Better Nutrition, Better Mental Health
Can nutrition affect your mental health? A growing research literature suggests the answer could be yes. More research is finding that a nutritious diet isn't just good for the body; it's great for the brain, too.
Food for Mind and Body
Few people are aware of the connection between nutrition and mental health conditions like depression. The quality of the food you eat can impact your overall physical and mental health.
Depression can result in an increase or a decrease in appetite, over-eating for emotional comfort, or feeling too tired to plan and fix healthy meals and snacks. Both under- and over-eating can lead to poor nutritional status, which can affect mental health. Imbalances of carbohydrate, fat and protein are linked to depression.
Vitamins and minerals are needed in order to produce neurotransmitters. Neurotransmitters are chemicals found in your nerve cell that communicates with another nerve cell or with a muscle. The neurotransmitters are of particular interest in preventing and treating depression.
Specific diets, may not necessarily alter risk for depression. However, eating patterns (as compared to studying individual nutrients) has shown that consuming a healthy, low-calorie, natural unprocessed foods, balanced diet is associated with a lower likelihood of depression.
While diet can be part of a treatment plan, it shouldn't be considered a substitute for medication and other treatments. You should always talk to your doctor before stopping or taking less of any medication you're on
If you are taking steps to live a healthy lifestyle but still feel like you are struggling, Healing Streams Counseling has Dietitians and mental Health Health Professionals to help you in your journey.