Did you know that Nutritional psychiatry is ‘a thing’?
Here’s a fact: your brain never stops working, even when you are asleep!
So it’s no wonder that your brain is a big consumer of the fuels that come from the food that you eat daily.
Nor is it surprising that the structure and functioning of your brain is directly affected by the food you eat! Feed it low grade ‘fuel’ and you get a low-grade output. The maths is simple.
From the point of view of our brains diets that are high in sugars, refines and processed foods are very low grade. It has been proven that they lead to under-performance and eventually to frank illness such as high anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia
On the other hand, a good diet is all that our brains ask of us to perform well throughout our lives!
Such a diet we hear of often – but just as often ignore, or seriously compromise, for all sorts of reasons. Here is a reminder!
- Whole foods
What do we mean by that? These are foods that have not been processed in any way. They therefore are fresh, and have no additives such as preservatives, flavouring agents, colouring agents etc added to them.
Fresh fruits and vegetables in all the beautiful colours are invaluable.
These kinds of foods are the source on vitamins and minerals which are essential for the normal functioning of our bodies, including our brains. - Fibre
Food rich in fibre include fruits, vegetables and whole grains>
Fibre helps to control the rate at which glucose is absorbed into the blood stream from the gut. This in turn helps to keep blood sugar levels normal, instead of having high peaks (sugar rushes) and low troughs (sugar crashes). - Fatty fish
Omega 3 oils are essential as anti-inflammatory agents. Inflammation underlies most of our health issues.
And DHA, one of the family of Omega 3 oils, is in fact a structural component of our brains. - Fermented foods
In times gone by people ate diets rich in fermented foods, little understanding the pivotal role they played in keeping us healthy.
Such foods are a source of probiotics which keep our gut microflora happy. And they in trn play an essential role in keeping us healthy and happy!
And we have to stop eating processed and fried food, high sugar foods, processed meats, cakes and cookies, alcohol caffeine and fizzy and other sweetened drinks.
There is a small (or not so small) challenge attached to this, of course. We have fallen into very bad eating habits for the most part, for apparently good reasons: convenience, cost, flavour etc. And we all know that breaking habits is not easy to do. It has to be a stepwise, patient process, replacing something not so good (but ever-so-tasty) with something more wholesome.
The good news is that there is something we can do to speed up the process dramatically. This is where whole-food supplements can play a vital role. By filling nutritional gaps, we can start to feel better, and that increases the motivation and impetus to make the lifestyle changes necessary for a long, healthy, and happy life.
This is especially important in poor mental health is a challenge. When one is feeling depressed there is very little chance of making the changes to one’s diet and lifestyle.
What I recommend is a good multivitamin-multi-mineral complex, essential oils such as Omega 3 and lipids and sterols, possibly extra Vitamin B, and a source of probiotics.
Just a caution: all Omega 3 supplements are not made equal. Some work, and some don’t and some are probably frankly bad for you! I can point you to an exceptionally good, well-researched product.
If you want to know what I have used and recommended for over 30 years please message me on FB or contact me on WhatsApp. Leave a message for me at +27 (0)84 506 3643 and I will get back to you.
Disclaimer:
The opinions expressed within this article are the personal opinions and experiences of the author. They are for information purposes and do not replace a consultation with your doctor.
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