This is a topic that I hold near and dear to me as nutrition has played a huge role in propelling me forward and out of my mental health funk in the past. I previously struggled with depression and anxiety until I truly addressed the imbalances occurring in my body and the other factors at play (read more, here).
Now, good mood and proper mental health is not restricted to just depression and anxiety but can also include ADHD, schizophrenia, the winter blues and mood swings such as “hangry” to name a few. There is a lot to this subject, so I’ll try to keep this concise and to the point! Let’s jump into it!
The main link here is through our vagus nerve. This is a nerve that runs from our gastrointestinal (GI) tract to our brain and allows them both to communicate. This nerve affects the delivery of nutrients throughout the body, our mood, cravings and emotions as well as our microbial balance within the GI tract.
You’ve likely heard the term Microbiome, and this is essentially the ecosystem of bacteria that reside in the GI, mouth and skin. The health of our microbiome is so essential because the bacteria in our gut is responsible for the production of vitamin K, our B vitamins and good mood neurotransmitters like GABA and serotonin.
Good mood follows good food
The natural sleep and wake patterns that our bodies follow is called the circadian rhythm. Our bodies naturally wake with the sunlight and start to wind down with the sunset. We want to support this natural rhythm by increasing our protein intake in the morning for sustained energy and alertness. This should be followed by complex carbohydrates later in the day to support relaxation and sleep.
Think about all those times that you’ve had a carb heavy meal only to be snoozing at your desk an hour later!
Do you skip meals during the day then find yourself later reaching for a quick pick-me up or getting “hangry” ? This is a classic sign of blood sugar drops that contribute to poor mood. Other signs include feeling faint, shakiness or feeling sleepy after meals. We can avoid this by ensuring that each meal is balanced with good quality protein, healthy fats and low glycemic grains or starches.
First, how do you define inflammation? It is a normal body process that is used to respond to injuries or temporary illness like a cold. It should be an acute process, as in, it sticks around until that issue is resolved. If inflammation becomes constant, that’s when it can become a problem.
Inflammation also contributes to oxidative stress in the body which needs antioxidants to counteract the damage. We can get these antioxidants from foods and our bodies also maintain a natural process to keep us in balance by producing the main antioxidant, glutathione.
Some antioxidant rich foods include…
Our gut health plays a key factor in our overall mental health (see above) and unaddressed food allergies or sensitivities can wreak havoc on the integrity of the intestinal tract which further contributes to our nutrient absorption specifically that of proteins that are needed for the production of neurotransmitters.
Some foods to support gut health…
Before our bodies are able to properly absorb and use the vitamins that we eat, we need to break them down and convert them into an absorbable form. B-vitamins, specifically B9, B6 and B12 need to be converted into what is called the methylated form so that our bodies can then use them in the process that produces glutathione (see above on inflammation). This further supports the body in reducing inflammation and oxidative stress.
Some B vitamin rich foods include…
You can see that each of these 5 essentials actually work in tandem so it’s important that we support each of these areas for optimal health and mood! Stay tuned @happyhealthcc as we dig into some of these key whole foods, what to look for in the grocery store and some of my favourite ways to use them!
Collagen. Have you heard of it? It seems to be cropping up everywhere with claims around skin health, joint health, hair and nail growth and
Are you struggling with the daily discomfort and frustration of perioral dermatitis? If you’re anything like me, then you know that perioral dermatitis is one
Perioral (periorificial) dermatitis is a red rash that circles your mouth. Your skin can be scaly, dry and flaky with swollen, inflamed bumps called papules…Perioral
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