“We would never tell someone with a broken leg that they should stop wallowing and get it together. We don’t consider taking medication for an ear infection something to be ashamed of. You shouldn’t treat mental health conditions any differently.”— said Michelle Obama.
If you want to get your body in shape, your diet is an important factor. What do you do about your mental health? How do you get it in shape? The truth is that your need for food also shapes your mental health.
How Does Food Affect Our Mental Well-Being?
The mind is similar to an engine. It requires fuel to function at its best. A healthy and balanced diet makes you alert and keeps your mind in shape. Asides from this, it also increases concentration and increases attention span. On the other hand, a poor diet leads to a reduced reaction, fatigue, and impaired vision. It might also lead to stress and depression, which affects the mind.
On the other hand, processed food poses a negative threat to the mind’s health. Unhealthy food stimulates dopamine and is extremely addictive. Therefore, you must avoid refined or processed foods such as cakes and cookies. You should also eat more organic foods such as vegetables and fruits.
Food That Helps to Reduce Stress and Depression
Managing stress and depression through diet is a tactic that is available to everyone. Countless foods can help manage stress and depression. Some of those foods are:
Herbal Tea: Most times, the emotions that foods and drinks induce are all that are needed to reduce stress. Herbal Tea is one such drink. Research has shown that a warm beverage can help increase warmth and interpersonal friendliness. Herbal tea, made for products such as lavender and chamomile, gives off a soothing and relaxing effect. In addition, green tea is ideal for developing mental health due to its caffeine content. They also protect the neurons from neurotoxins, neuroinflammation, cognitive function, and other mental activities.
Dark chocolate: Look for a good that can reduce your stress quickly, and then look for dark chocolate. Dark chocolate reduces stress through its emotional and chemical effects. Dark chocolate is also extremely rich in antioxidants, thereby reducing the level of stress hormones within the body. You must look for the best form of dark chocolate. Dark chocolate must not contain sugar or any form of additive.
Whole Grain: The mood is connected with the state of your mental health. According to research, carbohydrates enhance the serotonin level in the body. Asides from this, carbohydrates also help increase focus and concentration. Therefore, foods like sweet potatoes, potatoes, and whole grains are healthy sources of carbohydrates that can reduce your mental health.
Fish: Fish is a great way to fight stress and prevent heart diseases. If you want to eat healthily and fight stress, fatty fish are the way to go. Fatty fishes rich in Omega-3 are an excellent option to fight stress and depression. Halibut and salmon, mackerel, tuna, lake trout, and herrings are examples of such healthy fishes.
Warm Milk: Drinking milk before bedtime has been an ancient custom and a sleep remedy. Milk has served as a means of reducing depression, relaxing the muscles, and stabilizing the mood. With calcium in milk, milk is an excellent source of stress. But, if you are lactose intolerant, you can eat foods with broccoli, bok choy, or turnips.
Nuts: Nuts are excellent means of blocking stress and reducing depression. Nuts contain essential nutrients and vitamins necessary for reducing stress. In addition, nuts are foods rich in nutrients such as magnesium which is key to managing anxiety.
Vitamin C: Vitamin-C-rich food is vital in reducing stress levels in the brain. Research has shown that as little as 500mg of vitamin C has been proven to reduce anxiety. Therefore, eating fruits such as grapefruit, oranges, and strawberries is an excellent way to reduce stress.
Probiotics: One of the best ways to enhance your gut healthily is to use probiotics. Probiotics also help boost the immune system and aid digestion. However, the gut’s state is directly connected to depression and stress. Therefore, foods such as yoghurt or any form of fermented foods.
Also read our blog on how to manage stress.
What Foods Are Good for Mental Health?
Several kinds of food are perfect for enhancing mental health. Some of them are:
Plants: A study has shown that a plant-based diet helps in lowering depression and stress. On the contrary, an unhealthy diet has increased the risk of depression and anxiety.
Whole Grains: According to the nutritional neuroscience study, whole grains greatly benefit against depression. Whole grains such as whole-wheat bread, Cor tortillas, quinoa, and oatmeal are perfect for dealing with depression.
Berries: A study in 2020 has proven that people with small berries are likely to have better mental health. This is because people who take berries are known to have a better mood and depressive symptoms.
Cold Water Seafood: Salmon have been known to contribute immensely to the mental health of individuals. This is because of the omega-3 fats present in them. Foods such as oysters are rich in Omega 3 and integral to your health.
Nuts: Nuts are effective antidepressants, as they are sources of unsaturated fats. People who eat walnuts are likely to be less depressed than those who don’t.
Complex carbohydrates: complex carbohydrates contain more nutrients that are beneficial to the brain than simple carbohydrates, which are found in sugar. Such complex carbohydrates include millets, Quinoa, starchy vegetables, beets, sweet potatoes, and brown rice.
Fatty acids: Fatty acids are extremely essential to the development and function of the nervous system and the brain. Fatty acids are flaxseeds, meat, eggs, milk, meat, and fish.
Lean protein: Lean proteins are essential nutrients that help the body think and react appropriately within a short time. Examples of lean protein are fish, meat, egg, milk, soybeans, and seeds.
Sattvic Food for Mental Health
Sattvic food is derived from sattva Gina in hindu culture which means “spiritual quality.” It is said that when the sattva guna is followed, you have stable mental health. Therefore, foods such as boiled vegetables, vegetables, lukewarm water, and milk products are examples of sattvic foods. There are also carbohydrates foods such as millet, rice, and beets, which are sattva guna foods. In addition, protein dry fruit balls are wonderful sources of sattvic food such as cashews, almonds, walnuts, dates, and different natural seeds.
There are also different fatty acids, such as chia or flax seeds. These seeds are highly nutritious to the brain and fight depression.
Takeaway
The key to healthy living is a clear–diet. It is said that you become what you eat. Every part of the body responds to this statement, including the brain. The brain and its mental state is the seat of all operations in the body. It is important to eat natural and organic foods through all of these. This is because refined or processed foods increase the risk of depression and anxiety. Therefore, one of the hacks to fight depression is to eat natural foods. The importance of mental health cannot be overemphasized as it helps you concentrate and enhances overall effectiveness.
REFERENCES-
https://anzmh.asn.au/blog/mental-health/foods-mental-health-wellness
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/blogs/voices/food-for-mental-wellbeing/
