Food is such an essential part of life. Along with air and water, food is necessary for survival. So why do many people eat unhealthy foods and why do so many companies produce them? There’s a lot to unpack in these two questions, and for today I’d like to focus on how food affects mental health.
First, I have to confess that at times I eat unhealthy foods. In fact, I have a horrible sweet tooth, but it’s something I’m working on. With that said, I’m a firm believer that many things in moderation are not terrible for your system – sugar included.
For those who suffer from depression, food can be medicine, or it can be the poison that fuels the disease. I know this from personal experience. Let’s dig a bit deeper.
How does food impact mood?
Those who suffer from depression are probably familiar with serotonin as they might be taking some SSRI (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor) aka antidepressant.
For those not familiar with serotonin, it is a neurotransmitter that regulates appetite, mood, and sleep. Those people with an imbalance experience depression and other disorders.
Eve Selhub, MD explains that 95% of serotonin is produced in the gut – 95%! The gastrointestinal tract is made up of billions of bacteria, and these bacteria are responsible for the following:
- Protecting the lining of the intestines from harmful bacteria
- Limiting inflammation
- Improving how the body absorbs nutrients from food
- Activating neural pathways that travel from the gut to the brain
This last bullet point is important. If you consume high-quality foods and your gut health is in check, then your body has the potential to send more serotonin to the brain. The correlation between food and mood is then quite apparent but what foods should we eat?
Foods to boost and balance mood
There are many diets, and diet fads out there plus everyone’s body is unique, and so their nutritional needs vary. I’m not going to tell you to go raw vegan, paleo or anything like that but what I will say is, I don’t think you can go wrong adding more clean foods to your diet, foods like raw fruits, veggies, and whole grains. Along with adding these high-quality foods try eliminating processed foods and refined sugars.
Since we are talking about gut health, adding a good probiotic to your daily routine wouldn’t be a bad idea either. One of my favorite probiotics is Bragg’s Organic Apple Cider Vinegar – 2 teaspoons to 8 ounces of water in the morning and you’re good to go. However, you could also eat kimchi, sauerkraut, miso or yogurt.
Also, don’t forget to up your water intake. Many people are walking around dehydrated, and that can wreak havoc on your mood too. For people like me who indulge in caffeine, increasing your water consumption is essential!
Try these five recipes!
Experiment with your diet. Try new foods. Practice awareness and pay attention to how different foods affect your mood right after consumption and even the next day. Your body will let you know what it needs and what it doesn’t.
With that said, it’s also important to schedule yearly checkups with your family doctor. A healthy personal relationship with your doctor is a crucial factor in your well-being.
Earlier I mentioned that I had experience with food being medicine and poison as it relates to depression. For most of my teenage years and early twenties, I was on medication to fight depression. During that time my diet was horrible. I ate nothing but processed foods, I smoke and drank, and it seemed like the five medications I was prescribed were not working.
It wasn’t until I began incorporating clean foods into my diet that I started to notice a change. Over time I gave up smoking and drinking and upped my fresh food intake. The fact that I’m not on any medications today is all the proof that I need for the nutrition/mood relationship.
One of the most significant challenges that I faced was finding recipes. Back in the 90s, finding good recipes was tough. Today we a tool like Pinterest and finding great, enjoyable recipes is a piece of cake!
Check out these top five favorites of mine!
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/168322104800865092/
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/168322104803223603/
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/168322104803239337/
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/168322104800993344/
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/168322104797306386/
Originally appeared on CharlesMinguez.com
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Image: Pixabay
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