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hey
munchies welcome to the channel if
you're new or if you're not i'm alyssia
and i am stoked you're here either way
today we are talking about mental health
and if the food we eat
impacts our mental health spoiler it
does
anxiety is on the rise in the u.s and it
doesn't have to be classified as a
mental condition
for you to feel anxiety it's a disorder
characterized by persistent worry and
nervousness
and there is a spectrum so you can feel
different levels of anxiety at different
times
and different circumstances may need
different approaches for
treatment and healing i am a huge fan of
therapy
and ensuring that we prioritize our
mental health as much as physical
so for sure consult a professional if
you think you need one
i am not here to diagnose or prescribe
any foods or diet for anxiety treatment
but rather to help bring awareness to
some of the foods
that may be contributing to anxiety from
what research is showing us
as well as which foods may help if you
are taking medication or if you think
you need medication
talk to your doctor or mental health
professional before
making any changes okay there is your
disclaimer
now let's get into the science just a
little bit
so in many cases anxiety as well as
depression
are conditions associated with poor
brain health this can be due
to neurotransmitters not functioning
properly over stimulation of the limbic
system in the brain chronic inflammation
or oxidative stress which can affect
brain function new research has also
shown
that our gut health is linked to brain
health through
the gut brain axis a lot of people don't
realize that the majority of serotonin
receptors are actually in the gut and
about half of the body's dopamine is
synthesized in the gut which is why many
people are now referring to the gut as
the second brain so it's becoming clear
through science now
that what we eat not only affects our
gut but also our brains
in terms of treatment and lowering the
severity of the symptoms
we can address some of the possible
causes so we can eat foods that
combat inflammation and oxidative stress
we can provide
nutrients that may be lacking for
neurotransmitter production
we can keep blood sugar balance and we
can heal the gut
we can also avoid foods that contribute
to those factors
so there are studies now that have shown
that a change in diet can
affect depression anxiety and mood
disorder symptoms so what does this
look like i am going to show you today
and i have a free pdf
with these lists so you don't need to
take any notes just watch and pay
attention
and you can download your free pdf in
the description let's start with foods
that you may want to limit or avoid so
if any of these are in your regular diet
it may be worth taking a look at
first alcohol research links alcohol
with mental health problems and with
triggering or worsening depression
and anxiety it is a depressant after all
so it affects the nervous system
it interferes with sleep alcohol
promotes inflammation which we discussed
earlier and blood sugar irregularity
it can also bring down your mood because
it reduces serotonin what is recommended
as
moderation is one to two drinks per
week but many brain health experts like
dr eamon
actually say alcohol does not do
anything good for us so
we should really avoid it as much as
possible caffeine
moderate intake of caffeine can benefit
depression
and reduce anxiety or boost mood because
it does have a stimulant effect
that's one cup of coffee that's been
associated with the prevention
of cognitive decline but some research
suggests that caffeine can
increase feelings of anxiety stress and
depression
if consumed in excess this leads to more
jittery feelings worse sleep
and it can impact hormones and
neurotransmitter functioning like we
discussed earlier as one of the
contributors to poor brain health
research has shown that the effects of
coffee really
vary depending on the person and their
tolerance refined sugar and added sugar
sugar impacts mood period blood sugar
levels rising and crashing can make us
irritable and we know that sugar
promotes inflammation which also affects
our ability to manage stress
a study showed that people with high
sugar intake it was over
65 grams in this study were 23
more likely to develop depression or
anxiety over five years
than those who logged under 40 grams
refined grains
white breads and processed or enriched
foods offer little to no
actual nutrients and really affect our
blood sugar negatively they also
rob you of b vitamins during digestion
which will affect your ability to absorb
nutrients
and that can lead to deficiencies
ultimately caused by chronic stress
keep in mind that we do want complex
carbs like whole grains
when i say refined grains i'm talking
white breads crackers
short grain rice the kind where the part
of the grain has been removed or overly
processed
complex carbs are metabolized more
slowly which helps to
maintain even blood sugar levels and
stabilize moods
avoiding skipping meals can also help to
maintain even blood sugar
processed foods and fast foods also
provide little to no
nutrients with a lot of calories not to
mention trans fats
which are correlated with depression
anxiety aggression and other mental
illnesses
refined oils are next they are really
high in omega-6s so
they're highly inflammatory which can
mess with your mood and brain function
processed deli meats like hot dogs
bologna deli turkey or chicken they
often have a lot of fillers and
preservatives
which have been associated with
migraines mood swings and
inflammation artificial sweeteners and
food additives and there are
a lot of them have been associated with
headaches mood disorders
dizziness and migraines people can often
have food sensitivities to artificial
stuff without knowing it
and it makes sense i mean our bodies
don't know how to process something
artificial so it could be subtly
rejecting it without you knowing
okay so take note if any of these are in
your diet and keep in mind
this is if they are regularly included
this is not me saying
never have alcohol or sugar or processed
foods although
some people may say that may choose to
do that but i'm suggesting
that if you eat these regularly and
you're struggling with anxiety
this could be a good place to start we
can also
add certain things into our diet to help
and i think
focusing on more of the good with any
kind of dietary change
is going to resonate with people more
than less of the bad it's mentally
easier to grasp more good
so first let's get in more fatty fish
wow if you take anything from this video
and what i really learned and i'm trying
to incorporate myself
is eat more fatty fish omega-3s are
where
it's at omega-3s are really the building
blocks of the brain the brain is
actually composed of 60
fat so it needs fat for fuel omega-3s
reduce
inflammation surprisingly or it was
surprising to me
one of the most common nutritional
deficiencies seen in people with mental
disorders
is omega-3s the best omega-3s and amino
acids are in wild-caught salmon
which also contains vitamin d uh vitamin
b6 b12
and selenium all of which contribute to
brain health
and it's one of the best studied foods
in terms of depression and anxiety
sardines tuna and mackerel are other
good sources research suggests that
adequate omega-3 intake whether it's
from fish or a supplement
can reduce the risk of anxiety
depression and other mood disorders
and improve symptoms of anxiety and
depression walnuts
also offer plant-based omega-3s which
aren't as great
uh but still worth having for sure this
was so cool actually
walnuts specifically were studied and
shown to have a
positive impact on mood anxiety and
depression
people that ate a quarter cup of walnuts
per day
showed to have 26 lower depression
scores
and it led to greater optimism energy
hope and concentration 26 other nuts and
seeds like
pumpkin seeds chia seeds and flax are
also good sources but
walnuts are tops meat poultry eggs dairy
and soy
are also good sources of amino acids to
get your complete proteins this doesn't
mean you need to eat meat
all day every day but it does point to
some of the benefits of having
some animal protein in your diet turkey
and chicken were the ones that really
stood out because apparently
tryptophan and tyrosine which are amino
acids that both turkey and chicken
contain
have been studied and associated with
reduced anxiety probiotic and fermented
foods are another
probiotics are associated with positive
mental health
specifically improving mood anxiety and
depression and they're found in
yogurt as well as fermented foods like
sauerkraut
kimchi kombucha and kefir fermented
foods specifically have been studied
showing to help
heal the gut last year i went on a gut
healing mission
and i ate a lot of fermented foods but
they've also shown to be
neuroprotective and mood balancing the
gut brain
connection is real i'm telling you next
veggies we could not escape from talking
about the wonder of
veggies dark leafy greens are some of
the most nutrient dense foods you can
take in
and foods like shiitake mushrooms are
prebiotics that promote healthy gut
bacteria
fruits are also great all berries
blueberries have been considered a
depression food
i mean an anti-depression food i guess
and have been shown to be helpful with
symptoms strawberries have a lot of
vitamin c and avocado
has a lot of monounsaturated fats other
notable items are green tea chamomile
extract and
dark chocolate they all have specific
nutrients and antioxidants
that have been associated with anxiety
reduction
as you've seen really eating a
consistent healthy diet is key
i wouldn't get too caught up in you know
this many grams of this berry versus
that
it's not one for one this heals that
it's an overall
balance the truth is this kind of
whole foods approach is also what is
going to keep our hearts healthy and our
weight under control
i mean nothing that i shared here is
blowing your mind in terms of being a
healthy food it's very simple
more whole foods lots of plants and less
processed foods
those are the three dietary tenants that
i would give you to overall health and
well-being
both mental and physical so the point is
if you're struggling with anxiety or
mental health and think that your diet
could be contributing
making some dietary changes for mental
health will also improve your physical
health
and this is really what a holistic
approach is where we look at the mind
and body as one
connected and that the foods we take in
and the choices we make
affect our bodies and our minds and our
emotional selves too
again don't become dogmatic about it or
it won't be sustainable
so what can you take from this make an
effort to eat a little less of those
foods that may contribute negatively
and an effort to eat a little more of
the foods that help baby steps will get
you there
in an email that i sent out a while ago
i told a story of a health study i
shared it on instagram too i think but
it feels relevant here so i'm gonna
spend 30 seconds sharing it
uh this study has been reproduced many
times all over the world
essentially they take two groups of
people and they give one group
all of the health tools that they could
need for free so they give them you know
free gym shoes and free gym memberships
and access to
information or whatever and they tell
them go go and get healthy
then the other group they give them
nothing nothing for free but they tell
them
climb one set of stairs today and
tomorrow
just add on one step okay and every day
just add on one more step that's it
that's all they tell them
then they come back years later so two
years later five years later
and which group do you think has
established healthier habits sustainably
the second group that took one step per
day and got nothing for free so
you don't need free stuff you don't need
any more information you know everything
you need to know more whole foods more
plants less process that's it
all you really need to do is embrace the
idea of baby steps
rather than trying to change it all at
once that is the magic formula i swear
okay i know this video didn't go exactly
where any of us thought it would but i
hope you found it helpful
if you do want the pdf with these lists
for your reference i've also linked some
of the studies that i referenced in
there too
you can download it in the description
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i will be back next week with a brand
new episode and remember
it's all a matter of mind over munch