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Eating for Better Mental Wellness: Good Mood Food

Are you looking for natural ways to improve your mood and support mental wellness?

Did you know that what you eat plays a significant role in your emotional well-being? Nutrient-dense, whole foods can help stabilize mood, reduce feelings of anxiety, and support a balanced, healthy mind. By focusing on nourishing foods, you provide your brain and body with the building blocks they need to thrive.

“Nutrition is the most important missing link to mental health in society today,” – Leslie Korn, Nutrition Essentials for Mental Health

By incorporating specific nutrient-rich foods into your diet, you can boost brain health and alleviate symptoms of mood disorders.

“There are a variety of food categories that can aid in your quest for a healthier brain –and remission from depression and anxiety symptoms. Foods from these groups contain the important nutrients you need to feed the good bugs in your gut, reduce inflammation, and put your brain into grow mode – all which can help with depression and anxiety.” – Drew Ramsey, Eat to Beat Depression and Anxiety,

Here are some of the most brain-boosting food groups to consider:

Leafy Greens and Cruciferous Vegetables

Leafy vegetables are some of the most nutrient-dense foods on the planet. Spinach, kale, arugula, watercress, beet greens, collards, and Swiss chard are all excellent choices. Cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, and cabbage are also powerful additions to support brain health.

Rainbow Fruits and Veggies

The vibrant colors in fruits and vegetables indicate different families of phytochemicals, which have protective and healing properties. Red/purple fruits, such as berries, are especially nourishing for the brain. They have potent anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and DNA-enhancing properties that help support cognitive health.

“Carotenoids found in fruits and vegetables, particularly dark leafy greens and red-spectrum produce, are anti-inflammatory and improve cognitive health.” – Leslie Korn, Nutrition Essentials for Mental Health

Colorful produce

Quality-sourced Protein

Protein is a critical building block for brain function. These protein-rich foods are packed with nutrients that are essential for mental well-being:

  • Pastured Eggs: High in nutrients needed for brain cell regeneration and linked to reduced anxiety symptoms.

  • Fish and Seafood: Omega-3-rich foods like anchovies, sardines, oysters, mussels, salmon, and cod are nutrient-dense choices that support brain health.

  • Sustainably Raised Meat: Bison, grass-fed beef, lamb, turkey and chicken are loaded with amino acids, B vitamins, and essential minerals like iron, selenium, and zinc.

Essential Fats for Cognitive Function

Healthy fats are vital for brain function. Omega-3 fatty acids found in foods like avocados, coconut, olives, nuts, and grass-fed butter are essential for cognitive health. These fats also help your body absorb critical vitamins and minerals.

Fermented Foods for Support Gut-Brain Health

Gut health plays a crucial role in mental health. Fermented foods such as kefir, yogurt, miso, sourdough, sauerkraut, kombucha, and kimchi provide beneficial bacteria that support both your gut and brain.

Nuts, Beans and Seeds

Nuts, seeds, and beans are rich in plant-based proteins, healthy fats, fiber, and essential minerals like zinc and iron. These foods provide slow-burning carbs that support long-lasting energy for your brain.Think of nuts and seeds as a condiment; add to overnight oats, salads, grain bowls, curry, and meatloaf.

What to Do?

Choose foods in these categories that you enjoy eating. Experiment and gradually add in those you’re not familiar with. Try new ways of eating foods you may think you don’t like. Here are a couple of ways to are just a few fun ways to add in more of these foods on a regular basis.

Pay attention to what you eat. Keep a food journal for a week and jot down the foods from each category that you every day. How many colors did you get? How many plant foods? Quality protein? This about progress, not perfection. Wherever you are is ok, just build up one food, one day at a time.

Incorporating nutrient-dense whole foods into your daily routine is a powerful way to support your brain, mood, and overall health. By feeding your brain the nutrients it needs to thrive, you’ll be taking essential steps toward managing mood disorders and boosting cognitive function.

References

Ramsey, Drew (2021). Eat to beat depression and anxiety. New York, NY: HarperWave.

Korn, Leslie (2016). Nutrition essentials for mental health. New York, NY: W.W. Norton and Company.

Learn more:

Mood Food: Nutrition for Your Brain – GBC Nutrition

20 Foods to Naturally Increase Your Brain Power – Mind Body Green

Eat to Beat Depression and Anxiety – Drew Ramsey MD

Updated  – original posted August 2021 

Good Mood Orange Foods

Pumpkin, carrots, sweet potato oh my! Boost your mood, feed your brain. Eat more orange foods, here’s why.

Rich in magnesium essential for mental fitness and brain health
This macromineral is required for the proper function of nerve and brain cells. It’s a vital ingredient for your brain’s chemistry. It directly stimulates brain growth. Magnesium has a role in hundreds of different chemical reactions that occur in a healthy body. Yet, more than fifty percent of people in the U.S. are deficient in magnesium.

[su_expanding_quote_book alignment=”full” source_author=”Drew Ramsey, MD” source_title=”Eat to Beat Depression and Anxiety” full_quote=”I think of it as a way to flow energy from the sun all the way to your brain; it’s the mineral at the center of photosynthesis. Magnesium is one of the very first nutrients shown to help depression. Numerous studies have identified a connection between magnesium deficiency and poor mood.” ” short_quote=”Magnesium is one of the very first nutrients shown to help depression”]

Carotenoids for better cognitive performance and brain health
Carotenoids are deep orange, yellow or red colored compounds plants use as protective mechanisms. They also help plants attract birds and insects for pollination. Higher carotenoid consumption is linked to better cognitive performance and a reduced risk of neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and dementia. In your body, carotenoids enhance cell-to-cell communication. and play innumerous functions helping prevent cancer and protecting your skin and eyes from damaging effects of ultraviolet light. More than 600 carotenoids have been identified. Two are particularly potent in antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties:

  1. Beta-carotene can help repair damaged DNA and prevents the oxidization of cholesterol. This is the type of cholesterol that builds up in blood vessel walls and contributes to the risk of brain strokes and heart attacks. Getting extra beta-carotene in your diet may help to prevent the progression of atherosclerosis, cognitive decline and heart-disease.
  2. Alpha-carotene protects against cancer and is linked to biological aging. As your body ages, it loses its ability to fight the effect of free radicals. Oxidative stress due to free radicals impacts the central nervous system and can lead diseases such as Alzheimer and dementia. The more alpha-carotene you eat, the slower your body shows signs of aging.

High in fiber crucial for a healthy brain
Fiber helps control cholesterol and blood sugar. This can help reduce the amount of artery-clogging plaque in your brain’s blood vessels. High-fiber diets may also lower blood pressure which reduces the risk of brain bleeds.
High fiber intake increases healthy bacteria in your gastrointestinal tract (gut), while decreasing the unhealthy bacteria. Gut health is linked to brain health.

[su_expanding_quote_book alignment=”full” source_author=”Leslie Korn, MD” source_title=”Nutrition Essentials for Mental Health” full_quote=”Fiber has no calories or food energy, yet it is essential to a healthy colon and to mental health. It slows down digestion which also slows the down the absorption of glucose. It provides the soil for the microbiome garden and allows healthy bacteria to grow. ” short_quote=”Fiber provides the soil for the microbiome garden and allows healthy bacteria to grow”]

What to Do?

  1. For one week track many orange foods you eat
  2. Aim to increase by at least 1 -2 each week
  3. Try new/different orange fruits and vegetables. There is a wonderful variety of winter squashes waiting to be discovered!

🍊 🍊 🍊 Fruits 🍊 🍊 🍊
Cantaloupe
Mangos
Oranges
Papaya
Pears
Persimmons

 🥕 🥕 🥕  Vegetables  🥕 🥕 🥕

Carrots
Corn
Onions
Yellow and orange bell peppers
Potatoes
Rutabagas
Sweet potato
Winter squash: pumpkin, butternut squash, delicata, kabocha and spaghetti squash