We have all heard the statement, “you are what you eat”. I have mostly heard this in reference to outward appearance and falling ill, but what about mental health? Does what we put in our body impact our mood and behavior? What about that post-holiday season feeling of exhaustion - how much of that is from the overload of sweets and processed foods? Professionals in the field of psychiatry and mental health are coming out of the woodwork to talk about the importance of nutrition and mental health.

The gut-brain-axis (GBA) is the communication between our brain and our digestive tract. Dr. Uma Naidoo, Nutritional Psychiatrist, writes about GBA, “... Chemicals produced by your brain can reach your gut. It’s a two-way street.” She explains that ninety percent of serotonin receptors are found in the gut. We hear about serotonin often when discussing anxiety and depression. Specifically, serotonin is a neurotransmitter that impacts mood, learning, and memory, and it is a lack of serotonin that leads to depression. So, if even these few statements are true, you can imagine how large of an impact our diets can have on our mental health.

Many physicians and nutritionists are revealing the impact of our diet on our brains. Where to start can feel overwhelming or confusing. I’d like to give you a few simple steps and resources to begin exploring and noticing if you feel any differences.

Stay hydrated - Dehydration has been linked to fatigue, confusion, and depression. Here are two ways to calculate how much water your body may need. Some say at least 6-8 8oz glasses daily. Others formulate half their body weight in ounces. For example, if you weigh 180 lbs: 180/2=90, so drink 90 oz. of water daily.
Incorporate more fruits and vegetables - It can feel overwhelming to think about what to take out of your diet, so focusing on adding more whole foods can feel more attainable. Fruits and vegetables include natural probiotics and prebiotics which greatly help build gut health. One of my favorite ways to do this is by finely mincing various vegetables and adding them in whatever I’m making (eggs, ground meat, soups, smoothies).
Prioritize protein - Foods rich in protein give your body the amino acids necessary to help produce neurotransmitters, which then allow your brain cells to communicate with each other. This assists with mental clarity, energy, fighting illness, and increasing serotonin and norepinephrine, which plays a role in our body’s fight-or-flight response.
Eliminate Processed Foods - Now, I know I said it can be easier to focus on adding instead of eliminating, but there comes a point when we do need to evaluate what is creating negative effects that we need to remove. Processed foods include most packaged foods you find at the grocery store. I, personally, appreciate incorporating the 80/20 rule here - aiming for keeping processed foods down to 20% of the time. Packaged foods can come in handy when we are on the go or in a hurry, and it may cause more emotional stress trying to eliminate them 100%. The whole point of this is to reduce stress on our body. There are multiple resources to help identify “better options” when it comes to pre-packaged foods, like True Food and Yuka App.

To learn more about how you can use nutrition to improve your mental health, here are some of my favorite resources:

“This is Your Brain on Food” by Uma Naidoo, M.D.

Dr. Daniel Amen- podcasts, book, and blogs

“The Mood Cure” by Julia Ross, M.A.

Sparking Wholeness Podcast with Erin Kerry

Karalynne Call with Just Ingredients https://justingredients.us/pages/about