I think most of us want to start the new year as a better version of ourselves by trying to be healthier after the festive period of overindulging in food, drink, and so on. We make resolutions to lose weight, work out more, eat more healthy and we have seen how this does not always work, as 80% of resolutions fail. All this got me thinking about the ways we look at food and exercise to make us feel and look physically better. But what about how food impacts our mental health and wellbeing? I feel we should maybe look at this and consider changing foods for this purpose to enable us to feel and still look better.
There is a lot of research done to show that what we eat can benefit or hinder our mental health and well-being. Yet, we do not consider that our mental health and our thinking affect achieving goals that come to weight loss or healthy eating habits. Healthy eating or eating well is eating a diet that is rich in vegetables and nutrients, taking in the pyramid of healthy eating, and limiting processed/high fat/sugar foods.
If we look at different regions where people tend to live longer and have an overall better well-being like Japan or the Mediterranean region, they eat a lot of fish which are high in omega 3 and other healthy foods like fruit and vegetables, while also not having a high intake of milk or meats. They also do not rely on a lot of fast food or processed foods. Vegetables and fruits are brain foods that help regulate your sugar levels which help you think and repair your body.
In a study and research done by Harvard, it was realised that the medical field did not fully acknowledge the connection between mood and food.
Today, certain fields of nutritional psychiatry are finding that there are many consequences and connections between not only what you eat, how you feel, and how you ultimately behave, but also the kinds of bacteria that live in your gut.
One of the important requirements for our body is serotonin, which is a chemical, nerve cells produce. Serotonin is found mostly in the digestive system. Serotonin helps regulate your mood naturally, it helps regulate sleep and appetite. Roughly 95% of your serotonin is produced in your gut, which is lined with millions of nerve cells, so basically help you digest food and support or guide your emotions. I am sure by now you have heard of good and bad bacteria that live in your gut. The “good” bacteria work to improve how well you absorb nutrients from your food and help build a wall of defense against “bad” bacteria, which is all connected to what gets transmitted to your brain.
While talking about our gut, good and bad bacteria it is also important to note that changes to your diet, even if they are good and healthy changes, take time for your gut to process. So be patient with your body and how it works. You would not expect to get into a car for the first time and know exactly how to drive and so your body needs time also to process changes.
Another point is that if our blood sugar levels drop we might feel tired, irritable, and depressed. This happens to everyone, not just diabetics. That is why it is important to eat regularly and choose foods that release energy slowly, which will help to keep our sugar levels steady. Examples of such food are pasta, rice, oats, wholegrain bread and cereals, nuts, and seeds.
Drinking lots of water is also important to aid us to concentrate, think clearly, and support our digestive system. Protein is another one that is beneficial. It contains amino acids, which make up the chemicals your brain needs to regulate your thoughts and feelings. It also helps keep you feeling fuller for longer.
I could go into why we need to eat certain foods but I want to focus on foods now that we should have in our lives to promote better mental health and well-being to start this year right and build our whole immune systems as our mental health will also affect this (I bet not all of you realised this).
- Fatty Fish. When people talk about brain foods, fatty fish is often at the top of the list
- Coffee. If coffee is the highlight of your morning, you’ll be glad to hear that it’s good for you, however, in small amounts
- Berries particularly blueberries
- Turmeric
- Broccoli
- Pumpkin Seeds
- Dark Chocolates
- Nuts particularly walnuts
- Oranges
- Eggs
- Green Tea
- Yogurts
- Leafy Greens
- Beans and legumes such as chickpeas, lentils, and kidney beans
- Bananas
- Sweet potatoes
Foods to avoid
- Sugar
- Breads
- Processed food
- Processed meat
- Fried food
- Fast food
- Alcohol
Another important thing to consider introducing is mindful eating. We live in a very fast-paced world where we eat quickly, which does not give our body the time and energy to process the food. If we start practising mindful eating, it will help change our relationship with food which will also help our mental health and well-being.
However, some people do eat healthily, but still, feel extremely tired, for example, and this can be really disheartening at the least. If this is you, it may be a good idea to get your vitals checked to see if you are deficient in certain vitamins or minerals, as this can also link to your mental health and well-being, this would need to be done by a doctor and if anything shows up it may be useful to talk with a nutritionist or dietician to point you in the right direction of the right foods for you.
This is just a starting point and I am sure there are many more foods that aid and hinder our mental health and well-being. But as a starting point why not consider introducing lots of fruit and vegetables and some of the foods mentioned above to support your whole body physically and mentally this year. If you have any other foods or points you think I should include, please do let me know.
