Mental Health Challenge: Can Your Dietary Habits Be Of Help?

Dietary habits can be a very critical part of our total well-being afterall, if research outcomes is anything to go by.

It suggests there’s a connection between your gut and brain, which may play a role in how you feel.

It then follows that eating certain foods and adopting some dietary habits may help improve your mood.

In fact, it is becoming even clearer, the important role of diet in social, emotional, and mental health.

Dietary Habits And Mental Health: Is There A Link?

Historically, mental health conditions have been treated with psychiatric therapies like counseling, medication, and sometimes hospitalisation.

Today, an emerging field called nutritional psychiatry emphasizes how diet and nutrition affect the way people feel mentally. It aims to support the treatment of mental health conditions with diet and lifestyle changes.

Your food choices may affect your brain through the gastrointestinal system — commonly referred to as “the gut” — because it’s closely connected to the brain.

The gut is home to trillions of living microbes that have many functions in the body, such as synthesising neurotransmitters that send chemical messages to the brain to regulate sleep, pain, appetite, mood, and emotion.

In fact, there’s such an intricate network of interactions between the two that the gut has been nicknamed the “second brainTrusted Source.” Formally, the relationship between the two is called the gut-brain connection or gut-brain axis.

Some research suggests that the foods we eat influence the health of gut microbe colonies, which subsequently influence our brains and, thus, our mental and emotional health.

A Note On Accessing Professional Support

Change in dietary habits alone may not be enough to properly treat any conditions. If you’re experiencing symptoms of a mental health condition, feel empowered to seek additional support.

For instance, some research suggests that eating more fruits and vegetables is linked with improved mental well-being, lower stress levels, and greater life satisfaction.

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Consider focusing on eating nutrient-rich whole foods that are high in protein, fiber, and healthy fats.

If you’re not sure where to begin, the Mediterranean diet may be a good place to start. Some researchers and health agencies recommend a Mediterranean-like diet to support gut health and lower the risk of depression.

For instance, a 2019 review found that a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes and low in red and processed meats was associated with 10% lower odds of depressive symptoms.

To Follow Mediterranean Dietary Habits, Increase Your Intake Of:

i.                fruits

ii.              vegetables

iii.            fish

iv.            nuts

v.              legumes

vi.            olive oil

vii.          dairy products

A Mediterranean diet limits:  i.      fried foods    ii.    processed meats   iii.  sweetened beverages

iv.  baked goods

Also, consider choosing foods that may reduce inflammation and stress throughout the body, such as:

i.      high fiber foods   ii.    fruits and vegetables    iii.  unsaturated fats    iv.  fermented foods

Choosing an eating pattern rooted in the principles of the Mediterranean diet doesn’t mean you have to give up your cultural foods. For example, learn more about giving the Mediterranean diet a Caribbean twist.

Adapted from Healthline with the headline: ‘Diet and Mental Health: Can What You’