Personal wellness is achieved by refining every aspect of your life, including your diet. Limiting specific types of food can significantly impact your physical health, but more importantly, it can have a great impact on your mind. In fact, studies have shown that what you eat greatly alters your mental health, meaning that some food types have the potential of worsening anxiety and depression while other food types may alleviate those feelings. This provides a valuable opportunity for you to control the state of your mental health to a certain degree, by simply avoiding certain food types.
Below are 5 types of foods to try and limit in your everyday diet that may improve your mental health.
Sugar
Consuming foods that contain high levels of sugar reduces the production of a brain chemical called BDNF that is essential for learning abilities and memory development. In other words, sugar consumption progressively diminishes one’s cognitive abilities, therefore potentially intensifying depression and anxiety perceptions.
Alternative sweetener options: Fruits, coconut sugar, honey, maple syrup, agave, etc.
Excessive Caffeine
Caffeine is primarily found in coffee, tea, soft drinks, and energy drinks, and is linked to depression due to its effect on sleep. High caffeine intakes cause difficulty for you to fall asleep, which is extremely detrimental to both mental and physical health. Lack of sleep induces negative alterations to one’s mental state including moodiness and vulnerabilities to panic episodes. Additionally, high caffeine intakes can cause the jitters, anxiety, and frayed nerves. Generally speaking, moderate amounts of caffeine can be beneficial, however, consumption must be limited to avoid the negative effects it has on the brain. However, cutting caffeine immediately can also be harmful if your body has become dependent on it. If you want to decrease your caffeine intake, try reducing it gradually or finding replacements such as decaf coffee or natural sources of caffeine including matcha tea or dark chocolate.
High-Sodium foods
Food such as pizza, canned meats, shrimp, tortillas, pretzels, sauces, and frozen meals all have extremely high levels of sodium (otherwise known as salt). The high concentration of salt found in these foods can not only cause fluid retention and bloating, but also can disrupt aspects of one’s neurological system. Studies have shown that the provoked neurological disruptions endorse the development of depression, fatigue, and weakened immune system response.
Alternative options: Low-sodium alternative to the mentioned foods such as unsalted crackers, fresh meats, etc.
Processed Meats
All processed meat contains high levels of nitrate and sodium, both used to preserve them in their sealed packages. This can cause inflammation in the body, which has been directly correlated to depression as it negatively affects areas of the brain responsible for motivation and motor activity.
Alternative meat and protein options: Fresh meats, canned tuna, peanut butter, black bean spread, tofu, cream cheese etc.
White Starches
White starch foods include white pasta, white bread, white rice, potatoes, crackers, etc. These foods cause a spike in blood sugar when consumed, leading to a crash soon after. This rapid fluctuation of blood sugar levels provokes irritability, low energy, and can quicken the onset of depression.
Alternative carbohydrate options: Couscous, quinoa, whole grain pasta, whole grain bread, brown rice, etc.