Can Food Be The Missing Piece to Mental Wellness?
1 in 5 Americans live with a mental illness. We currently rely on a variety of drugs and supplements to help “cure” us, but this leaves us with other side effects and problems to deal with.
Up to 40% of the nutrients we eat is going to feed our brain. This is why nutritional psychology is essential. It explains how food affects our brain and mental health.
Hey my name is Talia, welcome to That Girl Diet. I’m currently a master's student studying food studies, but my real passion lies in nutritional psychology.
Get Talia Daneshrad’s stories in your inbox
Join Medium for free to get updates from this writer.
How our brain functions depends on specific nutrients, minerals, vitamins, and food. Nutritional psychology helps us identify which elements of our diet can help our mental health and food-related behaviors. It can help explain why eating broccoli doesn’t just help you lose weight but can also make you feel fuller longer and improve your mental and emotional health.
Our brain cells work really well when they are well-fed. To have a healthy brain, we need to focus on making the right food choices
The general idea is that our brains need nutrients to function, and chemicals essential for good mental health, like dopamine and serotonin, require vitamins and minerals. Our brain is a hungry organ in our body. What we eat every day, especially today, will affect how we feel, think, and behave tomorrow and for the rest of our lives
For example, sweet potatoes are good for our mental health. They are rich in an antioxidant called beta-carotene. This antioxidant helps reduce damage to brain cells, which can negatively impact mental health. Sweet potatoes can also help reduce oxidative stress on our DNA, which has been linked with depression and anxiety.
As I learn more about this topic, I will share my insights here. Nutrition can help our mental health drastically, in addition to pharmaceuticals and therapists.
