As an offshoot to my loosey goosey exercise routine post, I am moving to a related topic that I am passionate about, nutrition. I love learning about foods and how they can help us be the best we can be. Junk foods and the damage they do to our bodies also gets my attention.
Before getting into the point of this post, I have to include a caveat similar to the one in my exercise post. I am NOT the perfect eater! I indulge in chocolate, fast food, and baked goods a little too often. I love to eat out and try new things. A mixed drink on a summer night gives me thrills. But studying how these things affect the body in comparison to the healthy foods still interests me greatly.
Diet and Mind Health
Today’s post relates food to our general state of mind. If you are like me, the winter gets long come February and the blues creep in. The holidays are done and the next day off work comes in 4 months. Mornings are dark outside and the very act of having to get out of bed gets me down. (Could be related to the fact that I am NOT a morning person. This may be addressed in separate post. 🙂 Not being able to leave the house without layers of clothing and a heavy coat becomes cumbersome. My child suffers for four days with fever and strep. You get the point. My outlook this time of year is less than positive.
After mentioning this to my doctor, she gave me a great informational hand out that I want to share with you. I love this food message! She attended a convention and listened to a speaker address how food affects the mind. The lecture and information she gave me mainly relates diet to Alzheimer’s disease, but according to my doctor, the speaker briefly spoke on how the MIND diet helps with depression and anxiety as well.
Here is the MIND Diet, as developed by Rush University. It combines other developed diets in order to focus on foods that “specifically affect brain health” (Handout from Pella Regional Medical Center).
MIND Diet
Eat things from these 10 food groups:
- Green leafy vegetables (like spinach and salad greens): At least 6 sevings a week.
- Other vegatables: At least on a day
- Nuts: Five servings a week
- Berries: Two or more servings a week
- Beans: At least three servings a week
- Whole grains: Three or more servings a day
- Fish: Once a week
- Poultry (like chicken or turkey): Two times a week
- Olive oil: Use it as your main cooking oil
- Wine: One glass a day 🙂
Avoid these foods:
- Red meat: Less than four servings a week
- Butter and margarine: Less than a tablespoon daily
- Cheese: Less than one serving per week
- Pastries and sweets: Less than five servings a week
- Fried or fast food: Less than one serving per week
One could argue that this diet looks like common sense eating. Or that following this diet wouldn’t solve all mental health issues. Or that even if these foods helped one’s mental outlook, it could take time to see the positive effects. And all of these arguments could be true. I’m certainly not suggesting a person run out and stock up on the good foods immediately because they are the answer to all emotional issues. But if a person knows they have a family history of a mind disease or suffers from depression or even seasons of depression, eating to combat these illnesses could be something to keep in mind.
I almost wrote my next sentence as “What easier way to we have to take care of our mind than to feed it well?” But after thinking twice, I very much realize eating well isn’t easy. It takes planning and dedication, which again could be addressed in another post. But some things I believe are worth the effort in order to stay my best self as I get older.
If you are interested in learning more about how the Mind Diet was developed, feel free to visit the following websites.
Rush University: https://www.rush.edu/news/mind-diet-ranked-among-best
I noticed Rush had several good articles on the Mind Diet.
Mayo Clinic: https://www.mayoclinic.org/15-simple-diet-tweaks-cut-alzheimers-risk/art-20342112
