Nutrition and Mental Health: Supporting Recovery from the Inside Out
Going to therapy, finding a support network, and seeking professional treatment are vital to mental health recovery. Equally important are certain lifestyle modifications. Exercising regularly, sleeping well, reducing stress, and limiting screen time can significantly enhance one’s recovery journey. Another aspect of recovery is nutrition.
Eating healthful, nourishing food can support cognitive function and behavior. Focusing on wholesome foods can bolster the body through treatment, supporting physical health and overall well-being. Even more so, proper nutrition plays a key role in supporting recovery and improving mental health outcomes at a substance abuse rehab program. Learn more about how nutrition helps with mental health recovery, along with what to eat and what to avoid, below.
How Nutrition Helps with Mental Health Recovery
Good nutrition is essential for mental health recovery because it has a direct impact on brain function and health. Nutrients like essential fatty acids and Vitamin B are key to building brain structure. These nutrients are also responsible for the creation of neurotransmitters, which impact mood and cognition.
If that isn’t enough to start cleaning up your diet, then you may consider how food can physically impact how you’re feeling. Think of what you feel like after eating a heavy meal, such as Thanksgiving dinner. The dinner rolls, mashed potatoes, and pumpkin pie may taste good in the moment, but they can leave you feeling lethargic and tired. While eating these types of foods occasionally is fine, you want to focus on meals that will support your busy lifestyle.
Another component to think about is gut health. There is more and more research being done around the gut-brain connection — and for good reason. Bacteria in the gut microbiome send signals to the brain via neurotransmitters and hormones. Additionally, the gut is responsible for producing “feel-good” hormones, including serotonin and dopamine. All of these can directly influence how you feel and can contribute to the development of depression and anxiety.
What to Eat to Support Your Mental Health
Now that you know the importance of good nutrition for mental health, here are the types of foods to eat to support your mental health.
Protein
Protein isn’t just a buzzword in the nutrition space. It’s crucial to stabilize blood sugar, which can prevent mood swings and inflammation. It also plays a role in providing the essential amino acids that are needed to create serotonin and dopamine. Eating lean proteins, such as eggs, poultry, wild-caught fish, and grass-fed beef, can keep you fuller for longer, too.
If you follow a plant-based diet, you can focus on filling your plate with legumes such as lentils and beans in addition to nuts, seeds, tofu, and quinoa. Greek yogurt or cottage cheese are also good options because they contain probiotics. These live microorganisms are found naturally in fermented foods and are known to help restore the beneficial bacteria in the gut.
Wholesome Grains and Healthy Carbs
Carbs are often demonized in the health world, but the right type of carbs actually plays a key role in mood stabilization. Foods rich in fiber provide a steady release of glucose — the brain’s primary fuel. This steady supply prevents spikes and crashes in blood sugar levels. Incorporating more whole grains, such as brown rice, oatmeal, quinoa, and buckwheat, can be beneficial to your gut and your mental health.
In terms of healthy carbs, think about foods that come from the earth. Sweet potatoes, winter squash, beans, and even peas are all good examples of healthy carbs. Similar to whole grains, these foods are rich in fiber and can help provide sustained energy and satiety.
Antioxidant-Rich Foods
Berries, leafy greens, nuts, and dark chocolate may seem like a random assortment of foods, but they all have one thing in common — they’re rich in antioxidants. Antioxidants are naturally occurring compounds that protect cells from damage caused by free radicals. Eating more antioxidant-rich foods can improve skin health, boost the immune system, and protect against rapid aging.
Best of all, many antioxidant-rich foods are delicious! Blueberries, dark chocolate, and walnuts are all great choices. Other foods to start adding to your grocery cart are leafy greens, chia seeds, and green tea. Start your day off right with a green smoothie full of spinach, chia seeds, nut milk, blueberries, and ginger for a powerful, antioxidant-rich boost.
What to Limit and Avoid Eating to Support Your Mental Health
Even after you’ve filled your fridge with all of this delicious food, your cabinets and pantry may still have some not-so-healthy ingredients that can be detrimental to your recovery. Here are a few items to consider removing from your diet.
Sugar and Refined Carbs
It may taste good in the moment, but sugary, refined carbohydrates can send your mental health into a downward spiral. Consuming these foods creates a rapid spike in blood sugar, followed by a quick drop. The plummet can trigger mood swings, anxiety, and depression. These foods also lack nutrients, meaning that you can fill up on them without getting the essentials during your day.
Start wearing off these ingredients slowly, incorporating more healthful choices. Instead of purchasing the milk chocolate bar, buy dark chocolate sweetened with coconut sugar or dates. Replace white pasta with whole-grain pasta or legume-based pasta for added protein. Buy plain yogurt and sweeten it with honey instead of buying the pre-flavored, sweetened varieties. It will take time, but soon enough, your body will start to crave the healthier option.
Caffeinated Beverages
Caffeine is a stimulant, increasing anxiety, irritability, and restlessness. While some caffeine is okay for the body, overdoing it can worsen your mental health. If you rely on four or five cups of coffee every day, followed by a soda in the afternoon, then there’s a good chance that you’ve become dependent on this stimulant. It may be necessary to work with a nutritionist to start to lessen your caffeine consumption slowly.
Takeaway
Nutrition and mental health recovery should go hand-in-hand. Eating nourishing foods will fuel your body with the right nutrients, vitamins, and minerals to support your recovery in the short and long term.
