Have you seen somebody happy when their car gets substandard fuel? Does the car work impeccably for them? Certainly, your answer would be in negation. The car would have a problem starting and functioning properly. This is exactly what happens to our mind when you consume deficient and unhealthy food. Of course, your food is not just your body’s fuel; it is surely the fuel for your brain too. If you make poor choices in what you eat, your mental health can get unfavorably affected. How does overall nutrition influence your mental health? Let’s unravel this mystery in detail:
The Correlation Between Food And Mental Health
The significance of what we eat is accentuated since our childhood but only in the context of physical growth and development. For instance, people stress the use of milk, lean meat, and eggs considering them as the right food for increasing height in kids. Likewise, many folks associate consuming high protein and low carbs food to achieve a healthier and leaner body. However, what gets greatly ignored is the fact that food and the kind of nutrition we provide to our body directly impact our mental health, for good or for worse.
A study from Harvard suggests the onset of many mental health issues like depression specifically because of poor food choices. When we ingest a diet rich in processed food, containing high amounts of sugar and carbohydrates, our brain directly gets affected. Serotonin, which is responsible for stabilizing our mood, loses its balance and because of this chemical imbalance in the brain, our mood is influenced. This is the very reason why we become cranky and pesky after the consumption of processed and junk food.
Given below is an overview of how what you eat affects your mental health in the long run:
Which Diet Is Suitable For Better Mental Health?
As a general rule of thumb, a diet rich in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants is the perfect fit for establishing great physical and mental health. Consuming leafy vegetables, fruits, good fat, and proteins keep your gut happy and eventually, your mental health remains intact too. However, recent research suggests that the best kind of diet to keep you physically and mentally perfect is the Mediterranean diet as it stresses the use of good fat and is rich in vitamins and minerals. Thus, a traditional diet rich in all the nutrients and devoid of artificial and processed items will keep you hale and hearty in all aspects.
The Bottom Line
To conclude it all, remember you literally are what you eat so if you eat unhealthy and fast food; your mental health will get compromised along with the physical one. So, keep this relationship in mind and plan your diet regime accordingly. Good Luck!
The significance of what we eat is accentuated since our childhood but only in the context of physical growth and development. For instance, people stress the use of milk, lean meat, and eggs considering them as the right food for increasing height in kids. Likewise, many folks associate consuming high protein and low carbs food to achieve a healthier and leaner body. However, what gets greatly ignored is the fact that food and the kind of nutrition we provide to our body directly impact our mental health, for good or for worse.
A study from Harvard suggests the onset of many mental health issues like depression specifically because of poor food choices. When we ingest a diet rich in processed food, containing high amounts of sugar and carbohydrates, our brain directly gets affected. Serotonin, which is responsible for stabilizing our mood, loses its balance and because of this chemical imbalance in the brain, our mood is influenced. This is the very reason why we become cranky and pesky after the consumption of processed and junk food.
Given below is an overview of how what you eat affects your mental health in the long run:
- Food high in sugar content leads to anxiety and hyperactivity along with mood swings.
- The regular intake of frozen and processed food items makes one physically and mentally unhealthy. Such a diet makes one obese and prone to depression.
- The unhealthy eating routine adversely affects the gut and thus many mental disorders like anxiety and depression are triggered. (Since our gut is the point from where our brain gets the signals to feel a specific way emotionally!)
Which Diet Is Suitable For Better Mental Health?
As a general rule of thumb, a diet rich in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants is the perfect fit for establishing great physical and mental health. Consuming leafy vegetables, fruits, good fat, and proteins keep your gut happy and eventually, your mental health remains intact too. However, recent research suggests that the best kind of diet to keep you physically and mentally perfect is the Mediterranean diet as it stresses the use of good fat and is rich in vitamins and minerals. Thus, a traditional diet rich in all the nutrients and devoid of artificial and processed items will keep you hale and hearty in all aspects.
The Bottom Line
To conclude it all, remember you literally are what you eat so if you eat unhealthy and fast food; your mental health will get compromised along with the physical one. So, keep this relationship in mind and plan your diet regime accordingly. Good Luck!
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