Does food really have an impact on our mental health?

Recently, I posted in a Facebook group I'm a group expert in asking "do you think food has an impact on our mental health" and the response was incredible.

I had some powerful and amazing conversations.

This got me thinking about this topic. It made me want to explore it a little more.

For me, I have had depression and anxiety since I was a child but it went undiagnosed until I started university. In university, I went to the therapist that was at the school. I was diagnosed with depression and anxiety and was given a prescription for mood stabilizers. Well, those didn't work well for me.

Mood stabilizers are strong. They took away my personality, my drive, my capacity to be myself and live.

So I stopped them and got rid of them right away. Then I struggled for the remainder of my time in school. I had my OCD increase dramatically, I developed an eating disorder and a plethora of unhealthy habits.

Eventually, when I graduated and started working I realized what I was doing was not working. I could potentially put my clients at risk if I let things continue.

But it wasn't until I started my business and started taking online programs and courses that I started to develop the ability to listen to my body, be guided intuitively and explore other avenues of healing rather than medication (that did not work for me).

Food was one of the things that really made a difference. I didn't understand why it worked then but I just knew that proper nutrition and exercise were working and that was good enough for me.

But recently I've been really interested in the why.

So what is the impact of food on our mental health?

Harvard Health published an article last March (2020) about our brains on food. Here's what they said,

"Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that helps regulate sleep and appetite, mediate moods, and inhibit pain. Since about 95% of your serotonin is produced in your gastrointestinal tract, and your gastrointestinal tract is lined with a hundred million nerve cells, or neurons, it makes sense that the inner workings of your digestive system don’t just help you digest food, but also guide your emotions."

The body is a complex structure made up of interconnected systems. So something that is produced in one part of your body always eventually makes it back to our brains.

If serotonin is what affects our emotions and mood and it is made in the gastrointestinal tract (our digestive system) and we know that food is what impacts how our digestion feels (remember that time you ate spicy food?) then, of course, we see a clear connection between food and our emotions. 

They also did a comparison between "typical" diets and mental health such as a Mediterranean diet, a Japenese diet, and a "western" diet.

What they discovered was the risk of depression was 25 - 35% lower in those who ate a Mediterranean and Japenese diet.

The major difference?

The amount of fruits, vegetables, seafood and unprocessed grains and limited processed food and artificial sugar. These diets are commonly found in the Blue Zone areas, which historically were mostly plant-based (an excess of fruits and vegetables).

Now I'm not saying that switching to a plant-based or mainly plant-based diet will "cure" your mental illness. Neither do the countless studies about the link between food and mental health, but neither does medication.

Medication masks symptoms, it stops you from having symptoms, but you have to stay on medication in order to continue to have reduced or no symptoms.

So with food, it's about the reduction of symptoms. A healthy and clean way to reduce symptoms or have emotions under control.

So what kinds of foods have the biggest impact on our mental health?

1. Beans

Beans are one of the top foods recommended in the Blue Zones diet. Some of the world's longest-living people eat them every day.

Beans and legumes are full of antioxidants and fibre. They have a low glycemic index (their sugars are released slowly into the bloodstream), which keeps your blood sugar stable and they contain thiamine, required to produce the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, which aids in memory.

Spikes in blood sugar cause an unstable mood. Finding foods that have a low glycemic index (such as beans) can help decrease the spikes and decrease mood fluctuation.

2. Leafy Greens

Studies have shown that people with depression have a lower dietary intake of folate. Leafy green vegetables provide a healthy portion of folate and fibre. They also contain ALA (alpha-linolenic acid) one of the 3 main types of Omega-3 fatty acids.

A diet high in Omega-3's has been shown to boost feelings of wellness and mental health as well as reduce feelings of anxiety.

Furthermore, a study published in Neurology showed that people who ate a lot of leafy green vegetables actually had a slower rate of cognitive decline than those who didn't eat very much of them.

3. Nuts

Another Blue Zones favourite, nuts are full of antioxidants. A nutrient our bodies need's plenty of for brain health.

Walnuts in particular can actually help with the growth of new neurons. New neurons mean new brain cells, a fresh start. An essential component to positive mental health.

4. Berries

What's not to love about berries? 

They are loaded with antioxidants, which are needed to help with cell repair and decrease inflammation caused by free radicals.

Antioxidants have also been shown to help reduce the symptoms of anxiety and depression by changing the way neurons communicate with the brain.

The polyphenolics in berries also contribute to improvements in memory, concentration and attention.

There are many more foods that contribute to improved mental health and well-being. These are a few of my favourites but the internet is full of great resources.

Remember to do what feels good for your body and not always what people tell you. There are tons of articles that preach eating fish to help with mental health but eating meat for me has always left me feeling overly full, bloated, brain foggy, and more, but others may love it.

Only you live inside your body. Not your doctor, not your psychologist, not me or anyone on the internet.

The key takeaway to remember: What we put in our body matters. What we eat has the power to make or break us, literally. Putting the best stuff into it will improve your overall quality of life.

Is there a particular food that you love that has had a great impact on your mental health? Send me an email at [email protected].

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