The wrong food can kill your mood
How do you expect your brain to lower levels of stress or fight depression, if you do not feed it with the proper ingredients? Here is how nutrition is essential for good mental health:
Want to improve your mental health – then eat well!
Think of your brain as a complicated machinery that needs the right grease in order to function well. Since your gut and your brain share the same chemicals, we can say that that grease comes from putting the right ingredients into your mouth. In short, if you want to achieve better mental health, it might pay out to make some readjustments in your eating habits. Good nutrition is imperative to mental health, yet this link has been under-recognized in the development of major trends in mental health, states the Mental Health Foundation.
The charity organization notes how food plays an important role in the prevention of mental health problems such as depression and hyperactivity disorder. In our gastrointestinal tract, i.e. our stomach, mouth, intestines and gullet, lie numerous neurons and 95% of the body’s serotonin, a neurotransmitter that regulates sleep and the mood, writes Instructor of Medicine Eva Selhub on Harvard’s Health Blog.
If we want both neurons and neurotransmitters like serotonin to make the brain work effectively, we need good bacteria to protect us from toxins and inflammation plus activate neural roads between the stomach and the brain. That is why we need a certain diet, if we want to improve our emotional well-being and for example combat high levels of stress.
So what does your brain need?
Food high in protein: If there is one thing that catalyzes stress, it is an unsteady sugar level. Food that contains a lot of protein helps release energy slowly in your body, so your blood sugar will not rise and fall rapidly and cause for mood swings. Psychology Today describes how bad carbohydrates, a bodily predecessor for sugar, have effects on the brain similar to those of drug abuse. What we want instead is to provide the brain and body with fuel over a long period. Nuts, seeds, wholegrain and oats all contain good proteins that help steadying your sugar level. These complex carbohydrates not only reduce symptoms of stress and anxiety, they also improve overall cognitive functioning.
Vegetables and fruit: There is a reason why we keep hearing about the “five a day” rule. While vegetables in general contain loads of vitamins, fibers and minerals, leafy greens such as spinach and broccoli contain folates, which produce the pleasure-tricking brain chemical dopamine. Going green thus lowers rates of depression and fatigue. In 2013, a study from the University of Otago found that college students feel both happier and calmer on days with a high intake of fruit and vegetables. Mind.org.uk recommends tomatoes, mushrooms and bananas, since these foods contain high levels of potassium, which cares for the brain and the nervous system.
Good fats: Naturally, fish had to be on the list somewhere. Your brain needs oily fats such as omega-3 and -6, which the body cannot produce on its own. Besides boosting your learning ability, healthy fats assist in the production of both dopamine and serotonin – thus making you happier. What is great about salmon is its anti-inflammatory properties that counteract stress and anxiety hormones built up in the body, explains clinical dietitian Lisa Cimperman. The amino-acid tryptophan found in turkey breast probes for calmness and increases mental wellbeing, while spicing up your daily meals with sunflower or olive oil, avocados and nuts can provide you a dosage of healthy fats to combat stress and anxiety.
Less caffeine: We all know how a cup of coffee can save the day. However, caffeine is a stimulant that will keep you running off to the toilet without properly keeping you hydrated. It can also disturb your sleep pattern and make you feel more anxious or depressed, according to mind.org.uk. Keeping hydrated is vital for your ability to think straight, which should come as no surprise, since the adult human body contains between 50-65% water. Replacing cola, coffee or chocolate with water or green tea will keep your mind more clear and increase your mental health.
Blueberries and dark chocolate: Now here is a pleasant treat! Dark chocolate not only limits the stress hormone cortisol, it also lowers your blood pressure and makes the blood vessels relax, according to nutritionist Cynthia Sass. Just make sure to go for options with at least 70 % cocoa. Blueberries contain antioxidants and phytonutrients, i.e. protective nutrients found in plants, which naturally boosts your white blood cells in their fight against stress.
Yogurt: Bacteria in the gut can increase levels of stress in the brain. Non-heat treated yogurt contains active cultures, which is another word for the living organisms that helped converting pasteurized milk to yogurt, and these not only boosts the immune system and prevent gastrointestinal infections, they also reduce anxiety and stress hormones.
How to make it happen
According to the Mental Health Foundation, people who report mental health problems usually eat fewer healthy foods containing minerals, water, amino acids, good fats, protein and greens. Do you feel inspired improve your your eating habits? Do not worry, it is not that complicated! Merely make sure that your breakfast, lunch pack and dinner contains a little bit of the six vital foods.
Kick the day of by eating some oatmeal or high-protein yogurt (perhaps with a blueberry smoothie). Make sure to pack some uncooked vegetables, some nuts or some avocado in your lunch pack. Remember the water bottle, fruits and dark chocolate and eat the later, whenever you need a small energy boost. Feel free to experiment with dishes containing a combination of fish, chicken, turkey or eggs for dinner and serve it with some nice veggies such as broccoli, spinach, green salad, seeds or beets on the side. And please, do not spare on the olive or sunflower oil!
Voila – there you have it. You have gone through the day spoiling your brain with all the grease it needs to care for your mental health and fight downers such as anxiety, stress and depression. Even if you smash a cheeseburger or a whole bag of candy on occasion, your effort to incorporate brain healthy foods into your diet will give you a big push towards higher levels of mental health.
