When we start to look at our mental health and ways that we can improve it, sometimes we overlook simple things that we could do that could make a big difference to our wellbeing.
One way in which we can address this is by looking at what we eat and making some simple changes to our diet.
Interest in how nutrition and food can affect our mental health is growing, and the scientific evidence to back this up is mounting.
Findings from those who have made changes to what they consume show that food is an important element towards improving mental and emotional health.
There is a link between how you feel and what you eat. Improving your diet can give you more positive feelings, energy, relaxed moods, and the ability to think more clearly.
Here are some tips to get you started:
Cook your meals from scratch the easy way
If you decide to eat a healthier diet it may mean you decide to prepare your meals from scratch. This can be daunting if you haven’t done a lot of cooking in the past. It’s always good to get other people involved and cooking with others can make it more sociable and fun. Why not ask your family or friends to plan, prepare, cook, and enjoy eating a meal together? It could make maintaining a healthier lifestyle much easier.
Make a food diary
This can be a great way of noticing what, how much and when you are eating. You also can note how you felt when you had certain foods, which make you feel good or not so good, what keeps you awake or helps you sleep. Over some time, you may find there is a pattern and by changing your food choices your mood improves.
Notice any food intolerances
You may notice that certain foods are causing you to feel unwell physically, which in turn will affect your mental health. People do have intolerances to things such as wheat, yeast, or dairy. If this is something that you feel may be affecting you, make an appointment to see a nutritionist or dietician who can investigate further.
Make a plan
When you are enjoying making meals, try to make some extra ones that you can freeze and store in portions. This can be especially useful if you have days when you don’t feel like cooking but want to remain on a healthy eating plan with foods that boost your mood.
Read the labels
Many foods contain unnecessary additives that can affect people’s mood, for example, monosodium glutamate. Glutamate is a chemical found in the brain.
Other factors to consider when trying to improve your mood are eating regularly, keeping hydrated, eating the right fats, getting your 5 a day, and not having too much caffeine. All these things can help you mentally and physically too.
There is a lot to be said for improving your diet with the help of a dietitian or nutritional therapist to help you make an action plan, or work on specific problem areas.
You could ask your GP to refer you or come to us at CPF where our team are on hand to help.
Do not give up if you don’t notice instant changes to your wellbeing, it will take time and motivation, but the benefits will be worth it.