After hearing the results of a study on the radio last week I decided to do a little research on healthy mind + healthy bodies.  It makes sense to us that if you put dirt in your car’s gas tank it won’t run very well (or at all).. so why is it so difficult for us to remember that if we put ‘dirt’ in our bodies we cannot expect them to run at their best either?  After all we all have within us many systems all trying to keep a delicate balance, keeping things moving and grooving as they should . 

That being said, the foods we eat (or neglect to eat) do affect our minds.  The Mental Health Foundation has put together a campaign called “Feeding Minds” that supplies information and research on the links between our diet and our mental health.  What I found was an amazing resource / dietary guide for ways we can improve our own mental health!

For example, if you are experiencing stress you could be lacking Vitamins B6.  The Mental Health Foundation recommends for Vitamin B6 that you incorporate more Wholegrain (brown rice, oats, bran, barley), Fruit (bananas and mangos), Fish (tuna, trout, salmon), Vegetables (avocado, watercress, cauliflower, cabbage, peppers, squash, asparagus, bok choy, potato), Meat (chicken, pork loin, turkey), Beans (lima, and soy), Pulses (chick peas, or sunflower seeds). 

Check out the guide for yourself!  

I will admit that if I pay close enough attention to my moods, they are definitely linked to not eating enough good foods, or simply from being on the go and forgetting to eat altogether!

And here’s a link to the site: http://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/campaigns/food-and-mental-health/#reports

Written by Melissa