Some mental health professionals say that nutrition does not affect your mental health. However, as a culture we have all embraced poor eating habits and therefore, we may be ruling out nutrition in order to put the blame elsewhere for mental health issues.

Mental Health problems have become commonplace in our culture. We have become used to bizarre outbursts, breakdowns, ADD, and depression. Just as eating healthy helps our bodies operate more efficiently, it can also help the mind. A better diet that is full of nutrient dense food can improve cognitive ability, mood, and overall mental health. There is documentation to support the fact that nutritional wellbeing affects both your physical and mental health. Vitamin and mineral deficiencies, also known as malnutrition makes the body susceptible to diseases like diabetes, cancer, heart disease, and metal illness.

The best way to support overall health and wellbeing is a diet filled with clean, whole foods. This means naturally grown, unprocessed foods without artificial or chemically changed additives. Whole foods have the most nutrients of any foods available and these nutrients positively affect both mind and body.

Without vitamins, like vitamin B, you can experience damage to your nervous system. This damage can lead to poor short-term memory, apathy, confusion, irritability, depression, fatigue, lethargy, headaches, and abnormal brain wave patterns. If you skip meals like breakfast or do not have a high enough caloric intake it can hinder your problem-solving abilities and your confidence. Eating too much sugar or artificial sweeteners can cause insulin resistance, mood swings, and depression.

The bottom line is that our food intake affects our behavior, mood, and brain function. Hunger can make us irritable or even restless; whereas a good meal improves mood and can make us feel satisfied and confident.

So to create a better diet for mental health, you need to eat fresh fruits and vegetables, avoid sugar, and drink lots of water. This combination of food will help you achieve both physical and mental health.