Why Nutrition is Good for your Mental Health

It’s no surprise that nutrition significantly impacts mental health, but exactly how much? This topic includes a never-ending list of a multitude of studies that might consist of how some foods are better than others. In reality, and in most cases, it comes down to the individual. To make things simple, a balanced nutritional diet, whether that includes animal products or not, gluten or not, and any other food group. This may sound like a simple concept, however, if it were easy then everyone would be able to accomplish this. The challenging part about adjusting nutrition to cater to medical and mental health is building a stronger and more authentic relationship with food.

Calories and Diets

Healthy diets that are geared towards weight loss can be beneficial for medical health reasons. How we go about it can shape our mental health. Essentially, when we go on a diet the goal is to eat on a calorie deficit, meaning eating fewer calories than your body is burning on a daily basis. However, many people tend to steer towards an extreme calorie deficit to help them lose weight faster. Not only can this method cause medical issues, but it can also create mental health concerns. When we are not receiving enough calories regularly, the body can start to lack the appropriate nutrients required to function optimally. Lacking enough calories can lead to difficulty concentrating, sensitivity to flight/fight/freeze response, brain fog, and more.

Another factor that often goes unnoticed is the quality of the food we eat. To fuel optimal mental health through food, it is vital to incorporate a balanced variety of nutrient-dense food regularly. This includes servings of fruits, vegetables, and optimal protein sources. One of the biggest hurdles seen with managing nutrition is an “all or nothing” mentality. In instances like this, we tend to fall into a restrictive pattern, only allowing “good” foods, and not allowing “bad” food.

Achieving a balanced diet, will require some cognitive reframing, and work towards a balanced mindset with food. We can acknowledge there are some foods more nutrient-dense than others. However, I like to frame it as there are some foods that benefit the body/mind and some foods that are good for the soul. Foods that benefit the body/mind are nutrient-dense options like fruits, vegetables, and grains; whereas foods that are good for the soul may be a balanced portion of desserts, sweets, and friend food. All of these food groups can have a place in our diet for it to be considered a balanced diet. All food groups may fall into what is known as an 80-20 rule. Where 80% of the food we consume is aimed to be geared towards nourishing our bodies and mind, and 20% of the food is for nourishing our souls and cravings. Removing complete food groups, and falling into a restrictive pattern, can cause intense cravings and impulses to overindulge. The goal is to steer towards a flexible mindset and not allow food to control you, but rather you gain control over how you nourish your body and mind.

Mind-Gut Connection

More and more research is being published showing the connection between our gut health and mental/neurological health. Studies have shown that about 95% of serotonin is produced in your gastrointestinal tract (Selhub, 2022). Exposing your gut to good bacteria (found in fruits, vegetables, grains, seeds, etc.), can strengthen your gut lining, and as a result your immune system. Essentially, the healthier your gut, the healthier your brain and body. Any time we may irritate the gut, or struggle with gut health, we risk inflammation in the body and in the brain, which can cause brain fog, difficulty concentrating, and prone to flight/fight/freeze response (commonly seen to trigger anxiety or depressive symptoms). We can irritate the gut by overconsuming foods that lack nutrients, and eating too quickly or too much in one sitting. A common experience many people experience is the after-Thanksgiving dinner slum. Sure the turkey has some traces of tryptophan, but one of the bigger factors that causes sleepiness, sluggish feeling, and even brain fog is the overeating that traditionally takes place.

As shared earlier, the goal is to steer away from the “all or nothing” mentality. This includes accepting that sometimes we won't be able to monitor every aspect of our diet and allowing mental flexibility to allow our diets to ebb and flow. Overindulging once in a while is not a lack of progress, but how you mentally approach yourself afterward is.

References:

Selhub, Eva (2022, September 18). Nutritional psychiatry: Your brain on food. Harvard Health. Retrieved October 15, 2022