Eating for a Healthy Mind
Most of us know that eating healthy and maintaining a healthy, balanced diet will help us have a healthier body. But did you know that eating healthy also impacts your mental health?
Linkage between what you eat and how you feel
What you eat and how you feel actually has a link and quality of diet has been shown to be linked to depression. Better quality diets are associated with reduced depression while unhealthy diets that are high in processed foods are associated with increased depression and anxiety.
Saturated fats and refined sugars
Diets high in saturated fats and refined sugars can have a negative impact on brain proteins that are important in depression. Saturated fat can also impact the stress response system, which is important in depression and anxiety.
Good Diet Behaviour
On the other hand, poor mental health also has an impact on dietary behaviours. When stressed or unhappy, it’s common to crave junk food and eat sweet or fatty foods.
But if we have a healthy diet, it will benefit us physically by reducing our risk of disorders such as heart disease, diabetes and obesity. These physical disorders are linked to depression, so you can see how everything is linked and has an influence on each other.
To get the right nutrients like vitamins, minerals and fibres, eat a range of coloured fresh fruits and vegetables. Eat wholegrain breads and cereals, lean protein and sources of dairy.
Eat for your health
Eating well and having a healthier diet can improve your mindset and mental health by:
1. helping you get better sleep at night
2. improving your concentration
3. giving you more energy
4. making you less likely to want foods that contain high sugar, salt or fat
Therefore, by improving your diet quality and eating healthily, you can have both a healthy body and mind. Eating well will impact your overall health and wellbeing more than you think!