Brain Food
Alternative caption: food for thought :)
Most of the time when we are thinking of what to eat, we normally think of how it will impact our body and how it might make us look physically or perhaps we think of if it will give us an energy boost. But, we normally don’t think of if it will feed our brain properly or how it will make us feel mentally. Most of the food that we eat not only affects us physically but can also have a huge impact on our brain health as well as our mental health.
This is where I introduce you to the new field of nutritional psychology. This field explains to us that what we eat can and will affect our mental health. This is fascinating to think that our brain basically eats what we eat. What we eat can determine if we will be able to concentrate and focus on our work or conversations throughout the day, how anxious we might be over certain situations, our overall mental state and more.
Your brain really functions at its best when it gets the best nutrients that it needs to operate. Eating good quality food, vitamins and minerals helps our brain keep away oxidative stress and lower inflammation. These both damage cells and can cause further problems if not reversed. Eating a diet high in refined sugars and processed foods, can cause a worsening in people with depression as inflammation the brain increases as well as problems with insulin resistance. More simple than that, it can simply put us in a bad mood.
This is a very simple oversimplification of nutritional psychology that basically goes to say that we should be eating healthy foods low in inflammation and is low in processed ingredients and refined sugars. There is a bigger impact on the body if we don’t simply focus on what we shoudln’t be eating but what we should be eating. For example, try to eat more whole foods such as fruits and vegetables. Shoping the outside walls of the grocery store will help avoid the sugary and refined items. Adding herbs and spices is also an easy way to add to your nutrient intake. Try eating a “clean” diet even just for a week and see how much better you feel. Start slowly and over time implement more and more healthy ingredients for a healthier body and a healthier brain.