Nutrition and Stress 3 MIN READ 578 VIEWS May 5, 2021

The Power of Nutrition – How Food Determines Our Mental Health

Written By healthkart

The Power of Nutrition – How Food Determines Our Mental Health

It is important for us to understand the importance of regulating our nutrition and food intake in an effective manner in order to maintain good health. Making deliberate nutritional choices can play a major role in preventing serious health complications in the long run. When you consume the right type of foods, they can also help in dealing with certain diseases and illnesses. 

Food also has a huge impact on your mental health and the right nutritional intake has the ability to help relieve anxiety and stress. If you are someone who understands the importance of maintaining a consistent nutritional intake, your body is definitely going to thank you when you get older.

Some things to keep in mind while deciding your nutritional intake for the day are:

  • Focus on having a balanced healthy diet, primarily constituting naturally sourced foods. 
  • Ensure that your daily diet should consist of fresh vegetables and ripe fruits. It is an additional bonus to consume the ones that are primarily red or green in colour as they are a richer source of nutrients. They also act as stress reducing foods and relieve anxiety
  • Your diet must also comprise whole grains such as wheat, barley or brown rice, which help in providing healthy carbs and fibre. 
  • It is best to stay away from fatty foods. 
  • Instead, focusing on foods such as poultry, lean meat, or seafeed can have several important benefits as they have been proven to be natural remedies for anxiety.

All body functions take place in an optimum manner only when we ensure a balanced nutritional intake. The nutrient quality and quantity determines our health. 

Consuming the ideal quantity and quality of nutrients can have several benefits for your metabolic activity as well. For example, carbohydrates are a class of nutrients that are primarily used to fuel processes that require a lot of energy. 

Similarly, nutrient groups like Omega-3 fatty acids are useful in regulating cognitive functioning and stimulate our mental health. Therefore, if we regulate our nutritional intake we will not need any medicine for anxiety and stress and will be able to manage our health on the whole.

Apart from regulating cognitive functioning and energy distribution, the nutrients have an impact on the formation and development of the billions of microbes that are present in our body, primarily the ones found in our gut. These microbes or micro bacteria play a major role in influencing our metabolic activity and strengthening the immune system. Consuming natural foods that have a positive impact on our gut micro bacteria can help deal with digestive disorders, improve metabolism, and relieve anxiety.

One of the most common nutritional deficiencies is that of iron. Lack of iron can interfere with your body’s oxygen supply system. Without adequate oxygen levels, your blood and your brain can cease to function normally. Other vitamins such as Vitamin B or Vitamin C are just as essential in maintaining your cognitive processes. Lack of these vitamins can lead to serious mental complications. 

Following a healthy balanced diet also means that you have to begin avoiding certain types of foods that are harmful to your body:

  • Components like sodium are one of the most commonly used ingredients in fast foods and processed foods. Excessive consumption has been proven to be dangerous for patients diagnosed with high blood pressure. Cutting down your daily salt intake can restore your blood pressure levels and help relieve anxiety.
  • The Indian Medical Board also suggests that you should keep your daily cholesterol levels under 300 milligrams. Consuming foods that have a high oil absorption or trans fat levels can also be harmful for your cardiovascular health and can increase the risk of developing chronic illnesses like obesity or blocking the aortic valves. This can lead to further aggravation and cause mental illnesses such as anxiety, stress, and depression. 
  • Also avoid foods which contain preservatives, excessive oils, and added colours or flavours to maintain good health.  

Consuming all the vital nutrients in combination and following a strict exercise regimen can play a significant role in maintaining your health levels in the long run. While it is important to maintain optimal nutritional intake on a daily basis, it can be frustrating to calculate the nutritional value of every single food item that you consume and then base your diet around it. 

A good way to deal with this is to consume naturally sourced foods that relieve anxiety in combination with nutritional supplements like HealthKart Multivitamins, designed to meet your recommended daily allowance in one go. 

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