Nutrition Helps You Cope With Stress

Did you know that there is an obvious relationship between your diet and your mental health? Have you ever wondered why eating different foods changes your mood? The evidence of the relationship between nutrition and mental health has been growing at a rapid pace. This evidence indicates that food not only plays a major role in short and long term mental health, but also plays a significant role in the development, management and prevention of certain specific mental health problems like schizophrenia, anxiety, depression, Alzheimer Disease and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

According to a recent research, nearly 66% people who do not report daily mental health problems have a tendency to eat fresh fruits or drink fresh juices on daily basis. Unfortunately, on the other hand, less than 50% of those who do experience daily mental health problems choose to eat fresh fruits or drink fresh juices, or eat fresh vegetables and/or fresh salads. Another interesting fact is that those who report daily mental health problems eat fewer healthy foods like those previously mentioned and tend to not prepare them in their own kitchens from scratch. Such people eat more processed and unhealthy foods (like fast foods, sweets and chocolates etc.)

There are many factors that play an important role in the development of depression and mental problems. Nutrition is one of the most important factor in that list. How exactly does nutrition impact mood swings?

There are numerous nutritional imbalances that can make you more prone to get depression and anxiety. Here are just some:

Eating less essential fats and omega 3 means that your body isn’t getting the right types of fats
Blood sugar imbalances will cause mood swings and depression.
Higher plasma levels of homocysteine (homocysteine is a naturally occurring amino acid in the human body)
Low levels of serotonin, which will create depression.One other factor that influences your mood is that food allergies and intolerances can also make you sad.

Depression and Emotional Eating

It is a fact that we do not always eat to satisfy our hunger. Instead, people sometimes eat to relieve stress, they eat for recreation, for comfort and sometimes as a reward. This is called emotional eating. It is totally understandable when you are mentally and emotionally imbalanced that you would eat unhealthy foods and overeat. But unfortunately, emotional eating will not help you to fix your emotional problems. It makes your emotional problems worse and you will feel guilty after overeating some unhealthy food stuff. If you really want to get out of your depression, first you need to identify and let go of your emotional eating habits. After that seek and eat healthy nutritious foods that make you feel better and make you mentally stronger.

What foods work best to cope with depression and anxiety? Let us talk about some of the foods that can help you boost your mood and fight against these black moods.

Increase Omega 3 Intake

Omega 3 fats are essential fats that our body cannot manufacture, so we need to take these essential fats through our diet and meals. The most prominent source of Omega 3 is from certain fish species like sardines, mackerel, salmons, herring, trout and etc. Omega 3 fats are the most potent forms of natural anti-depressants.

Increase your Serotonin Level through Amino Acids

Serotonin is an important chemical and is made in the human body and brain from an amino acid tryptophan. Rich dietary sources of tryptophan are eggs, beans, meat and fish. It is important to note that if you are not getting enough dietary tryptophan, you are more likely to get depressed rapidly. People who eat tryptophan lacking foods can get depression very quickly after having such meals.

Keep your Blood Sugar Level Balanced

There is an evident direct link between human mood and blood sugar levels. All carbohydrates we eat are broken down to glucose which then our brain uses. The more unstable your blood sugar level is, the more often you will experience mood swings. So try to keep your blood sugar level at a balanced level to avoid mood changes.

Increase Vitamin B intakes

People either with low or high levels of vitamin B complex are more likely to get depression and other mental health problems. Moreover, such people do not get good results from anti-depressants drugs. The dietary sources of vitamin B complex include: cheese, milk, butter, fish, meat, fish oil, chicken. So it is important to keep you vitamin B levels in control.

Improve your Chromium Intake

Chromium mineral is very important for keeping your blood sugar levels in control, as insulin works better in the presence of this vital mineral. It is worth noting that if you supply chromium to people having atypical depression, they will improve with impressive results. Dietary sources of chromium include: orange juice, beef cubes, banana, apple, garlic, potatoes, grape juice etc.