Mental Advantages Of A Healthy Diet

When we eat for nourishment, we nurture not just our physical health, but our mental health as well. Likewise, when we eat without regard for our physical well-being, we also put our mental health at risk.

The role of diet and nutrition on mental health is, only now, being widely explored by scientists. Mental health problems, from headaches, anxiety and depression to ADHD, Alzheimer’s, and schizophrenia have been by several studies done in recent years to have a correlation with certain nutrient deficiencies and eating habits. Additionally, an improvement in overall diet and nutrition has also been shown to significantly boost mental condition.

All in all, study results strongly suggest that pharmaceuticals are not the only, nor are they the best, answer to mental health problems; a healthy diet is the key to a healthy mind.

Diet & Mental Health

In a 2004 documentary, titled “Super Size Me,” Morgan Spurlock lives on a diet of McDonald’s food and nothing else, for 30 days. Super sizing his meals and restricting his physical activity were also part of the experiment, which aimed to explore the relationship between Americans’ fast food diet and the ever growing obesity epidemic in the U.S. ( Source: nchpad.org )

Not surprisingly, his 30-day, fast food diet led to weight gain, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. Spurlock also experienced low energy levels, massive headaches, and depression only halfway through the month-long experiment.

… good nutrition on mental health is pretty obvious, … Big Pharma would have us believe that the answer to any and all ailments are the chemical concoctions they manufacture.

The adverse effects of an unhealthy diet on our physical well-being are well-known and have been exhaustively studied; but the connection between a lack in proper nutrition combined with a diet that is mostly composed of junk food and “frankenfood” (genetically modified food – GMOs) is yet to be fully established, at least scientifically. Recent studies, however, have shown that what we eat and a lack in certain nutrients can influence our mental state, and scientists are going full-steam-ahead in their exploration of the role that diet and nutrition can play in the prevention and treatment of certain mental health conditions.

We all know how what we eat and how we eat can lead to a variety of physical, emotional, and mental reactions: fullness, satisfaction, enjoyment, guilt, discomfort, alertness, laziness, liveliness, and many others. We don’t need scientific studies to understand how food can influence not only our physical state, but also our mental state.

Making the association between chronic health conditions and depression, anxiety, stress, and other similar mental conditions is also not a huge leap. And many of these chronic health conditions are caused by poor diet and nutrition. If treating chronic health conditions, and their associated mental health issues, can be effectively achieved through good nutrition, then it becomes much easier to understand how good nutrition can actually be an important component of good mental health, and not just an alternative form of treatment.

While the substantial role of good nutrition on mental health is pretty obvious, it is mostly an under-recognized tool – and this is mostly because Big Pharma would have us believe that the answer to any and all ailments are the chemical concoctions they manufacture. On top of this, Big Ag does whatever it can to keep us buying their products and filling our plates with their frankenfood. It does not matter to these giant corporations that their products cause health problems. All they care about is raking in the money.

But, as this excerpt from an article published on MentalHealth.org states, …

“The body of evidence linking diet and mental health is growing at a rapid pace. As well as its impact on short and long-term mental health, the evidence indicates that food plays an important contributing role in the development, management and prevention of specific mental health problems such as depression, schizophrenia, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and Alzheimer’s disease.”

For example, some studies have found that people who consume more fresh vegetables, fruits, salads, and fruit juices are less likely to experience daily mental health problems, compared to people who do suffer from daily mental health problems and who eat more unhealthy foods than healthy foods. (Ibid.)

Another report from HuffingtonPost.com mentions a link between depression and deficiencies in essential vitamins:

“In 2011, a large study found the modern Western diet (which is high in processed, high-calorie and low-nutrient foods) to be linked with increased depression and anxiety, as compared to a traditional Norweigan diet. 2014 review of studies, too, linked unhealthy dietary patterns with poor mental health and children and adolescents.”

According to Dr. Drew Ramsey, author and integrative psychiatrist at Columbia University, Food is a “foundational treatment.” He adds, “We really need to move away from thinking of things like diet and exercise as ‘complementary’ or ‘alternative.’ That’s really bad thinking that’s gotten psychiatry into trouble.” (Ibid.)

Having a diet that is not just good for the body but also the mind is even more important these days when numerous stressors – both physical and neurological – are often encountered every day. The health risks that we are constantly exposed to also necessitate the healthiest possible approach to eating to make both the mind and body resilient.

Eating Right for Good Mental Health

Seeking professional help for mental health problems, such as depression, is highly recommended by medical experts and concerned loved ones alike. Being able to talk to somebody about one’s worries and fears does make a huge difference; but pharmaceutical treatment should not always be the go-to solution. Altering one’s mood through chemical means is only a temporary solution and is often accompanied by other problems that, oftentimes, only aggravate the original problem.

While some experts may argue that there is still very little evidence that support the connection between the food we eat and our moods, and how dietary changes can have a positive influence on our mental status, eating right can never do any harm. On the contrary, it can only be beneficial. And no expert or representative of Big Pharma and Big Ag can argue with that.

Altering one’s mood through chemical means is only a temporary solution and is often accompanied by other problems …

Obviously, eating foods that improve overall physical health, especially when one is suffering from a chronic health condition, will also improve one’s mental well-being. When you feel good physically, this automatically translates to a more positive attitude as well.

One of the highly-recommended brain foods are those that are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, such as salmon, mackerel, sardines, herring, and other seafood, as well as in olive oil, dark and green leafy vegetables, walnuts and flaxseeds. Omega-3 fatty acids have been shown not only to improve heart health, but also mood.

Increasing dopamine levels is another way to improve one’s mental health. Dopamine is popularly known as the “pleasure chemical,” but it has other numerous functions in the brain and the body, such as regulating blood flow and modulating eating; it also plays a role in reward-motivated behavior. Eating foods high in folic acid and vitamin B-12, such as fruits, leafy greens, and whole grains, and fish, shellfish, and dairy products, can increase one’s dopamine levels and, therefore, improve their mood.

Depression has also been associated with very low levels of vitamin D; this is especially true for people who suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder – a condition that accompanies the onset of winter. Increasing levels of vitamin D is an effective way to counter depression. Foods that are rich in vitamin D include salmon, tuna, and other fatty fish; foods fortified with vitamin D, such as orange juice and cereals are also a good source. Getting a few minutes of early morning sun is the best way to get one’s daily dose of vitamin D.

Tryptophan, which is found in soy, dairy products, red meat, and turkey, increases the release of serotonin, the brain chemical that is responsible for improving mood, appetite, sleep, sexual desire and function, and memory and learning, among others.

Eating at the right time is just as important in maintaining mental well-being. Skipping meals and not eating at the right time deprive the body and mind of the fuel it needs to function properly when blood sugar levels drop, which then leads to low energy levels, poor concentration, increased stress, and, ultimately, mood fluctuations. Diets that severely restrict eating can only lead to more physical and mental problems. Indeed, any unhealthy eating habit stresses the body, which also stresses the mind.

To maintain good mental well-being, providing the body and mind with fuel and the right kinds of food at the right time – ideally, small meals every three to four hours – is essential.

On this website, you will learn about the many threats to human health and environmental health that may negatively affect your mood. But HEP aims to arm its audience with the knowledge they need to survive these threats – by guiding them towards the path to healthy eating and an overall healthy approach to food and nutrition. Θ