It is a long-known fact that the food you eat affects your body. But you should also be aware that food can have an impact on your mental health. Different super foods can help your brain do a better job of regulating the body and this significantly helps your mood. Here is the ultimate list of superfoods to improve your mental health.
Fruits and Vegetables
Fruits and vegetables contain a lot of fibers and antioxidants, as well as vitamins. This helps your body stay clean, strong, and healthy.
Tomatoes
The nutrients inside tomatoes’ red skin have a lot of beneficial properties. Firstly, they feed your brain to help it with memory retention and boost logical operations. Secondly, it helps you fight brain diseases. Tomatoes are a great addition to your diet and they have been proven to aid in battling early-onset Alzheimer’s.
Spinach
Leafy greens, such as spinach, contain iron your need to boost blood circulation. Spinach also contains folic acid which can help you battle depression and insomnia. Insomnia can bring your overall health down and cause temporary (and permanent if it is prolonged) mental impairments. Superfoods can benefit your mental health by preventing and slowing down the development of the disease. For example, spinach is also beneficial in slowing down dementia in the elderly.
Avocados
Avocado is a great addition to spreads on whole-grain bread and salads. It contains vitamin K and other nutrients that protect your brain against stroke. It also helps with memory and concentration and improves brain function.
Whole Grains
Whole wheat, brown rice, soybeans, and other types of food that contain complex carbohydrates are classified as whole grains. These super foods improve your mental health by allowing your to slowly produce glucose. Instead of having a sugar spike only to feel sleepy afterward, you will feel energized the whole day. They also reduce anxiety, stress, and depression, and help your brain to function better.
Fish
Fishes are a great source of omega-3 fatty acids. You can eat any sort of fish you prefer, tuna, herring, Atlantic cod, etc. but the best choice is salmon.
Salmon
Salmon is considered a fatty fish because it contains elevated concentrations of omega-3 acids. It is also a great choice for students, as it helps with memory, learning, and brain functions. Omega 3 has been shown to relieve mental health issues and symptoms of depression too.
Nuts
Just like fish, nuts contain omega-3 acids, but also vitamin E. They can help boost your brain’s cognitive functions. They are a great addition to your diet in between meals in a small dosage. A handful of nuts a day is more than enough.
Olive Oil
No wonder Metirreaneans are so fit. Their diet is plant and fish-based and they use olive oil in salads. Extra virgin olive oil contains elements that can help remove enzymes linked to Alzheimer’s Disease. It is also beneficial for memory and learning.
When shopping for olive oil, make sure that it is cold-press and 100% pure.
Turkey
Both turkey and chicken help your body produce serotonin, a.k.a. the happy chemical. It is a hormone in your body that is partially responsible for the feeling of happiness. Unlike its name suggests, happiness doesn’t all come from this particular hormone. However, higher concentrations of serotonin in your body help you fight anxiety and depression and make your brain function better.
Dark Chocolate
Cocoa, which is found in dark chocolate, is a great brain stimulant and isn’t normally present in milk chocolates. You can taste the sweetness and slight bitterness of dark chocolate, and enjoy your sweets. Be careful not to eat the whole bar. It is beneficial in small dosages, such as a piece or two a day.
Also, darker is better, so make sure to purchase a bar of chocolate that has a high percentage of cocoa – 85% or above. Cocoa contains antioxidants that can improve your mental health and cognitive functions, such as memory and attention. The elderly can enjoy it too, as it aids them to fight mental capacity decline.
Plant and fish-based nutrition is key to a balanced diet. You should make sure to eat the super foods listed here every day. Meditation helps you in improving mental health, as does exercise and natural herbs such as Rhodiola Rosea Tinctures. Also, it is imperative to drink plenty of water every day and get enough sleep. Limiting your screen time is a great start to sleeping better.
These super foods are here to help you improve your mental health, but are no substitute for psychotherapy. Mental hygiene is important and if you feel the need, you should speak to a professional.