HOW IMPROVED MENTAL HEALTH RESULTS IN EASIER DIETING AND WEIGHT-LOSS

Omotoyosi Fisayo
Jul 13, 2022
7 min read

Mental health does a lot to our diet, nutrition and healthy eating habits. Sometimes when people are going through issues such as heartbreak, they tend to eat more and gain weight. Thus, affecting their mental health, diet, immunity and behavior. Each year 1 in 5 Canadians experience a personal mental health condition. Nutrition is now thought to be as important to mental health as it is to heart health (Canadian Digestive Health Foundation, 2022).

Mental health refers to your cognitive, behavioral, and emotional well-being. It is complex. Diet is often used as an adjunct to other forms of treatment, but evidence supports that nutrition could be a front-line approach to conditions like depression, mood disorders, and anxiety.

The brain is one of the largest and most complex organs in the human body. It’s always “on” and just like an expensive car, your brain functions best when it gets only premium fuel. Eating high-quality foods that contain lots of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants nourishes the brain and protects it from oxidative stress (Health Harvard, 2022).

When you take care of your physical health, your mental health benefits and vice versa.

Mental health is an important part of your well-being, this aspect helps you to operate psychological, emotionally and socially among others (Very well mind, 2022). Eating well which means having a balanced diet full of vegetables and nutrients can improve your sense of wellbeing and your mood.

Importance of mental health and why it should be taken serious?

Mental health is more important now than ever before; it impacts every area of our lives. The importance of good mental health ripples into everything we do, think, or say. Focusing on mental health care can increase productivity, enhance our self-image, and improve relationships (Talkspace, 2021).

Nurturing mental health doesn’t just improve our daily functioning, but it can also help us control — or at least combat — some of the physical health problems such as obesity, cardiovascular disease, Alcoholism, depression and anxiety, directly linked to mental health conditions. For example, heart disease and stress are related, so managing stress might have a positive outcome on heart disease (Talkspace, 2021).

Mental health may be as a factor so many things such as

• Childhood abuse

• environment

• lifestyle

• environment

and as a result of that, there’s a switch in eating habits whether under or over-eating, Noticeable reduction in energy level, Being more reclusive or shy, less confident. Indulging in alcohol, drugs, Severe mood swings, being unable to perform daily tasks with ease. (Very well mind, 2022)

Why mental health is important?

Mental health is important because;

1. It affects our physical health: The mind and the body are connected. Many mental ailments cause stress, anxiety, which lowers the immune system, causes the inability to do daily activities, make our best and healthy delicacies. This means more frequent sickness and inability to cope. (Life hack, 2022)

2. It reduces stigma and shame and causes people to lead better lives: Psych Central discusses how when we feel ashamed of ourselves, it is because we perceive we are broken or not normal. It affects our ability to cope when we think of ourselves so lowly. (Psych Central)

3. It affects everything: Our mental health affects how we cope with life. Lack of treatment leads to hopelessness and sadness, worthlessness, feeling guilty, anxiety and worry, fear, and loss of control. Our relationship with food may change. We may have ups and downs, and racing thoughts can happen more often. (Life hack, 2022)

Link between Mental Health and Diet, Weight, Nutrition ?

Nutrition in relation to mental health can lead to:

• Reduced nutrition-related side effects of psychiatric medications

• Better self-management of health conditions

• Improved mental and physical health.

When diet, healthy eating habits and nutritional programs are included as part of mental health care, they can enhance social inclusion, self-reliance, food security, and healthy body image, while reducing health and social inequities. Nutrient deficiencies can significantly impact mental health across the lifespan. (Dietitians of Canada, 2022).

Diet influences numerous aspects of health, including weight, athletic performance, and risk of chronic diseases, such as heart disease and type 2 diabetes. Also, Several observational studies have shown a link between overall diet quality and the risk of depression, when we doing well and mentally stable, we tend to have high intake of fruits, vegetables, low fat diary, whole grains, olive oil, low intakes of animal food which was associated with a reduced risk of depression but when we are sad, depressed or trying to avoid the issues/ problems we have, we tend to eat all the leftover food in the house, butter, high fat bread, sweets, high intake of red and processed meats, potatoes, fries and low intake of fruit of fruit of vegetables which was linked to a significantly increased risk of depression. (Medical News Today, 2022)

Eating well can help you feel better, you do not have to make big changes to your diet but by being more intentional about your eating habit and diet. Taking your time to eat well and the right meal. Some tips include:

Eating regularly: This can stop your blood sugar level dropping, which can make you feel tired and bad-tempered.

Staying hydrated: Even mild dehydration can affect your mood, energy level and ability to concentrate.

Eating the right balance of fats: Your brain needs healthy fats to keep working well. They’re found in things such as olive oil, rapeseed oil, nuts, seeds, oily fish, avocados, milk and eggs. Avoid trans fats – often found in processed or packaged foods – as they can be bad for your mood and your heart health.

Including more wholegrains, fruits and vegetables in your diet: They contain the vitamins and minerals your brain and body need to stay well.

Including some protein with every meal: It contains an amino acid that your brain uses to help regulate your mood. (Mental Health Foundation, 2022)

Looking after your gut health: Your gut can reflect how you’re feeling: if you’re stressed, it can speed up or slow down. Healthy food for your gut includes fruit, vegetables, beans and probiotics. (Mental Health Foundation, 2022)

Being aware of how caffeine can affect one’s mood: It can cause sleep problems, especially if you drink it close to bedtime, and people says it makes them irritable and anxious. Caffeine is found in coffee, tea, cola, energy drinks and chocolate. (Mental Health Foundation, 2022)

How to maintain your mental health and well-being?

From the Populytics page, ways to maintain a good health includes;

• Build your plate around healthy choices: Start by filling half your plate with fruits and vegetables. Fill in the rest of your meal with a selection of proteins, whole grains and dairy.

• Stay Hydrated: Water, clear non-caffeinated beverages, and food all count toward your daily fluid intake. Avoid sports drinks or sodas with high sugar content and select water-rich fruits and vegetables for snacks. Men should aim to drink at least twelve, 8-ounce glasses of water per day; women should aim to drink at least nine, 8-ounce glasses of water per day. Drinking fluids throughout the day versus all at once will help your body cells absorb the water gradually without adding stress to your kidneys.

• Limit alcohol intake: Drinking in moderation. Excessive or binge drinking leads to numerous immediate and long-term health risks.

• Avoid/quit tobacco usage: The use of tobacco is unhealthy.

• Walk more: whether that means taking a 10-minute walking break at the office or choosing stairs over elevators. These short increments of activity can increase blood flow; releasing hormones that help us manage stress, increase alertness and burn calories. (Populytics, 2022)

• Choose physical activities you enjoy: Find an activity that you enjoy doing, and you will look forward to exercising.

• Wash your hands: The number one way to minimize the spread of germs is by thoroughly washing your hands. It’s the simplest step toward limiting infection to you and to others. Using soap and water remains the most effective method of hand washing. (Populytics, 2022)

• Develop healthy sleep habits: Adhering to a sleep schedule or bedtime rituals can reinforce your body’s “sleep-wake” cycle, such as consistently going to bed and getting up at the same time every day. The addition of relaxing rituals, such as reading a book or listening to music, also allow your body to wind down at the end of the day. (Populytics, 2022)

• Set goals and work toward achieving them: set your goals, have specific direction and achieve measurable results. These are the kind of goals that you are more likely to adopt as part of a long-term commitment to better health and wellness. (Populytics, 2022)

How improved mental health result in better dieting and weight loss.

Improved mental health means healthier bodies = healthier minds, enables us to:

• Drink sensibly which can be relaxing, enjoyable and this will enable you eat appropriately and well.

• Getting enough sleep: Good-quality sleep rests the brain and repairs and replenishes brain cells. A refreshed brain helps our mood, decision-making and social interactions. Enabling positive thinking, improving your confidence and self-esteem. (CHMA British Columbia, 2022)

• Healthy support network: Healthy relationships with friends, family and co-workers, getting through hard times together. Having someone to eat with talk to, emotional support or practical help. (Canadian Mental Health Association, British Columbia, 2022)

• Eating and living well: Eating well is good for one’s physical health and well-being. It helps boost one’s mental health. Choosing the right foods more often, having a healthy breakfast, and eating regular meals can keep your mood and energy levels steady. Affects how you do things and the energy you give for the day. More strength and vitamins that helps replenish brain cells, fight fatigue and healthy human growth.

Taking Balanced diet and taking one’s diet and weight gain and loss seriously. Being intentional about the calorie’s intake, and enjoying the process of the meal preparation, the time spent and end-Product.

When the brain is being fueled properly, it enables other parts of the body to function well such as healthy thinking, anger management, stress level and well-being and being fit.

Other ways improved mental health would get better:

• Being physically active.

• Spending more time with friends and families.

• Avoiding cigarettes and alcoholism.

• Good sleeping habits.

• Healthy thinking

• Stress and well-being

• Anger management

• Problem-solving skills.

“Your Mental Health and overall well-being Matters “