The type of food you choose to eat can impact your mental health. This is because your diet is pivotal to ensuring you have greater brain health and function. As well as this, healthy nutrition helps you nourish your body, improve your immune system, and gain a good amount of restful sleep which helps you to feel even greater.
The following are 10 nutritional foods that will help you build mental resilience:
Salmon
Since our brain is made up of 60% fat, then eating food rich in Omega 3 fatty acids is important to improve our brain health. Omega 3 is an anti-inflammatory which will help protect your brain.
Spinach
Leafy greens contain a few nutrients which help support our overall health. They contain many antioxidants which helps improve our immune system while also reducing inflammation. They also contain vitamin A, C and E which boosts our energy levels and allows us to cope with stress better.
Eggs
Eggs are full of nutrients, omega-3 fats which will help balance our sugar level, vitamin A and vitamin D which helps with immunity, anti-inflammatory, and Vitamin B to help with sleep and energy. All of this can help preserve and protect the brain from neurological diseases.
Onions & Garlic
These vegetables contain a rich amount of anti-viral, anti-inflammatory, anti-fungal and anti-bacterial properties which will help to boost your immunity, improve your heart health, and reduce pain.
Berries
All types of berries contain Vitamin C, fiber, and antioxidants. These help to increase your cognitive abilities and reduce your risk of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.
Dark chocolate
Dark chocolate is full of antioxidants, magnesium which helps with relaxation and sleep, heart health, balancing your sugar levels, and vitamins. Thus, eating dark chocolate in moderation can offer a number of benefits.
Cashews
Many types of nuts can help improve our brain health, but cashews contain a balanced number of fatty acids which are crucial for our brain health. They help in improving our memory and reducing inflammation.
Avocado
Avocados also contain a high number of fatty acids which help protect our brain cells. In addition to this, they also contain Vitamin B5 which helps improve our metabolism and manage our stress better.
Apples
Apples are full of antioxidants which help reduce inflammation and oxidation within our neurons. Thus, this then leads to improved memory and a reduction in the risk of neurological disorders, namely Alzheimer’s disease.
Sweet potato
These vegetables provide an abundance of vitamins such as Vitamin B6 and Vitamin C which help improve our brain development as children and our brain functions as adults. They also help with regulating our mood and coping with stress as they contain the hormone serotonin.
It is important to start implementing these within your diet as it will help protect your brain for longer periods. All these foods can help improve your mental health and overcome challenges more effectively.
If you need further support with this, you can book an appointment here.
Mandy Brincat is a Gestalt psychotherapist who enjoys working therapeutically with adults on various issues, such as general mental health and wellbeing. She also has experience working with children with anxiety and day to day stressful problems, and on relational issues with couples.
References:
- Five Foods that Improve Mental Strength | Spring Hills. (2018, March 20). Spring Hills | Senior Communities. https://www.springhills.com/resources/five-foods-that-improve-mental-strength/
- Loewe, E. (2023, May 22). mindbodygreen. mindbodygreen: well-rounded well-being for a life well-lived. https://www.mindbodygreen.com/articles/brain-foods-for-mental-health-awareness-month
- 15 Best Foods for Resilience. (2021, October 27). Academy of Culinary Nutrition. https://www.culinarynutrition.com/15-best-foods-for-resilience/