day
There has been much talk in recent weeks about the importance of vitamin D in preventing the risk of severe forms of covid-19. But other studies have previously shown that vitamin D deficiency can lead to mood disorders. It is reported that 50% of the world’s population does not get enough sunlight. You may not be getting that natural vitamin D after all. Doctors advise such people to have a vitamin D rich diet
Foods rich in vitamin D :
- Egg yolks
- Mushroom
- Cereal and Oatmeal
- Cheese
- Beef Liver
Foods That Are Bad For Mental Health:
While eating healthy and clean is important , eating less unhealthy foods is a responsibility that people with good mental health take up.
Foods High In Sugar
Yes you saw it right, consumption of sugary food increases the risk of obesity and diabetes. The amount of sugar you intake has been proved to be linked to your psychological health.. Several epidemiological studies have linked sugar consumption to an increased risk of depression. In one study (Whitehall Study), men who consumed more than 67 g of sugar per day (more than 16 teaspoons of sugar) were 23% more likely to develop depression compared to those who consumed less than 40 g (less than 10 teaspoons).
If this study does not confirm a causal relationship, it raises interesting hypotheses. In particular, excessive sugar consumption would affect dopamine, and cause cell inflammation, both of which are related to mental health. Other studies have documented the negative impact of high sugar and saturated fat intake on depressive symptoms. Combined with decreased light in winter, high sugar consumption could result in a “perfect storm” that would affect mental health!
Stephen Ilardi, Professor of Clinical Psychology says that when we use candy, they act like drugs. They have an immediate effect of raising your mood but in high doses they can have some harmful effects in the long run. These include lowering your mood, reducing well-being, increasing inflammation and causing weight gain. As far as sugar is concerned, he recommends caution.
Salty Foods
Salty foods such as French fries or potato chips pose serious health risks (e.g. high blood pressure). If you’re trying to lose weight salty foods might not be your ideal source of nutrition as excess salt is responsible for fluid retention. If you are trying to lose weight here are some weight loss foods for a healthy and lean body.
Recent studies further state that salt affects our intelligence and impairs our ability to think. This is what explains a claim that diets containing a high sodium content are associated with heart problems and cause cognitive decline to be more accelerated.
A diet that is too salty is not only bad for our physical health but it also has a negative impact on our mental health. Researchers at the University College of London were able to arrive at this conclusion after a study for which the results are pretty clear. People who prefer a healthy diet, such as the traditional Mediterranean diet, are not at risk of depression. On the other hand, if you tend to eat low-balanced foods, you are at a risk of being more exposed to mental health problems. It’s safe to say that a diet that is too high in salt can increase cognitive decline in older adults. The maximum daily dose of salt recommended for people aged 14 and over is 2,300 mg.
Junk Food
There are different media that warns us of the danger of incorporating these foods into our diet. But the truth is that there is more and more access to these types of products. Research has shown that its prolonged consumption affects our brain and causes chemical changes in it. Eventually all of these changes lead to anxiety and depression.
Junk foods act almost like a drug. They have the tendency to overstimulate the brain’s reward center. This makes food addictive and has an effect on dopamine production. Your memory, learning capacity and motivation depend actively on your dopamine levels. Junk food and other ready meals can really mess up your body and disrupt your systems. Did you know junk food often contains high levels of Nitrates? This can cause migraines within 20 minutes. People that experienced such condition felt better in just a couple of days as soon as they stopped eating junk food.
If you are someone who is having difficulty sleeping, you should try paying attention to what you eat before going to bed. Having junk food, especially cookies or ice cream, before bed can be devastating for your night’s sleep. What happens is that the ice-cream you eat makes your blood sugar rise quickly and when it drops again you wake up craving something good. At the same time, salt can make you wake up thirsty which is also not very ideal. Likewise certain chemicals in junk foods tend to cause inflammation and joint pain so be on the look out for such situations.
Some Healthy Habits
As you have seen how our nutrition affects our mental health, studies show that various food additives, as well as plastics, can contribute to health problems. The American Pediatrics Society recommends to eat fresh or frozen fruits and vegetables where possible. Similarly try to use alternatives to plastic, such as glass or stainless steel, where possible while eating food. If you let plastic come into contact with your food, certain chemicals in it can be harmful for your health. You can be at risk of developing metabolic disorders and reduced fertility.
If possible, avoid putting plastic foods or beverages in the microwave. Putting plastic in the microwave potentially increases the risk of getting a higher dose of those harmful chemicals. Most importantly, before you start eating your favorite fruits, wash your hands before handling food. It is also a good habit to wash any fruits and vegetables that cannot be peeled. There are certain bacteria on the surface of the fruits and vegetables that are potentially harmful if not removed. Another good habit is to avoid consumption of processed foods during pregnancy. Most people tend to ignore its implications. Such activities can have long-term health implications for you and your child.
Conclusion
To sum it all up, we now know that what we eat may not only affect our physical health, but also our mental health and well being. Mental health and wellness require a holistic approach, eating clean and healthy is one of the ways you can complement certain therapies and techniques you’re using to manage your mental health.
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