Use your Fork to Improve your Feelings
Our brain is both our greatest asset and the home to the hungriest cells in our body. Remarkably, this 2-pound organ has energy needs similar to our body’s muscles. The complex electrical connections that occur in our brain are responsible for not only our heart beat and sensations, but also our memories and mood. The nourishment we consume at each meal provides the energy and building blocks that create the connections that constitute our brain. No matter your current state of mental health, your genetics, background or situation, the core of your personal wellness is your food.
While we may think about how to feed our muscles to maintain strength or build mass, we don’t often give much thought to what our brain may need. Below are a few guidelines that may help you nourish this underappreciate organ.
1. Your brain needs a steady source of energy. The standard American diet is known for a high sugar content. Sometimes the source of sugar is obvious like a glass of soda, but sometimes the source is less obvious like pasta or bagels. These refined foods cause your blood sugar to increase quickly. Your body responds by rapidly releasing insulin. The insulin lowers the blood sugar, but can also trigger your blood sugar crash. This process, called reactive hypoglycemia, is responsible for carb and sugar cravings which lead to anxiety, headaches, irritability, and ultimately depression. A case of the “hangries.” Cravings are your brain’s way of reminding you it needs steady fuel to function.
High blood sugar causes also inflammation, which is one of them most significant risk factors for depression. Balancing blood sugar is an effective treatment for depression and anxiety.
2. Your brain needs nutrients. Eat real food. Processed food is made from ingredients that have been stripped of their nutrients. Filling up on package lunchables or low-quality granola bars means we are missing out on many nutrients. Refined flours and sugars lack the vitamins and minerals that are contained in their whole forms. Our brain needs basic building blocks like Omega-3 fatty acids, B vitamins and key minerals like magnesium and zinc to perform its basic function. Your mood is the first casually when there are insufficient levels of these nutrients. Your mental health suffers even before your physical health begins to deteriorate. A nourished brain is a resilient brain.
3. You have a second brain and it needs nourishment too. Our gut is home to trillions of bacteria. These bacteria help us absorb our nutrients, make some of our vitamins and directly communicate with our own cells to impact our immune system and mental health. Our intestinal wall is one of our borders with the outside world. The food we eat directly affects this community of organisms that have a direct connection to our brain (ever felt butterflies in your stomach or had a “gut feeling”?). A diet rich in fruits, vegetables and fiber favors the growth of bacteria that are beneficial to our overall health, while a low-fiber, high-fat diet favors the growth of less helpful species. Eating a diet rich in produce helps ensure that you get adequate nutrients and maintain this delicate and important bacterial community. Just as emotions can sent messages to your gut, food can send messages to your brain.
Delicious Treatment For Your Mood