Eat Your Way to Boost Mental Health

Mental health is said to be a state of emotional, psychological, and ,social well-being. How we feel, think and act is affected by our state of mind. In simple words it is all about being happy, being emotionally stable, having positivity around, practicing self-care and gratitude.

We all know how important it is to relax, meditate and exercise to boost our mental health.

Same way, good nutrition is also important for our overall well-being. And what goes in is highly reflected out. People often eat too little or too much when depressed or stressed. Whereas, good can actually help us lift our mood and emotional being. Good nutrition will not only nourish our body but our brain too.

To lift our mood and improve cognitive as well as emotional functions, Here Are Some Mental Health Rich Foods That We All Should Include in Our Diets,

Oh! Omega-3 – First and foremost this fat is essential for growth and development. Lack of this fat results in impulsivity, hypertension, and depression. Some rich sources are nuts, olive oil, flax seeds, eggs, fish, and salmon.

• Be A Pro with Protein and Probiotics – Proteins are the building blocks and help in making new cells and repairing old ones. Lean protein is said to increase concentration and decrease impulsive and inattentive behavior. Some good sources are paneer, tofu, lean meat, legumes with whole grains, peanuts, eggs, nuts.

  It is often said that a happy gut means a happy mind. And probiotics are the way to a happy gut as they increase good microbes in the gut and helps in good digestion. You can get your probiotics from yogurt, banana, pickles, and other fermented foods.

• Full With Whole Foods – Whole foods provide the most nutrients in simple and wholesome ways. They are mineral, vitamin, and nutrients rich, and help in increasing concentration and calmness. Some whole foods you must include in your diet are legumes, grains, fruits, and vegetables. One can always experiment with the variety of flours, legumes, and vegetables in a diet. This will keep the meals interesting.
• Yes! Spinach – Spinach has a great amount of folic acid, iron, and manganese. It helps in restraining depression. Magnesium in spinach increases oxygen to reach the brain and improves brain functioning. Other green leafy vegetables are also packed with nutrients that are good for the brain and its functioning.

  Too much sugar, processed or packaged foods should be avoided as they increase the inflammation in the body and the brain. A person must have freshly cooked meals in order to ensure complete health. If we tend to overeat or undereat, we can break the 3 meals into portioned 5 meals.

Footnote:
With a good diet, regular exercise is important as well to get the most of the nutrients in our food. Some kind of movement can help us unwind, relax and release the happy hormones.