Healthy Diet, Healthy Mind

I’m pretty sure you have heard of the phrase “healthy diet = healthy mentality”. Apart from nourishing your body with the necessary nutrients, a healthy diet can benefit you mentally.

Having a healthy diet can reduce the risk of depression and anxiety. A study listed that the most common nutritional deficiencies seen in patients with mental disorders are omega, vitamin B's, minerals, and amino acids. Experts at Harvard Medical School recommend people to limit food intakes such as sugar, white grains, alcohol, and a variety of unrefined carbohydrates, proteins, and vegetables.

In addition, a healthy diet creates a solid base for learning new techniques and improved social and interactive behaviour. Having a healthy diet not only improve your learning ability, but also indirectly boost your mood to interact more with the others. A study conducted by Tufts University Department of Psychology even stated that in order to be smart and to maintain a strong brain function, skipping breakfast is not recommended.

One thing that a lot of people struggle with is self-esteem. In fact, a healthy diet can help you boost your self-esteem, by making you feel happier, joyful, fuller, and energized throughout the day; thus, keeping you away from depression and anxiety.

But how can you maintain a healthy diet? You can start easy, then make your way through your journey of having a healthy diet. Some things that you can do are making your plate half vegetables and fruits, replacing the grains you eat with whole grains and your milk with low fat or fat-free milk, limiting sugary drinks and drink water instead, controlling the portion size, and eating healthy snacks.

By the end of the day, you can reflect on your habit and replace all your unhealthy food with a healthier one. Slowly but surely, you will have a healthy diet in no time! And of course, a healthy mind.

Sources: 1. Healthy Diet = Healthy Mentality [Web log post]. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://medium.com/thrive-global/eat-yourself-happy-the-emotional-benefits-of-healthy-eating-642512ee7e24

2. Healthy Diet = Healthy Mentality [Web log post]. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.uspm.com/how-to-maintain-a-healthy-eating-lifestyle/