Be Mindful: Eating right can improve mental health

Apr. 10—Your mental health isn't affected only by what's on your mind, it also responds to what you put in your mouth.

A healthy diet is key for both physical and mental fitness, said Danna Taylor-Dryer, a CDM director of food and nutrition at ClearSky Rehabilitation.

"Lack of vitamins and minerals lead to chronic fatigue," she said. "Which puts stress on the brain and the body to where you cannot withstand or handle stress and your body goes into fight or flight."

Taylor-Dryer often talks about the importance of "good foods" her patients need to have in them before going into long therapy sessions.

"We feed them lots of protein, vitamin C, vitamin D, vitamin E," she said. "Those all play a part in getting the brain stronger and endurance."

Vitamins can be found in fruit, seeds, nuts and different kinds of meat. Protein can be found in high abundance in meat as well.

"Building your meals around a protein source, getting in a higher amount of protein, it would take longer for your body to break it down. Taking longer also indicates being fuller for a longer time," said Marcus Miller, a fitness manager at Genesis Health Center. "So then you're not eating as much."

Protein is a nutrient that helps the body work properly and strengthens muscles.

"You need protein to build muscle, you need protein for brain function, you need protein for a variety of different things in your body," Lillian Morris, a personal trainer at Genesis, said. "The movement is going to keep you functional for the longevity."

Knowing the amount of daily protein a person should consume is as simple as converting body weight from pounds to kilograms and then multiplying by .8. The number at the end is the daily grams of protein one should have.

High-protein diets have lead to positive outcomes.

"I've had a member tell me she was able to get off her antidepressant medication because of the advice that we gave her being protein-oriented," Miller said. "She was able to start to feel happier waking up in the mornings feeling more energized."

One last tip that can go a long way for mental health is limiting sugar intake. This is a big reason some people feel a lack of energy or quick bursts.

"The comparison between sugar and cocaine and the effects on the brain, it's very quick," Morris said. "It's a very quick stimulation and then it goes away. So that mental health, like anything that you use sugar to stimulate, to make you feel better, will disappear just as quickly as it came on."

If you are a big consumer of sugar, experts advise against going cold turkey and completely cutting out certain foods.

___

(c)2024 the St. Joseph News-Press (St. Joseph, Mo.)

Visit the St. Joseph News-Press (St. Joseph, Mo.) at www.newspressnow.com/index.html

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.