Mental health refers to the behavioral, emotional, and cognitive well-being of an individual. What we eat affects not only our physical health but also our mental health. When it comes to diet, most people’s concerns involve weight loss, fitness, heart health, and longevity. But what we eat affects more than our bodies; it also affects our brain.
What we eat is directly related to the way we think or feel. A healthy diet is protective and crucial for brain development. It puts the brain into a growth mode. Eating a well-balanced diet rich in macronutrients and micronutrients may be associated with a feeling of well-being. For example, certain nutrients and dietary patterns are linked to changes in brain proteins that help increase connections between brain cells.
On the other hand, a diet high in saturated fat and refined sugar damages brain proteins. An unhealthy diet is a risk factor for the brain and can lead to depression, anxiety, and other mental health conditions. The relationship between our diet and our mental health is complex.
When mental health is affected, the root cause is not just the brain, perhaps a sign that there may be some infections launching through your bloodstream, which can make you feel stressed, depressed or something. just as he has lost his mind. The central nervous system produces chemicals like dopamine, serotonin, and acetylcholine that are important in regulating mood, feelings, and emotions. When we consume any medication, the chemicals are transmitted to the brain, either with food or medication.
Having a healthy digestive system generally ensures the absorption of vitamins, minerals, and nutrients our brains need to thrive. When you feel stressed or anxious, you feel it in your stomach. Your digestion may speed up or slow down, depending on how you feel. Your gut can also affect immunity and resistance to stress. This is where your gut health is involved in your mental health.
Some people will be surprised at how your brain is connected to your gut, why do I say this, since they are both so far apart and are different organs of the body. The Brain Gut connection is like Life Partners. If we eat good, healthy food, our stomach releases enzymes, we feel happy, and these happy hormones send signals to the brain.
A healthy, balanced diet fills the gut with healthy bacteria, which fight harmful germs and keep the immune system in check. A high-fat, high-sugar diet is bad for gut health, which will further affect the brain, leading to mood swings, cognitive decline, chemical imbalance, etc. The signals also travel in the opposite direction, so your mental and emotional states affect your gut function.
Serotonin is an important chemical that has a wide variety of functions in your body. Often called the “second brain,” our digestive system produces more than 90% of all the serotonin in our bodies. Therefore, maintaining intestinal health is essential. Serotonin affects your mood, anxiety, sleep and appetite levels in your bodies. Low levels of this chemical can lead to anxiety, depression, panic, phobia, mental obsessions, worry, pain, and your sleep cycle may be disturbed.
Again, if you’re in a bad mood, or had a stressful day or a minor fight, it’s not only going to affect your mood, it’s also going to affect your gut health bacteria, your digestion. The slightest changes in your digestion can wreak havoc on your brain.
Gut health is important and is related to stress. In men, if there is any kind of stress, the testosterone hormone will be disturbed and there could be weight gain in the abdominal area, that’s why men have “stomach bag or tond”. In women, if you are stressed, your estrogen hormone will be disturbed and you will gain weight in the hip area, abdomen, and breasts. As these hormones are responsible for transporting fats in the body, if they are disturbed, fats will not be able to travel freely, leading to weight gain.
Good and healthy food is good mood or vice versa, we can simply say that good mood leads to eating good and healthy food, a classic example is any celebration; birthday, wedding, anniversary, kitty party, success party or any other happy occasion that calls for celebrations that include a variety of food, also showcasing different cultures and traditions. The different variety of food that is served during these celebrations boosts and activates your mind in a positive way.
Four strong pillars of healthy mental health
- Healthy and balanced diet: Mindful eating is a powerful tool for gaining control of your eating. It is a type of meditation that helps you recognize and deal with your emotions and physical sensations. It has also been shown to promote weight loss, reduce binge eating and help you feel better.
Mindful eating is about using mindfulness to achieve a state of total attention to your experiences, cravings, and physical cues when eating. Have healthy and balanced meals. Get plenty of fiber in your diet like whole grains, whole legumes, vegetables, fruits. Drink plenty of fluids in the form of fresh lime water, fresh juices, coconut water, fresh soups, lassi, buttermilk, smoothies, green tea, kawah in addition to water.
Fermented foods like idli, dhokla, dosa, fermented roti can stimulate the good bacteria in the gut. Include rainbow colored foods in your diet as they are rich in antioxidants. Include omega 3 fatty acids like fish, coconut. Avoid too much junk food like pasta, noodles, burgers, french fries, fried foods like samosa, kachori, poori, paranthas, fizzy drinks like cold drinks, canned juices, fruits and soups, cocktails.
Limit your intake of processed foods, fast foods, commercial baked goods, and sweets. Don’t skip any meal. Long spaces should be avoided. Stay away from devices like mobile devices, laptops as you will not be able to focus on what you are eating. Listen to relaxing music while you eat. Love what you eat. Involve family members in the kitchen as this is the only activity or therapy where all five senses are used. When all five senses work together, your happy hormones are secreted. Food is an art, and the more you cook, the more creative you become.
- Exercise:It should be an important part of your daily routine. You should exercise for 20 to 30 minutes a day. Walk every day, at least try to walk 6,000 to 8,000 steps every day. Get involved in some physical activity like swimming, aerobics, playing games like badminton, table tennis, basketball, soccer, yoga, etc. at least twice a week, it will help your mind to be active and alert.
The more you do physical activity, the more you are burning calories, detoxifying your body, smooth blood flow, maintaining your weight. Join the laughter club, as laughter helps release stress from your body. Also in this way you can have a disciplined life.
- Quality sleep: You should have a deep and quality sleep for 7 to 8 hours in a day. Every day, thousands of cells and tissues in your body break and tear. Your body has built-in phenomena of tissue and cell wear and tear, new cells and tissues are generated, but this happens only when you are in deep sleep. Your mind and body are relaxed during sleep. Your body is at rest, rejuvenating and preparing you for the next day.
There should be a gap of at least 2 hours between dinner and sleep. Avoid consuming caffeinated beverages like tea, coffee during late night as it will hamper your sleep cycle. Avoid fried foods, rich foods, acidic foods, too much food at night to avoid heartburn, bloating, heaviness. Meditation for 10 to 15 minutes is important before sleeping as it will help relax your nerves, mind and body.
- emotional well-being: To keep your mental health healthy, your emotional well-being is important. Get away from the emotional dramas and negative people around you. Don’t watch any kind of TV shows or news that can stress, sad or unsettle you. Instead watch comedy series, cartoons, songs, dance shows, cooking shows.
At the same time, you should get involved in some therapies or hobbies that will make you happy and busy at the same time. For example: gardening, cooking, listening to music, watching your favorite shows, reading, knitting, etc. In this way you are doing something creative, positive thoughts enter your brain, you are doing something new. At the end of the day, you can be glad that you had a fruitful day.
According to Uma Naidoo, MD, a nutritional psychiatrist, there are some brain foods that everyone should be aware of and consume.
B: Berries and beans (different types)
A: rainbow colors of fruits and vegetables
A: Antioxidants
I: Include lean protein and plant-based protein
N: Nuts (almonds, walnuts, Brazil nuts, and cashews)
F: High fiber foods, fish, fermented foods
OR: Oils (peanut, straight, mustard)
Or: Foods rich in Omega 3
D Dairy (milk and milk products, curd, paneer, cheese)
S: Spices (haldi, jeera, loung, dalchini)
Recent studies have shown that diet can have a profound impact on mental health conditions ranging from ADHD to depression, anxiety, sleep disorders, OCD, dementia, and more. Have a healthy and balanced diet to overcome these mental problems.
