Do you know what happens if you fuel your car, which has a diesel engine with gasoline?
It will break or not work properly. So, what will happen if you fuel your body with the wrong food? According to research individuals eating a Mediterranean diet or Japanese diet are 33 % less likely of developing depression. Why is that so?
1.0 How can the food we eat determine my mental health?
You are what you eat. Your body replaces millions of cells every second, these cells must be built out of something. This, something is the food you consume. Therefore, the food you eat determines the quality of the cells in your body, to build high quality cells, Proteins, nutrients like vitamins and minerals, water and metabolites, such as glucose and fructose.
Furthermore, these high value building blocks are used for a variety of processes in your body for example energy production, fluid balance & supporting immune function. If those processes do not get the required resources, they can’t reach their full potential. How can a craftsman the problems in your house without equipment ?
1.1 The Brain and the Gut
As we understand now, we need nutritious food, so the processes in our body can function. The nutrients are processed and absorbed in the gut, the gut produces 95% of your bodies Serotonin, the feel good hormone.
If your gut can’t produce Serotonin, due to malnutrition you, your brain & your mood will be heavily affected, because the main source of mental wellbeing is set on ice. In addition, we now know that the food intake determines the quality of our cells.
Your brain cells are the most important cells, if there is a lack of quality here, there will be a lack of quality in your overall life, which affect your mental health.
1.2 Everything that is affected by faulty food consumption
Not only is your mental health, the quality of your cells and every vital process in your body are affected by a poor nonnutritious diet. There are more negative impacts to come that will degrade your mental and overall health even more. Lets give you some examples:
Overweight and Obesity: Foods with high calories, that saturate your feeling of hunger by Fiber, such as fast food, tend to overdraw an individuals calorie deficit unknowingly (Due to still having the feeling of hunger) what will result in an unwilling gain of weight. Which will result in Problems like immobility, breathing problems, anxiety and depression.
Dependence on Healthcare: If you practiced an unhealthy diet for a long period of time, you start to suffer from results. Diseases, mental health, obesity, a quick fix are provided in form of medication by the health care system, which wont fix the problems in the long run and make your life depending on medication.
High Risk of Diseases: Overconsumption of malnutritious, high sugary,-salty,-fatty food, will increase your risk of cancer, diabetes type 2, stroke & heart diseases, simply because these foods increase internal inflammation and excess fat, which will affect the proper function of your organs.
Addiction: High Fat and high sugar items, release a lot of dopamine, the molecule of more. These foods will make you want to eat more and more and that often. Releasing high amounts of dopamine, after a trigger like cigarettes, alcohol, high sugar & fat foods, are linked to addiction, which impact your mental health.
2.0 Example of a bad diet
We cleared how a bad diet affects us, now we need to know how a bad diet looks like. It’s actually pretty simple.
It starts with consuming more calories, than your body needs, which over time leads to a steady weight gain. Second the food you consume, lots of processed foods, that are high in sugar, fats, preservatives and artificial flavors and colors.
For example: Fried foods, sugar added juices, sugary cereals, fast food, instant noodles.
These don’t provide any value in form of nutrients and make your body literally starve, even if you just ate.
2.1 Example of a good diet
If you would guess, it is the opposite of a bad diet. For a good and healthy diet, you need to stay within your range of calories, to find out how much you need click here.
Furthermore, nutritious food like fruits, berries and vegetables should find your way into your everyday food intake
Additionally, high value carbohydrates like potatoes, quinoa, oats & rice, as well as a Proteins from meats, fish or vegetarian source like tofu, nuts, beans are a must for a strong body and will provide you with the fats you need.
Balance is key, so you shouldn’t only eat meat or berries, but find your healthy mix, that suits your lifestyle.
3.0 How to Change your Diet
It’s not as easy as someone would think to change your dietary behavior, not only does it require you to physically buy healthier products & eat them.
No, you need make it fun to cook, get to know recipes that you like. The most important thing is to change your psychology about food, if you want to test your diet psychology click here.
Changing your diet is an act of discipline, will of change and consistency and no you can’t leave on of the holy trinity out.
4.0 My Own Experience
Since I was a kid it was always normal for me to eat sweets, especially if my mother wasn’t home, have pizza, eat ice cream after and get some more French fries to overeat myself.
Well, the bill came fast, I become overweight, had issues with physical activities, mental health and due to consuming lots of food, my wallet was suffering too.
I felt like it was time for change, because if you don’t feel well in your own skin and you even know the reason why you do, it’s a no brainer, that I have to change.
Now, I’m here living a healthy diet, exercise on a regular basis and feel better than I ever had and I want YOU to feel the same way. Start your health journey with us.
5.0 Conclusion
In the end, you are what you eat, the food you consume determines the quality of the cells your will body produce, which will affect your quality of life and therefore your mental health.
Fast-food, highly processed food, high fat & sugary food, will satisfy your dopamine receptors in the short term, but make you unsatisfied with your life in the long term.
It doesn’t take a cold turkey, vegan diet, at least start with 5%,like a healthy berry bowl every Monday and start thinking about you and your health to become a happier You.
When will you start and if you already started how did you do it ?
6.0 Sources
Harvard Health Publishing: Nutritional psychiatry: Your brain on food. (https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/nutritional-psychiatry-your-brain-on-food-201511168626)
(https://www.healthywomen.org/created-with-support/what-you-need-know-obesity)
(https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/basics/consequences.html)
https://www.apa.org/monitor/2017/09/food-mental-health
The Food-Mood Solution: All-Natural Ways to Banish Anxiety, Depression, Anger, Stress, Overeating, and Alcohol and Drug Problems–and Feel Good Again” by Jack Challem.
Brain Food: The Surprising Science of Eating for Cognitive Power” by Lisa Mosconi.
The Gut-Brain Axis: Dietary, Probiotic, and Prebiotic Interventions on the Microbiota” by Niall Hyland and Catherine Stanton.
https://www.britannica.com/science/cell-biology/The-structure-of-biological-molecules
