Eating for Good Mental Health

To follow up on our Gut and Vagus Nerve blog, our Programme Manager Christine shares all her research with us on the impact of good nutrition on mental health. She is putting together a new Community Connections course on that very topic that will be available soon. So watch this space!

Christine writes:

Did you know that:

‘‘Poor nutrition may be a causal factor in the experience of low mood, and improving diet may help to protect not only the physical health but also the mental health of the population.”

Joseph Firth and colleagues, BMJ 2018

So, eating healthily is not just related to how much we weigh or our physical fitness but also can help us to improve our mood and general emotional wellbeing.

As well as making healthy choices about the food we eat, other factors can help to make us feel better.

1. Eating regularly

Ensuring that we eat regularly can help to prevent hunger pains, improves metabolism and helps us to stay energised and focussed throughout day. If we wait until we are really hungry, this could result in low blood sugar, which causes people to feel irritable, confused and fatigued. The body begins to increase production of cortisol, leaving us stressed and ‘hangry’. Skipping meals can also cause our metabolism to slow down, which can cause weight gain or make it harder to lose weight. According to  Dr. Kristin Lindquist, assistant professor in the department of psychology and neuroscience at the University of North Carolina:

“Hunger as a state actually causes a lot of shifts in hormones, brain processes and the peripheral nervous system that are comparable to what we see in anger, fear and sadness.”

   2. Eating the right sort of fats

When it comes to eating fats, we are all aware of the need to avoid some fats whilst others may be okay to have. This is often related to our physical health as unhealthy fats such as trans fats or saturated fats are bad for our hearts, but did you know they may also be bad for our mood?

On the other hand, ‘good fats’ contain nutrients that can contribute to decreasing depressive symptoms in patients, while improving positive mood and reducing anxiety in healthy individuals of different age groups.

   3. Eating proteins

Protein is also a vital part of our diet as it not only helps to build strong bones and muscles but also foods rich in protein contain amino acids that help produce key neurotransmitters in preventing and treating depression and anxiety. A recent study showed that in a group of adults with depression, one third of participants who ate a diet rich in protein produce, fish and legumes experienced a remission of symptoms.

According to the science, Amino acids, which are the building blocks of protein, play an important role in the production of neurotransmitters. Neurotransmitters are the chemicals which allow brain cells to communicate with each other. For example, if we eat a piece of chicken, our body will break down the protein and synthesizes the amino acid L-Tyrosine to produce dopamine. Low dopamine levels are associated with a whole host of disorders, including depression, addiction, ADHD, Alzheimer’s and schizophrenia. The amino acid L-Tryptophan, which can be found in poultry, fish, dairy and nuts, serves a precursor to serotonin. Eating foods rich in L-Tryptophan can help improve mood and help Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and other antidepressants work more effectively.

That sounds a bit complicated but what it actually means is that eating a balanced diet rich in protein in any form, vegetable or animal, could help us to live better lives.

   4. Eating a varied diet with fruit and vegetables

Making sure our diet is varied and includes fruit and vegetables is also a great way to support our mental health. A research used survey results from UK families to estimate the link between how much fruit and vegetables people ate on a typical day, and their mental wellbeing. They found people reported feeling happier, more purposeful and less anxious when they ate more fruit and veg.

   5. Staying hydrated

It is also really important to stay hydrated because:

•  Dehydration may lead to increased feelings of anxiety and depression as well as other symptoms. Monitoring our water intake and other tips may help us stay hydrated.

•  In one 2018 study of over 3,000 adults, those who drank more water had a lower risk of anxiety and depression than those who drank less water.

•  Though the connection between dehydration and depression was stronger, researchers found that anxiety was higher in those who didn’t drink enough water.

It doesn’t need to be plain water either; fruit and vegetables are excellent sources of water whilst also providing other valuable nutrients such as Vitamin c and potassium. Milk is a good option as it is also a source of protein and calcium and even tea and coffee can be counted.

   6. Looking after your gut

To make sure we get the maximum benefit of what we are eating, we need to have good gut health too. This is because our gut can reflect how we’re feeling: it can speed up or slow down if we are stressed. Healthy food for the gut includes fruit, vegetables, beans and probiotics.

Often referred to as our second brain, the gut is a powerhouse of hormones and, when its delicate balance is upset, the impact on mood can be significant.

Have you ever noticed that when you feel anxious your stomach seems to mirror those feelings? As the main production centre for around 90% of the body’s serotonin and having a close nervous connection with the brain, the gut has a large influence on your mood, so it makes sense that, if your gut isn’t happy, it’s likely you won’t be either.

   7. Eating well doesn’t have to be expensive!

So, I hear you say, that’s all very well but it all sounds a bit expensive.

Well, it doesn’t have to be. Here are a few tips to stay on budget:

•  Buy the best you can afford, but have smaller portions.

•  Eat more vegetables. You can even grow your own!

•  Fill up with healthy carbs – wholemeal bread, potatoes, beans.

•  Have at least one meat free day a week.

•  Batch cook if you can – saves time and money on fuel costs.

•  Plan your menu before you shop.

•  Cook from scratch – you will know exactly what is in your food then.

•  Look for the ‘yellow label’ reductions in supermarkets.

•  If you are on social media look for the pages that give you tips on eating healthy on a budget.

For example, on Facebook join these groups: ‘Feed Your Family for about £20 per week’  OR ‘Scrimping on a Budget’

•  If you have a freezer, separate packs of food into smaller sizes and freeze them – this saves having to use everything at once.

•  Have the occasional treat – you are worth it!

And look out for our course ‘Eating for Good Mental Health’ coming soon!

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