Nutrition is a critical part of health. We know that better nutrition leads to improved infant and child health, as well as stronger immune systems for all humans.
We always give importance to nutrition for physical health, but why don’t we give equal importance to nutrition for mental and emotional health?
It may be that what we have already learned is that good nutrition is important for good health and good looks. Yes, this is absolutely true, but it is important to know that good nutrition is not only important for physical health but also for mental health.
A healthy and balance diet helps us develop good and clear thinking and good nutrition helps in concentration and attention.
Similarly, inadequate nutrition promotes fatigue, poor concentration, poor decision making, in fact poor nutrition increases anxiety, depression and stress.
The biggest problem in today’s lifestyle is that people are short of time, and due to this reason people do not take out much time for themselves and give more preference to fast food, ready to eat, processed food which contains high amount of white flours and sugar and too much oil etc…and that increases the craving to eat processed and fast food rather than nutrient rich food as fruits, vegetables.
It is very important to have balance in anything, whether it is life or our eating habits, its all about balance. Too much processed food can stimulate the dopamine center of brain that associates with pleasure and reward system(composed of brain structure that are responsible for mediating the physiological and cognitive process).
If we want to avoid packed and processed food than we have to first remove it physically and mentally, like refined sugar and refined carbohydrate from our plates and than we have to train our brain on how important is healthy and nutritional food on mental level.
STRESS AND DEPRESSION
When we feel low, a single cup of coffee gives a lot of relief and completes our full meal plan, but this is not the case when we take coffee, packed food, instant food or ice cream in place of meal time. It seems good but it does not complete our nutrition and our mental health.
If we want to boost our mental health we will have to focus on our nutrition, we have consume maximum amount of colorful vegetables, omega3 rich food, lentils, nuts, berries, whole grains and seeds which are complete and excellent brain food.
Incorporating these food into our diet can support brain function and contribute to better mental health. Remember its all about balance and variety to get the full range of nutrients our brain needs.
Some research has also shown that when we eat there are strong connection between our intestine and brain, while the gut is able to influence emotional behavior and brain can switch the type of bacteria living in the gut. Psychologically gut bacteria produce neurochemicals that brain can use it for regulating physiological and mental processes including mood.
In our busy modern lives, its common to neglect self care. However, let’s consider that we are working hard to earn money for a better livelihood for ourselves and our family, amidst this rush, we must not forget to prioritize proper meals to maintain our overall well-being.
Taking care of our health is essential even when we are focused on our goal.
Thank you for joining me on this journey towards better well-being. may your mind and body find nourishment, balance, and peace. Until next time, take care.
Nutrinirvana 