- What you eat plays a vital role in your mood throughout the day
- If you incorporate more foods with good nutrients, you’ll be a healthier and happier person.
- Omega 3, berries, leafy greens, and whole grains are great for your brains and overall well-being.
“You are what you eat”.
I’ve heard that phrase way too many times and as annoying as it can be, I can’t deny that it’s true. Because growing up, I loved eating steamed buns and I’d eat them like there’s no tomorrow. The obsession was hardcore until I didn’t realise I was gaining a lot of unhealthy weight, until my mother pointed out how much my face had grown! She said, “your face is as big as the steamed buns you’ve been eating”.
That was one big fat slap on my face. I quickly checked myself out in the mirror and lo and behold! I saw a girl with a big round face. Point is, eat everything in moderation and feed yourself with only foods that your body will thank you 10 years down the road.
However, eating well isn’t only for the betterment of your physical well-being. As much as that’s important, your mental health needs equal attention too. What’s the point of looking good on the outside but you’re feeling nasty on the inside right? These two have to go hand-in-hand.
No compromising here!
At POKOK, we don’t only strive to help you with beautifying your home, we also want to give you tips on how you can take care of yourself. We believe that you have to take care of yourself before you can build your castle. Hence here is a list of healthy foods that could potentially help when you feel a little low.
1/ Omega 3 DHA
Whoever started spreading the concept of “fattening foods are bad for your health”, should come forward and apologise to everyone. Because we’re hearing it even more now that it’s not true!
As a matter of fact, we do need fats, especially our brains. The precious brain of yours feeds on fatty acids like Omega 3 and 6. So don’t shy away from fattening food, especially the good kind of fats. That’s usually found in foods like oily fish, walnuts and almonds, olive and sunflower oils, sunflower and pumpkin seeds, avocados, milk, yoghurt, cheese, as well as eggs.
Plenty of options to choose from and those selections of foods with good fats are delicious too! So really, don’t shy away from “fattening foods” because they’re your best friends if you’re looking into improving your mental health. Enjoy your food, eat whatever your heart desires but of course, everything in moderation.
2/ Berries
Blueberry pie, strawberry smoothie, and cranberry juice. Oh so delicious!
Personally, I love all kinds of berries. And to have found out that berries are packed with antioxidants, makes me feel like I’ve just won the jackpot! More reasons for me to eat my favourite berries and consume them in all the ways I possibly can. Plus, now I know why I always feel so much better every time I eat blueberries.
From what I’ve learnt, antioxidants that’s found in produce like berries, can assist in protecting your body from free radicals, which can cause cell damage. Moreover, they can also lower blood pressure, prevent heart disease, and even improve cognitive brain function. Most importantly, eating blueberries for depression may also have mood-boosting effects.
Wait no more, go stock-up on your berries today because that’s what I’m doing as soon as I’m done writing this.
3/ Whole grains
I never knew this so I’m going to assume that you didn’t know too. Apparently, consuming whole grains may aid in the balance of serotonin, the feel-good mood-stabilizing hormone, in your body.
Let me give you a situation. Do you sometimes experience “hangry” feelings? You know what I mean: you’ve skipped breakfast, and as your stomach grumbles, you get that grumpy feeling, so you reach for the nearest snack. That’s because your blood sugar has dropped to dangerously low levels, and you require immediate attention! That’s when whole grains will come in handy. It will refuel your body by stabilising blood sugar rather than spiking it and then sending it plummeting back down!
The next time you’re feeling hangry again, try reaching out to high-quality whole grains as it will surely help you with activating the serotonin in you while fueling your body with the right nutrients. Hanger be gone!
4/ Leafy greens
Eat. Your. Greens – That’s all we’re going to say and I’m sure that’s what your parents and grandparents have been telling you too. And you know what they say about advice from the older generations? They are always right and never wrong.
If that’s not convincing enough, go on and read this study where they revealed that individuals who consume vegetables such as spinach, kale, and collard greens on a daily basis have a later onset of cognitive decline than those who avoid piling greens on their plates.
Anyway, we don’t need any studies to tell us that leafy greens are healthy. It just is. So if you haven’t been including vegetables into your eating habits and you struggle with mental health issues, this is your calling.
Eat your greens
The disadvantage of the science behind eating for mental wellness is that there is no single magic bullet food or nutrient to focus solely on. But there’s another advantage: you don’t have to make drastic changes or always include one specific food in your daily diet.
Instead, you can simply eat healthier to improve your mental health: more plant foods, fruits, and whole grains, and a greater emphasis on exercise.
