GARDEN ROUTE | KAROO NEWS - During October, International Mental Health Awareness Month, the focus is on making people aware that there is help for those suffering from depression and anxiety.
Self-care is an important part of improving one's mental state and one element of proper self-care is eating nutritious food to fuel our bodies and help us get through each day.
Research has found that the gastrointestinal tract works alongside the brain and can contribute to your mood and mental health. Our brains have a direct effect on our stomachs and intestines, and vice versa. This means that anxiety, stress, or depression can trigger an upset stomach, and gut issues can cause these negative emotions too.
Include mood-boosting foods in your diet and avoid processed snacks and high-sugar foods, which can impact your ability to concentrate and may cause dips and spikes in energy levels during the day.
Ensure you include the following in addition to vegetables and fruits:
- Complex carbohydrates, such as starchy vegetables, brown rice, sweet potatoes and quinoa, offer a good source of energy.
- Protein is a critical part of the processes that fuel your energy and carry oxygen throughout your body in your blood, so including lean protein in your daily diet is key. Try fish, meat, chicken, eggs, nuts, seeds and soybeans.
- Fatty acids assist your brain and nervous system. Flaxseed, meat, fish and eggs are all packed with fatty acids.
- Healthy fats such as avocado, coconut and olive oils, also support healthy brain function.
When you learn to give your body and brain what it needs, you will feel a remarkable difference in your quality of life.
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