Connecting Mental Health with Nutrition
By Nmami Agarwal 22-Feb 2021 Reading Time: 4 Mins
You must have heard it before that the food we eat has a major effect on our body. The same has been confirmed by some studies, there’s a connection between your food choices and your overall health. Choosing the correct diet packed with nutrients not only helps in maintaining a healthy body weight but also promotes a healthy heart. It can also improve a person’s attention and concentration span. Furthermore, it also helps reduce the risk of chronic diseases. Conversely, having an inadequate diet may lead you to fatigue, and slow down your reaction time. In fact, a poor diet can actually lead to depression and stress.
Studies have shown that the biggest health disablement in the society is due to reliance on processed foods. These refined foods contain high amounts of sugar and flour therefore, it trains the brain to crave more of these foods, rather than foods rich in nutrients such as vegetables and fruits.
In order to stop these cravings you must proper majors or consult your dietician.
- Stress and Depression
- Mindful Eating
- Brain Food
Processed foods and sugar may lead to inflammation throughout our brain and body, which can further contribute to mood disorder, including depression and anxiety. It’s often processed foods we reach whenever we are feeling stressed or depressed isn’t that so? People tend to eat more or less when depressed or under stress which may later become problematic. To boost your mental wellbeing, focus on consuming plenty of fresh vegetables and fruits along with foods rich in omega-3 such as salmon, tuna, nuts and seeds, legumes and so forth in your diet. It is said that a healthy diet can be more effective than any other medication.
Paying a close attention to what you eat and when you eat can really improve your mental health. Since many of us don’t bother about our eating habits it is suggested that you keep a food journal. Having an insight about what, where, and when you eat can indulge into healthy eating patterns.
Your nervous system and brain relies upon nutrition to develop new proteins, tissues and cells. In order to function efficiently, our body needs different kinds of nutrients such as minerals, carbohydrates, and proteins. To achieve all the important nutrients which could help you improve your mental functioning, it is suggested that you have meals packed with a variety of foods, instead of eating the same meals everyday.
Over To You
All in all, being mentally disturbed can be devastating but giving yourself a chance to reconnect with your mental health and that too with the help of proper nutrition can really help you in a lot better way! We hope with these tips you get to connect with yourself!