Nourishing your mind through food

In the past, our mental wellbeing was viewed in isolation of nutrition and other lifestyle factors.

If we don't put the correct fuel into our bodies, we cannot expect it to perform at its optimum and this includes our mind.

The food we eat directly affects our brain chemistry, energy levels, mood stability, and stress response.

When we support the body, we support the mind. 

When we are stressed we can tend to reach for high sugar foods and caffeine to give us energy to get through the day.

A blood sugar high can give us short spurts of energy but the downside is the blood sugar crash afterwards and this can create anxiety and feelings of irritability and lethargy.

When we are feeling stressed we need more nourishing foods to support our mood. If you are having problems sleeping, this needs to be addressed so that you lessen your need to reach for quick energy via cafeine and sugar to get your through the day.

Many clients come for counselling after a period of ill health and/or prolonged stress.

Medication and stress both impact negatively on our gut health.

I am sure you may be surprised to learn that it is in the gut that 90% of our happy hormones are made, not in the brain! 

If we are not eating nourishing whole foods and taking pre and probiotic foods, our guts cannot make the happy hormones we need in order to feel well and vibrant.

When we regularly put chemicals, sugar, processed foods and hydrogenated fats into our diet, we create inflammatory processes which kill off our good gut flora and, in turn, make us feel depressed and lethargic.

The good news is that we can improve our gut health by choosing foods and drinks that boost the gut bacteria in our gut.

So how can you start to improve your diet so it has a positive knock-on effect on your mental wellbeing?

Start with trying to reduce and then cut out sugar and artificial sweeteners and increase the amount of vegetables of all colours in the diet.

Swap caffeinated/sugary drinks for water or herbal teas. Include good quality protein (meat, eggs, fish) in your diet.

Add milk kefir (available in your health food shop) into your diet and other probiotic foods that help feed the good bacteria in your gut and boost your mood.

Include good fats in your diet such as avocado, extra virgin olive oil and butter.

You may find that when you are looking after yourself nutritionally, that you have more energy to exercise and that you sleep better. 

If you find that there are still feelings of low mood, anxiety and/or stress, it may be a good time to speak to your G.P. or another professional about help expressing and coping with your feelings to reduce your overall stress levels.

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