It’s not the prettiest description, but when we think about our bodies, one to way to think about it is that we are essentially a walking, talking, sloshing bag of chemicals and electrical impulses. Thumb through the Physician’s Desk Reference or the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, and you’ll soon find that a lot can go wrong when there’s a simple chemical imbalance or misfire of a neuron.
The correlation between a healthy diet and good overall health has long been documented. Recently, more studies have focused on the relationship between good diet and exercise and mental health. What’s been found thus far isn’t a surprise, but it solidifies what is known and legitimizes common theory.
“Poor nutrition can cause poor mental health,” said Wendy Hodsdon, registered dietician on The Diet Channel, a health web resource. Hodsdon describes the role of the nervous system, and how it is composed of nerve and brain cells that are fueled with nutrients supplied through our diet. Much like the old data entry axiom of “garbage in, garbage out,” so go our bodies. As we think about nutrition, especially cardiac health, it is vital that we remain mindful of our nervous system health.
“With or without medication, a good healthful diet can support the nervous system in functioning better and can lead to better health,” Hodsdon reports. She gives the following recommendations of foods to include:
- Whole foods full of vitamins and nutrients, especially B vitamins, thiamin, pyridoxine and niacin, calcium, magnesium and trace minerals. These help build neurotransmitters and repair damaged nerve cells.
- Essential fatty acids such as cold water fish (wild salmon, herring, halibut), flax seeds and nuts. Grass-fed beef and free-range organic chicken also have more fatty acids than grain-fed animals.
Foods to avoid:
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Refined sugar products do more damage than good for people with depression, anxiety, seizures, attention deficit disorder and other mood disorders.
- Alcohol is naturally a depressant and interferes with many brain cell processes, disturbs sleep and adrenal gland output, says Hodsdon, and can lead to sugar cravings.
Hodsdon also takes on caffeine as a dangerous element in a healthy nervous system diet. She said when it’s eliminated, people with depression and anxiety generally see positive health benefits afterward. Another study by Italian researchers recently released suggests that people who consume lots of coffee are more susceptible to heart attacks. “Our study suggests that high intake of coffee increases the risk of arrhythmias in people without known cardiac disease,” said study author Dr. Anna Vittoria Mattioli of the University of Modena (Discovery Health, Sept. 2, 2009). The study also links the benefits of a Mediterranean-style diet to overall health.
The benefits of a Mediterranean diet is also seen in improved mental health. Sandra Williams in her article “Healthy Foods for Mental Health: How Food Affects Mood” (Suite101.com, Feb. 26, 2008) lists the following foods which, incidentally, are staples of a Mediterranean diet, as foods to include for a healthy nervous system:
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brown breads and rice
- fresh fruit
- dark green vegetables
- fish
- beans
- olive oils
“You can be overweight and malnourished at the same time, which sounds bizarre but is true,” writes Williams. She cites a “Food and Mood Project” from Scotland that surveyed 200 people and found that 88% improved their mental health when by changing their diet to a more healthy approach. For more healthy tips check out the next edition of the Healthy Minds Newsletter which has a regular feature dedicated to Food and Your Mood. Call 476-4502 for your free subscription or email info@porterstarke.org.