Recipe for a Strong Mind

Everyone knows that you need the right foods to build a strong body. But food doesn’t just feed the body, it also feeds the mind. Poor eating habits can lead to mental health problems and even changes in how your brain works.What you eat can have an impact on your daily life, mood and how much energy you have. In particular, healthy eating is vital during stressful times. But for most people, stress can lead to eating less, overeating or not eating healthy foods.

By taking simple actions, you can reap the paybacks of healthy eating. These rewards include:

  • Boosting your energy
  • Giving fuel for your mind
  • Positively influencing mood-related body chemicals
  • Acting against the impact of stress on your body
  • Lowering your chances of getting certain diseases

Basic ingredients

Even though no one knows exactly which foods help your mental health the most, you can come out a winner and boost your energy, mood and overall wellness by sticking to a healthy diet.

The word diet does not mean boring or hard. A good diet should include food you enjoy. The key is eating all kinds of food, serving the right size portions, and cooking food in a healthy way. Sometimes just a few changes can mean a big reward in both physical and emotional health.

Balance is the key to eating well.Your daily food should include fruits, vegetables, whole grains and fat-free or low-fat milk products, lean meats, poultry, fish, beans, eggs and nuts. The U.S. Department of Agriculture also suggests a diet low in saturated fats, trans fat, cholesterol, salt and added sugars.

Mental health tidbits to chew on:

  • Don’t skip meals. Eating meals at set times helps give your brain and body a steady fuel source. This also helps to prevent a sudden drop in your blood sugar, which can make you nervous or cranky.
  • Eat healthy snacks. Those unplanned snacks can add empty calories. Try nuts or fruit instead of visiting the vending machine.
  • Balance is good for your body and your brain. Your mind works best when it’s fed with all kinds of food. Your brain needs carbohydrates, fats and proteins to properly regulate your mood and thinking.
  • Eat for fitness. Starving yourself isn’t healthy eating.Eat to be healthy not to fit into a certain outfit.
  • Streamline the blood flow to your brain. Saturated fats and cholesterol can make your blood vessels smaller. Your brain needs a strong blood flow to bring oxygen and food to your brain. So watch out for too much red meat, egg yolks, butter and whole milk. Instead eat healthy fats like those found in fish, avocados, olive oil and nuts.
  • Limit alcohol.When stressed, you may find relief for a short time. But it really adds stress and can cause sleep problems and poor judgment.
  • Cut back on caffeine.Since it’s a stimulant, caffeine can make you nervous and restless. Even when used hours before bedtime, caffeine can wreck your sleep. Caffeine can also make depression worse.
  • Talk to your pharmacist. If you are on medicines, talk to your pharmacist about any food that you should avoid. Certain foods have interactions with drugs most often prescribed for mental illness.
  • Control your portions. Oversized portions add unneeded calories, fat, and sodium. Here are some guidelines to help you determine what a “serving” is.
  • 1 bagel = a hockey puck
  • 1 cup of fruit, vegetables, pasta or rice = a small fist
  • 3 ounces of cooked meat, poultry or fish = a deck of cards
  • 1 ounce of cheese = 4 dice
  • 1 teaspoon of margarine or butter = a thumb tip
  • 1 serving of snack foods (pretzels, chips) = a small handful
  • 1 muffin = a large egg
  • 2 tbsp. peanut butter = a golf ball
  • 1 baked potato = a computer mouse

Before and after eating

What you do before you eat and after you eat can be as important to your health and emotional wellness as what you eat.

Emotional eating

Before you eat that candy bar or piece of cake, ask yourself if you’re really hungry. People often use food as a way to deal with emotional problems. Some people eat when they are stressed, bored, sad or afraid. Finding out what food means to you is the first step in taking control of your eating.

Shopping

Before you put food in your mouth, you have to buy it somewhere. Never go to the supermarket when you’re hungry. To eat healthy and save time and money, shop with a list and avoid impulse buying. Start on the fruit and veggie side. Read food labels to get the foods that have lower salt, fat and calories.

Cooking

The way you fix food is almost as crucial as what you fix. Frying adds a lot of fat and calories. Try grilling, broiling or eating fruit and veggies raw. Seasoning can also add calories or cause other problems. Too much salt can cause you to retain water or worse can cause high blood pressure. Consider using spices that add flavor. Instead of pouring dressing or sauces, have them on the side.

Brushing

Taking care of your teeth is vital to your physical and emotional health. Bad teeth can not only lead to physical problems, but can lower your self-esteem.

Working Out

People with mental illness are more likely to have weight gain because of the illness or treatment. And everyone gains mental health benefits from regular exercise, including:

  • Decreased anxiety, crankiness and depression
  • More self-esteem and self-confidence
  • Better sleep
  • Overall feeling of well-being

A healthy diet and habits such as working out, taking care of your teeth and paying attention to your moods and feelings all can help to keep your body and mind in good shape. If you eat right, take care of your body and still have feelings or emotions that you think are a problem or that impact your daily life, seek help from your doctor or behavioral health professional.

Sources: National Alliance on Mental Illness; Mental Health America

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