When you talk about nutrition, the first thing you think about is good physical health. From a young age, we were taught that eating healthy will allow us to live longer, live better, and have a happier life. But we were never really taught about the importance of our mental health.
Mental health is becoming more and more important nowadays, especially with all the lockdowns and self-quarantines that we have to do because of the pandemic.
Mental health treatments are currently available such as therapy and even surgeries, but there’s a good and cheap way to improve our mental health, and that is by eating healthier foods.
In this article, we will discuss five foods to eat for better mental health.
Let’s get right into it.
1. CHICKEN
Chicken is quite controversial for healthy foods, especially with all the oil and fat used by most fast-food restaurants to cook the fried chicken we all know and love. However, these lean sources of protein are also good for our mental health.
Not only is chicken healthy for the improvement of our immune systems due to it being rich in vitamin B6, but it also has the amino acid tryptophan, which helps fight against depression, and is also great in lowering stress levels.
A study published in Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition showed that people who avoided meat consumption, especially chicken, were more prone to mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, and erratic behaviors.
So be sure to include chicken in your diet to make your stomach happy and your brain.
2. SWEET POTATOES
Also named superfood, sweet potatoes are rich in B vitamins, calcium, iron, zinc, and many more minerals. Countless studies have shown that sweet potatoes are great for fighting cancer as they contain anthocyanin and even show excellent results in fighting off diabetes as they help control our blood sugar levels.
But adding to this, sweet potatoes also show excellent properties in preventing the onset of mental health disorders.
Studies have shown that sweet potatoes help the body reduce brain cell degradation and show great potential to fight off anxiety, depression, and even Schizophrenia.
3. SALMON
Salmon is also another great food to add to your everyday diet. This pink fatty fish contains the necessary fats that our bodies need.
Fatty acids or fats, in general, are something that most of us tend to avoid, but fats are essential for our bodies as we cannot produce them on our own.
Adding to this, salmon has also shown properties that fight off specific mental health issues. Salmon contains omega-3 fatty acids, which are great at preventing mental health degradation, boosting learning, and even improving our memory.
Also, salmon contains vitamin B-12, which helps improve our moods and helps fight against depression.
3. TOMATOES
Like any other fruit out there, tomatoes are also an excellent way to improve your physical and mental health.
Along with benefits such as preventing the risk of cancer, reducing blood pressure, and maintaining good eye health, tomatoes are also an excellent fruit to eat every day to keep our mental health in check.
Tomatoes have vitamins B and E, which help slow down neural degeneration.
Also, a study conducted by Japanese researchers found that among the 986 elderly men and women they interviewed, subjects who reported eating tomatoes 2-6 times a week were less likely to say that they experienced depression.
4. DARK CHOCOLATE
Perhaps the most surprising food on this list, dark chocolates, is great for your mental health.
Dark chocolates help improve our mood by boosting the production of endorphins, which are the chemicals our brain produces to cope with stress. Since dark chocolates are made with cocoa, the flavinoids inside them will allow you to have a better cognitive function that will improve your learning and memory.
Dark chocolates have also been used to prevent or slow down the effects of brain deterioration. Studies have shown that chocolate helps prevent severe mental health diseases like dementia.
Another study also showed that chocolates helped improve the cognitive functioning abilities of older people.
CONCLUSION
Taking care of our mental health is just as important as our physical health. Prevention is better than cure, and this also applies to our mental health.
So if you’re going out shopping for your next meal, be sure to add these five foods to your cart and start your path to a more healthy lifestyle.
Which foods are you looking to eat in your next meal?
Mental health is becoming more and more important nowadays, especially with all the lockdowns and self-quarantines that we have to do because of the pandemic.
Mental health treatments are currently available such as therapy and even surgeries, but there’s a good and cheap way to improve our mental health, and that is by eating healthier foods.
In this article, we will discuss five foods to eat for better mental health.
Let’s get right into it.
1. CHICKEN
Chicken is quite controversial for healthy foods, especially with all the oil and fat used by most fast-food restaurants to cook the fried chicken we all know and love. However, these lean sources of protein are also good for our mental health.
Not only is chicken healthy for the improvement of our immune systems due to it being rich in vitamin B6, but it also has the amino acid tryptophan, which helps fight against depression, and is also great in lowering stress levels.
A study published in Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition showed that people who avoided meat consumption, especially chicken, were more prone to mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, and erratic behaviors.
So be sure to include chicken in your diet to make your stomach happy and your brain.
2. SWEET POTATOES
Also named superfood, sweet potatoes are rich in B vitamins, calcium, iron, zinc, and many more minerals. Countless studies have shown that sweet potatoes are great for fighting cancer as they contain anthocyanin and even show excellent results in fighting off diabetes as they help control our blood sugar levels.
But adding to this, sweet potatoes also show excellent properties in preventing the onset of mental health disorders.
Studies have shown that sweet potatoes help the body reduce brain cell degradation and show great potential to fight off anxiety, depression, and even Schizophrenia.
3. SALMON
Salmon is also another great food to add to your everyday diet. This pink fatty fish contains the necessary fats that our bodies need.
Fatty acids or fats, in general, are something that most of us tend to avoid, but fats are essential for our bodies as we cannot produce them on our own.
Adding to this, salmon has also shown properties that fight off specific mental health issues. Salmon contains omega-3 fatty acids, which are great at preventing mental health degradation, boosting learning, and even improving our memory.
Also, salmon contains vitamin B-12, which helps improve our moods and helps fight against depression.
3. TOMATOES
Like any other fruit out there, tomatoes are also an excellent way to improve your physical and mental health.
Along with benefits such as preventing the risk of cancer, reducing blood pressure, and maintaining good eye health, tomatoes are also an excellent fruit to eat every day to keep our mental health in check.
Tomatoes have vitamins B and E, which help slow down neural degeneration.
Also, a study conducted by Japanese researchers found that among the 986 elderly men and women they interviewed, subjects who reported eating tomatoes 2-6 times a week were less likely to say that they experienced depression.
4. DARK CHOCOLATE
Perhaps the most surprising food on this list, dark chocolates, is great for your mental health.
Dark chocolates help improve our mood by boosting the production of endorphins, which are the chemicals our brain produces to cope with stress. Since dark chocolates are made with cocoa, the flavinoids inside them will allow you to have a better cognitive function that will improve your learning and memory.
Dark chocolates have also been used to prevent or slow down the effects of brain deterioration. Studies have shown that chocolate helps prevent severe mental health diseases like dementia.
Another study also showed that chocolates helped improve the cognitive functioning abilities of older people.
CONCLUSION
Taking care of our mental health is just as important as our physical health. Prevention is better than cure, and this also applies to our mental health.
So if you’re going out shopping for your next meal, be sure to add these five foods to your cart and start your path to a more healthy lifestyle.
Which foods are you looking to eat in your next meal?