DIET & NUTRITION

THE EFFECTS OF FOOD ON THE BRAIN

Diet and nutrition have an extreme impact on mental health. A high intake of sugary and processed foods can result in inflammation of the body and brain. Inflammation of the brain can lead to mood disorders like anxiety and depression, and can also produce hyperactivity in the brain and affect symptoms of ADD and ADHD. Anxiety and depression can result in either excessive eating habits or not enough. This poor diet pattern only makes symptoms of these disorders worse.

There is a strong connection between the intestines and the brain. The gut and the brain are linked via vagus nerve. The vagus nerve helps the two send messages to one another. The gut is able to alter emotional behavior in the brain, while the brain is able to alter any bacteria in the gut. Studies have shown that 95% of the body’s serotonin levels is produced by gut bacteria.

CREATING YOUR HEALTHY MENTAL DIET

So, what are some good healthy foods to add into your healthy mental diet? There are three foods that are important to incorporate into a healthy mental diet:

1. Complex Carbohydrates: brown rice, quinoa, millet, beats, and sweet potatoes.

2. Lean Proteins:meat, chicken, eggs, fish, soybeans, nuts, and seeds.

3. Fatty acids: salmon, halibut, sardines, albacore, trout, herring, walnut, flaxseed oil, and canola oil.

Incorporating these foods into your healthy mental diet is so important as these foods hold super high nutritional value, produce energy, and are vital for proper brain and nervous system function.

Multivitamins and Supplements are another great addition to consider. Often times, those who struggle with anxiety, depression, ADD, or ADHD have nutritional deficiencies. These deficiencies typically are vitamin D, zinc, ferritin, and magnesium. With that being said, supplements are able to help boost those levels.