It has become increasingly apparent that there is a strong connection between our mental health and what we put into our bodies. Just as a balanced diet is essential for physical health, it also plays a vital role in nourishing and protecting our minds. Eating the right foods has the potential to enhance focus, regulate energy levels, boost moods, and increase overall wellbeing. In this article, we will explore how proper nutrition affects mental health and discuss tips for nurturing our minds through food.
1. Nourishing Your Mind: The Power of Nutritional Wellbeing
Taking even the simplest step to fulfil our nutritional wellbeing can deliver a host of life-changing benefits. Aside from the physical effects of good nourishment, our mental wellbeing also plays a role in our ability to make the most of the food that goes into our bodies. Here are some simple and effective strategies for nourishing your mind:
- Incorporate Superfoods: Superfoods are filled with nutrients, vitamins and minerals that can help boost energy levels, improve mental clarity, improve focus and concentration, and even help manage stress.
- Think about Timing: Timing is everything when it comes to ensuring you are consuming the right foods at the right times. Eating slowly and mindfully helps you feel full and energized throughout the day, while avoiding late-night snacks that disrupt your sleeping patterns.
- Go Organic: Eating organic, local produce may not be possible for everyone, but whenever possible, make sure to opt for organic. Organic produce is free of pesticides, herbicides, and artificial hormones that can adversely affect mood and mental health.
- Nourish Your Body and Mind: Eating a balanced diet full of wholesome foods is essential for our mental health. Make sure to include proteins, healthy fats, complex carbohydrates and plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables in your diet for maximum benefit.
Include Healthy Snacks: To help kick unhealthy snacking habits, incorporate healthy snacks into your routine. Nuts, dark chocolate, and Greek yogurt are all excellent snack options with plenty of beneficial micronutrients. Focusing on finding healthy snack options helps stave off cravings for unhealthy snacks.
Get Your Vitamins: Eating a balanced diet may not always deliver the micronutrition needed for mental health, so taking a multivitamin can help prevent any gaps. Vitamin D, for example, is vital for energy and mental wellbeing, while B Vitamins are necessary for healthy nerve function.
Choose Mindful Eating: Eating your meals in a mindful way is essential for maximum nourishment. Removing distractions like phones, TVs, or multitasking while eating helps you focus on the food in front of you, making sure that you’re truly tasting and enjoying what you’re eating.
At the end of the day, nourishing your mind comes down to listening to your body and being willing to put in the effort to make sure your body is getting the nourishment it needs. Once you’ve got a base level of nutrition, with a few small changes and understanding, you’ll be well on your way to achieving nutritional wellbeing.
2. Unlocking the Mental Health Benefits of Balanced Nutrition
Making dietary changes is one of the most effective ways to improve your mental health. Studies have shown that consuming a balanced diet can have positive effects on mood, cognitive functioning, psychological well-being, and overall mental health.
Knowing what food to eat and how to incorporate it into your daily routine is key to unlocking the potential mental health benefits that balanced nutrition can bring. Here are some key tips to get you started:
- Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables – it can be difficult to get enough vitamins and minerals through nutrition alone, so supplementing your diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables is a great way to ensure all components of a balanced diet are covered.
- Reduce processed foods – while these products are convenient and cost-effective, they contain high levels of unhealthy fats, refined sugars and other ingredients that can affect mental health, so reducing your reliance on processed foods is a great way to begin improving your overall mental health.
- Choose healthier carbohydrates – simple carbohydrates, such as white bread, cakes, and sugary drinks, are high in calories and low in essential vitamins and minerals. These can also trigger blood sugar spikes which can make you feel tired and irritable. Include complex carbohydrates such as whole grains, beans, and legumes which are packed with fiber, vitamins, and minerals instead.
A healthy diet also requires a certain amount of discipline. That means setting boundaries, making time to cook and prepare meals, and planning what you’ll eat in advance. Luckily, with a bit of dedication and effort, it’s possible to learn the basics of nutrition, make simple meal plans, and ultimately, incorporate balanced nutrition into a healthy lifestyle.
Finally, it’s important to be aware of the psychological benefits of eating mindfully. Eating slowly and deliberately, looking for a balance of flavors, and truly enjoying the process of eating are all important mental health benefits that can be unlocked by taking the time to enjoy your food.
3. Feeding Your Mind: Integrating Nutrition and Cognition
You may be making regular visits to the gym, but your mind needs exercise too. Thereare several ways to feed your mind, each of which has a different impact on the way you think and feel. Integrating nutrition and cognition gives you the opportunity to actively activate your mind and sharpen your thinking.
Taking a Balanced Approach For those looking to improve their mental performance, it’s important to emphasize all three of the macronutrients—carbohydrates, proteins and fats—in your diet. These nutrients provide the fuel and substrates that are necessary for energy production and for cognitive functioning. Aim for a balance that includes plenty of fresh vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and lean proteins.
Focus on Your Micronutrients While the macronutrients are essential for the body’s bioenergetics, it’s the micronutrients that give your brain the nutrients it needs to build and repair neuronal connections and sparking thought. Some of the most beneficial micronutrients for the brain include omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins B-complex, C, D and E, magnesium, zinc, chromium, and other trace elements.
Think About What You Are Eating Not only is it important to consider what ingredients you are adding to your meals, but it is also important to think about how your food is being prepared and cooked. Avoid processed foods as much as possible, and don’t be shy about cooking with olive oil, coconut oil, grass-fed butter, or ghee. Additionally, try to limit your sugar intake as much as possible, as excess sugar can interfere with proper brain functioning.
Go Green According to a 2013 study published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, leafy green vegetables can reduce your risk of cognitive decline. Greens are an excellent source of folate, which is the active form of vitamin B12 and is necessary to create the protective sheaths of the neurons. Try to include plenty of spinach, kale, Swiss chard, arugula, collards, and cabbage in your diet.
Give Your Brain a Boost To keep your brain functioning at its best, be sure to supplement your diet with the right natural brain boosters. Ginkgo biloba may help to improve overall cognitive performance, and turmeric, ashwagandha, bacopa, and cordyceps are known to increase cognitive endurance, memory, and focus. Additionally, omega-3 fatty acid supplements, such L-DHA, contain anti-inflammatory properties and can help to protect cognition in the aging brain.
4. Taking Control: Reap the Rewards of Holistic Mental Wellbeing
Having a firm understanding of holistic mental wellbeing is a crucial part of navigating the complexities of life. To make sense of feelings, thoughts, and behaviors as interconnected components of a much larger whole is an incredibly powerful tool for feeling in control. It’s an opportunity to take ownership of your actions and start on a path to mental freedom.
Start with Setting Boundaries
- Get clarity on how much time you’re spending doing activities that don’t benefit your wellbeing.
- Start by noticing how you’re giving away your time and energy, and create more time boundaries around them.
- Learn to wield your time away from activities that don’t serve you.
Build a Routine with Self-Care
- Create a regular schedule that aligns with the feels of the day.
- For example, dedicate 10-15 minutes each morning to meditation or another self-care activity.
- No matter the activity, focus on what brings you into the present moment and refuels your energy.
- Don’t just “go through the motions”. Be present in those moments.
Seek a Supportive Community
- Find friends, family, professionals, or a combination of them that can be a source of comfort, care, and understanding.
- Be sure to also ask your support system for what you need and don’t shy away from validating their needs, too.
- Make sure these people in your life are people that really “get it” and are up for the challenge.
Channel the Strength to Make a Difference
- No one can underestimate the power of what you can change in your own life, and the lives of others.
- Focus on using those acquired skills to speak up and fight for causes that either affect you or look to promote the wellbeing of society at large.
- The process provides an open door to turn your new insight into a positive action for the world.
Your brain loves food, too! Knowing what to eat to fuel your mind can help you steadily build a strong and healthy mental wellbeing. Your diet can be a powerful tool — and an enjoyable journey — towards a more vibrant mental state. So, embrace this creative pursuit of self-nourishment, feed your individuality, and unlock a healthier you today!
