Food For Thought: Maintain A Healthy Mind With A Healthy Gut

Many people say that "you are what you eat," but is it true? Food works to fuel the body so that it can make it through the day. The food that you put into your body will ultimately determine the types and amounts of essential nutrients that are in the body, which can affect how well the body and mind functions. To help keep your mind healthy, here is some dieting advice:

Breakfast

  • What Not To Do: Skip breakfast. Your body needs this first meal of the day in order to provide fuel for energy. After all, you just went several hours without any food while you were sleeping. Plus, breakfast will help to give your metabolism a boost to start the day. Without breakfast, you will likely feel fatigued.
  • What To Do: Eat a healthy breakfast. Even if you don't have time to cook a full-fledged meal, you can still eat a healthy granola bar made with whole grains. You can mix that with a piece of fruit and a cup of yogurt.

Lunch and Dinner

  • What Not To Do: Consume foods with little to no nutritional value. This includes refined, fried and sugary foods as well as high-fat dairy products. These foods not only contribute to weight gain and diabetes, but research suggests that these foods actually increase your risk of depression.
  • What To Do: Consume a diet that consists primarily of whole grains, fish, unsaturated fats, fruits and vegetables. This type of diet will help prevent the development of depression and similar disorders when compared to those who eat solely dairy and meat products.

Beverages

  • What Not To Do: Drink a lot of caffeinated and sugary beverages. Caffeine can cause dehydration and sugar damages your teeth. Mild dehydration, which could be caused by caffeine and even sugar, can result in mood changes, difficulty concentrating and fatigue. In addition, it may result in dizziness, dry skin and excessive thirst.
  • What To Do: Drink a significant amount of water each day. This helps to avoid dehydration. If you need a small amount of caffeine, keep it limited. A healthier alternative would be tea, which doesn't contain as much caffeine as coffee. Plus, many teas have a lot of antioxidants, which can protect the body.

Nutrition is a key factor in preventing mental illnesses, such as depression. However, that's just a single factor. Dietary changes should not be used as a substitute for proper mental health treatment. If you are struggling with various symptoms that may be related to a mental health disorder, it is crucial that you consider mental health counseling from a service like Drake Counseling Services to get to the root of the cause and undergo the most appropriate treatment.


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