5 Eating Habits that Support Mental Health

Last week, for World Mental Health Day, I spoke on a panel hosted by Project Healthy Minds and The James Beard Foundation about how nutrition can impact mental well-being. I also helped design the lunch menu to reflect the main points of the discussion.

For the lunch, attendees sat at banquet tables in the elegant Midnight Theater dining room, in midtown Manhattan where the event was held. We started with crisp, colorful, fresh vegetables and avocado green goddess dip, then had big, warm bowls of poached salmon atop a brothy garlic and herb white bean ragu, and we finished with fall fruit and yogurt dessert parfaits---all beautifully prepared by Chef Alex there. After the relaxed, convivial lunch we went into the theater for the panel talk.

Here, I’m sharing five main take-home messages from that discussion. Once you read them, you’ll see how well our lunch illustrated how delightful it can be to eat with mental health in mind.

---

Thanks for reading Ellie’s Real Good Food! This issue is for paid subscribers with a sneak peek for free subscribers. I hope you will consider upgrading to paid to get the full archive of articles like this, exclusive recipes, and more. I appreciate your support of this work — free or paid, I’m glad you’re here!

---

Don’t Go Hangry

Not eating enough can have a big impact on your mental well-being, whether it’s because you are trying to cut calories and doing so too aggressively, or you wind up skipping meals because time slips away from you during the day.

We all know that hangry feeling. When we don’t get enough to eat, our brain doesn’t get the fuel it needs, and we are prone to feeling anxious and irritable, and our impulse control can become compromised. That’s why it is so important to establish a regular eating pattern, and listen to your body’s hunger cues, honoring them by eating when they are calling.

It doesn’t mean you need to eat at the very first twinge of hunger, but do plan meals and snacks to avoid getting overly hungry, and focus on eating a balance of nutrient-rich proteins, carbs and healthy fats, to avoid vitamin and mineral deficiencies. That basic healthy-eating foundation--- which is likely the way your grandma wisely encouraged you to eat-- can go a long way toward helping optimize mental health, and health in general.

It's also why we can’t address the issue of mental health as a society without addressing food insecurity. Imagine the level of hangry, fear, and sadness that arises from not knowing where your next meal is coming from. (That’s one of the reasons I volunteer with Feeding America regularly. If you are interested in volunteering in your community, click here to learn more.)

Eat Yogurt and Other Fermented Foods

Scientists have only recently uncovered the profound connection between the health of the gut and brain health. Take serotonin for example --the “feel good” brain neurotransmitter that helps us feel calm and relaxed. It turns out that 95% of the body’s serotonin is produced in the intestine, so issues with gut health can affect serotonin production and storage. Also, symptoms of depression and other mood disorders are known to be linked with gut issues, such as IBS.