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GOOD FOOD, GOOD MOOD
GOOD FOOD, GOOD MOOD
Food is our source of life. It is vital for our health, gives us energy for our daily activities, and helps us grow. We are familiar with an old saying: you are what you eat. This sentence reflects the way in which food has a significant impact on us. Eating good and nutritious food not only affects our physical health but also significantly impacts our mood and mental health. Let's take a look at our mood this week. How do we feel lately? If we feel a low mood without any apparent reason, we should pay attention to our nutrition and be mindful of the food we consume daily.
When we talk about mental health, we can’t ignore the role of our brain. Our brain weight is only 2% of our weight, but it consumes 20% of our daily calorie intake. Our brain has extremely high metabolic and nutritional needs. Our brain never stops working. It is always on 24/7, even when we are taking a rest. The brain rules everything in our body: thoughts, movements, breathing, senses, and even our heartbeat. It means that our brain needs a good source of energy, and it comes from our food. What we eat can have a direct influence on our brain and our mood.
We can make sure our brain functions at its maximum potential when it gets the best nutrition. We must eat high-quality food with many vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. If we eat a lot of processed foods and refined sugar, it can be harmful to our brain. Researchers have found a link between a diet high in refined sugar and impaired brain function. It can even lead to symptoms of mood disorders.
The expanding research in nutritional psychiatry shows that there are numerous consequences and connections between what we eat, what we feel, and how we behave. If we lack several nutritional aspects, for example, vitamins B12, B9, and zinc, we can experience low mood, fatigue, cognitive decline, and irritability.
Unfortunately, we are often too busy with a lot of activity, which prevents us from adequate access to nutritious and culturally appropriate food. It is easier for us to grab some fast food around us rather than spending energy and time preparing whole foods. However, the protective factor for our mental health can’t be ignored. A prospective study among over 10.000 university students found that 42% of students who followed a traditional diet had a 42% lower risk of developing symptoms of depression.
We can prove the effect of food on our feelings when we observe it not just after we eat something but for several days. Eliminate all processed food and sugar for at least two weeks, and track your mood. You will be surprised that we can elevate our moods just by eating clean.
What are some practical steps that we can take to maximize the benefit that we can get from our food for our mental health?
Eat for your body and brain
We rely on nutrition to build new proteins, cells, and tissues. We need to get all the nutrients to be able to increase our mental functioning. To achieve this, our body needs various carbohydrates, proteins, and minerals. Then, we need to make sure that we eat different kinds of foods rather than eat the same food every day. For a healthy mental diet, we can eat:
● Complex carbohydrates such as brown rice, beets, and sweet potatoes. It would keep us full rather than sugar and candy.
● Lean protein: to give us energy to think and react quickly, we can eat chicken, ear, fish, eggs, soybeans, nuts, and seeds.
● Fatty acid that is important for brain function and the nervous system, we can find them in fish, meat, eggs, and nuts.
Maintain a healthy gut
Have you ever felt weird in your stomach before delivering an important presentation or during times of stress? That is how closely the gut and our brain are connected. The gut microbiome is the microorganism that lives in our intestines. The American Psychological Association claims that the brain utilizes a variety of neurochemicals produced by gut bacteria to control various mental and physiological functions, including mood. Gut bacteria are thought to be responsible for producing 95% of the body's supply of serotonin, a neurotransmitter. It is believed that stress suppresses good gut flora. To keep our gut healthy, we need to eat various plant-based food, fiber, and probiotic food.
Mindful eating
One of the first steps to ensuring you're receiving well-balanced meals and snacks is to pay attention to how you feel after eating and what you consume. Writing a journal to monitor food intake is advised by nutritionists because most of us don't keep a strict record of our eating habits. To get insight into your eating habits, it's a good idea to keep a journal of what, where, and when you eat.
Eating healthy food could be a way to improve our mental health. However, sometimes we experience heavy stress that we can’t manage ourselves. There are certain situations where it could be too challenging for us to handle. When it happens, it is time for us to seek professional assistance. Remember, seeking help from a mental health professional is not a sign of weakness or failure.
References
https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/nutritional-psychiatry-your-brain-on-food-201511168626
https://www.apa.org/monitor/2017/09/food-mental-health
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6170050/
https://www.sutterhealth.org/health/nutrition/eating-well-for-mental-health
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