Food for thought: The link between nutrition and mental well-being

From our childhood, we are trained and told that good and healthy eating habits aid in good physical development. However, we remain quite unaware of the fact that healthy eating habits also affirmatively affect mental well-being. Nutrition and mental health are closely related to each other. Just like physical health issues, mental health issues also require proper medical attention. You can take the coverage of any health insurance or mediclaim policy for serving any medical emergency. Zurich Kotak Health insurance may help you in this regard.

Mental well-being through diet

Food impact on mood is still a developing field of study. The relationship between our mental health and dietary habits is quite complicated. However, studies have revealed the effect of good and proper nutrition for mental clarity.

Excessive consumption of processed foods, fast foods, refined foods, heavy red meats, etc. has been revealed to cause more percentage of anxiety and stress disorders. Similarly, enhanced intake of whole grains, vegetables, fruits, etc. is considered to be brain-boosting foods, ensuring improved brain and mental health.

The link between mental health and diet

Good and healthy eating helps you feel good. You need not have to make any drastic dietary alterations, but these tips will help you stay well:

• Eat regularly to prevent hypoglycaemia which may lead to a bad temper.

• Ensure enough hydration to keep your energy and mood uplifted with enhanced concentration capacity

• Never negate fats completely from your diet. Balanced fat intake from rapeseed oil, eggs, milk, olive oil, avocados, oily fishes, etc. aids in healthy brain functioning. Avoid trans-fat-containing processed foods as they may damage your heart and mood.

• Enhance the intake of whole grains, vegetables, and fruits as they are loaded with healthy vitamins, minerals and other nutrients for improved brain health

• Ensure a balanced protein intake with each meal. It contains the necessary amino acids essential for mood regulation.

• Your gut health is affected by your mood. Stress may make it too fast or too slow. Healthy food for retaining promising gut health includes probiotics, beans, fruits, and vegetables.

• Caffeine may cause sleep disorders leading to bitter mood, irritability, and anxiety. Caffeine is present in cola, chocolate, energy drinks, coffee, and tea. Avoid consuming any of these, especially before bedtime.

Sharing meals

Sharing your meals or eating together with other people has several social, psychological, and biological benefits. Ensure to have at least one meal each day with all the family members together. The meal can be simple, but the process of taking it should be ideally happy and stress-free.

Taking care of mental health

Apart from healthy food intake and healthy dietary habits, you can keep your mood healthy and uplifted by spending more time with nature, keeping yourself physically active, avoiding alcohol and cigarette intake, and developing healthy and good routine sleep habits.

Over to you

We can understand the importance of healthy eating habits to ensure improved brain function and uplifted mood. A good mood can ensure better focus and an overall improved lifestyle in almost every aspect.

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