These are the 12 essential nutrients you need to improve your mental fitness, part 1.

They say that “abs begin in the kitchen.” But did you know that mental wellbeing does too?

By Dr. Uma Naidoo, MD

Food is fuel. Food is energy. Though this phrase is ubiquitous, I firmly maintain that food is so much more. In fact, I believe that the food we eat is pure information: a combination of nutrients, minerals, vitamins, and other compounds that either work to boost our health and prevent disease, or that work against our health to create inflammation that promotes disease.

Food is the key, which we hold in our own hands, to improve and optimize our mental and physical health. As a Nutritional Psychiatrist, I see the immense degree to which my patients benefit from dietary and nutritional interventions for their mental health. Research now shows how interconnected the health of our gut microbiome is with that of our brain and mind. Science is starting to reckon with how several foods can trigger mental health conditions, like anxiety and ADHD, while many other foods improve and help fend off conditions like depression, Alzheimer’s, and even chronic fatigue. A sound diet can not only directly benefit our blood sugar and insulin levels but can also decrease your symptoms of insomnia and burnout. The bottom line? What’s good for the body is good…