Healthy diet, healthy mind
A healthy diet is an integral part of not only our overall health and wellbeing, but also for our mental health too. There are two important aspect to the dietary impacts on our mental health - healthy eating can help to improve our mood and wellbeing, but sometimes we can slip into unhealthy eating and drinking practices in response to our mood or mental health.
Eating well:
Gives you more energy
Helps you to sleep better
Improves concentration
Reduces stress
Helps maintain mental health and wellbeing
Sleep is essential to our wellbeing, and one of the keys to regulating sleep and appetite, mediating mood and inhibiting pain is serotonin, which is mostly produced in the gastrointestinal tract. As a consequence, it is highly influenced by the gut microbiome. A poor diet can lead to imbalances in the microbiome, affecting serotonin production and impacting on sleep quality. This is just one of the mechanisms where a poor diet can influence mental health. Fruits and vegetables, grains, fish, lean red meats and olive oils are rich in important nutrients such as folate, magnesium, vitamins and zinc which are also important for brain functions such as mood regulation.
If you think of your mind and body as a finely tuned luxury car, then you would use premium fuel to ensure that it runs at its peak. Just like cheap fuel is likely to cause engine problems in a car, cheap foods can have the same effect on our bodies. Fuel it with junk, and it won’t perform to its peak.
Diet can be a pretty controversial topic, and what works for one person doesn’t for someone else. Overlay personal preferences and dietary allergies and intolerances, and it makes it hard. But there are some simple things you can do to improve your diet and therefore improve your mental health:
Reduce sugar consumption - diets high in refined sugar can lead to impaired brain function and worsen symptoms of mood disorders such as depression. Try to keep your added sugars to less than 6 teaspoons (24 grams) per day.
Stay hydrated - most people don’t consume enough fluid throughout the day. Water is a great way to stay hydrated and remember that caffeine acts as a diuretic.
Whole foods – try to eat more whole foods, and less processed food, especially fresh vegetables and fruit.
Reduce your alcohol consumption – nearly 1 in 5 dental practitioners consume alcohol that would be classified as risky or hazardous in terms of dependence. This can affect mood, sleep and mental wellbeing.
The occasional treat doesn’t go astray, but don’t overdo it.
You don’t need to be a MasterChef to cook and eat well. You just need to put in a little effort and focus on that idea that great fuel drives great performance and enhances wellbeing.