Healthy Food for a Healthy mind

Many people believe that a meal plan metes out changes, which are only capable of lowering or increasing one’s weight.

However, a thorough analysis of the Mediterranean diet also reveals that mental health is directly dependent on the type of meals that people consume. This is true to a great extent.

Meals that are rich in grains, seeds, vegetables, fruits, nuts, and other components like olive oil play a pivotal role in lowering depression contrary to social support. Unlike processed and fast foods, whole foods will effectively lower the risk of becoming depressed, as they are often natural and do not contain additives” says Dr. Dana.

Studies in the past few years reveals great insights on the relation between health and diet and how the two influence each other.

According to Carolyn Dean, a medical director at the Nutritional Magnesium Association (NMA), nutrients including magnesium, essential fatty acids, and Vitamins (B6, B12) trigger the formation of neurotransmitters.

On the surface, these neurotransmitters are chemical transmitters that transmit signals between brain nerves.

More so, depression occasionally arises when their level fall down. It thus remains explicit that meals containing nutrients like magnesium speed up the creation of neurotransmitters and in turn inhibits scenarios of depression.

How Super Foods can Improve One’s Mental Health

Dietary counselors have also managed to prove that people who feed on poor quality meals are not only prone to symptoms of depression but are also likely to suffer from obesity.

“People who supplement their meals with fruits, fish products, and grains are less likely going to become depressed. Such meals that meet this threshold are popularly dubbed as superfoods. Various superfoods will positively affect one’s mental health courtesy the nutrients, enzymes, and antioxidants found therein. These foods include Quinoa, Chia seeds, flax seeds, and also sprouted brown rice” says Dr. Dana.

India Gate provides a breakdown guide on how these foods improve mental health.

Quinoa

Primarily, Quinoa is rich in Iron and other essential nutrients. As basic biology teaches, Iron is usually the basis for hemoglobin formation and transportation of oxygen to and fro different cells. The brain often takes up 20 percent of the total blood oxygen thus triggering its functions.

Other benefits of the Quinoa Iron include the synthesis of neurotransmitters, which are of great aid in brain chemical balance. The level of Riboflavin (B2) in Quinoa is relatively high. According to medics, B2 is essential in boosting energy metabolism within the brain cells.

Chia Seeds

A daily teaspoon dose of Chia seeds also helps in fighting depression. They are rich in calcium, magnesium, and the omega-3 fats. Scientific studies have continually revealed that low levels of omega-3 fats in the body might cause a host of emotional and mental disorders. Such fats are essential in wrestling mood swings and depression. Therefore, the continuous use of Chia seeds will improve and stabilize your brain performance.

Flax Seeds

Flax seeds are somehow equivalent to sunflower seeds in the way that oil is extractable from them. The flax seed oil is rich in nutrients like omega-3 fats. Flax seed has numerous benefits, some of which include a healthy heart and improved skin health.

Sprouted Brown Rice

Produced by removing the outermost hull sprouted brown rice is on its own one of the grains that contains a high level of nutrients. Often, it has Gamma-Amino butyric Acids (GABA) in surplus. Additionally, this rice is also rich in enzymes and antioxidants. Attributed to its composition, sprouted brown rice is a preferred option in boosting the brain activity. Trustable scientific findings also reveal that GABA alongside specific antioxidants is an anti-depressant.

Conclusion

A meal plan is merely capable of altering the cognitive functions of a human brain. In these terms, a person’s brain performance will always remain to be indicative of the type of foods consumed over time. Nevertheless, regular intake of any or all of the above superfoods will gradually improve your brain activity. More so, in as much as junk foods are sweet, you ought to avoid feeding on them regularly.