Food and Mental Health
“A kale leaf a day, keeps the therapist away?”
We often talk about mind and body as two separate things but we all know they’re part of a larger whole. If food is the fuel to our physical energy, why not, for our mental health?
The answer is,
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YES, good food acts as a catalyst for our happiness and provides immunity against depression.
BUT, modern humans have forgotten this…..
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It’s already proven that food is the only reason why consciousness came into existence. The original aim of consciousness was probably to move a mobile self to find a fresh supply of food and replenish one’s energy, as discussed upon by Rupert Glasgow(Philosopher, Oxford Prof.), in his work Minimal Selfhood and the Origins of Consciousness.
Thus one factor that may contribute to depression is a person’s dietary habits, which determines the nutrients that they consume. A group of researchers in the field of psychonutrition (study of the impact of diet on mental health), concluded that the Mediterranean diet showed the best evidence for effectiveness in diminishing the occurrence of depressive symptomatology.
So, in this blog post, I will solicitously try to put forward some important connections between food and mental health based on my research on food insecurity, in four sections. This blog post will not ask you to change a habit or pick up a new diet, it will just state a few facts. And then, may logic, science, and the best diet win! 💁🏻♀️
What food is healthy for my brain?
- Organic Food is fresh or processed food produced by organic farming methods, which are a set of principles that are made to work in harmony with nature instead of against nature. Organic food is grown without the use of synthetic chemicals, such as human-made pesticides and fertilizers, and does not contain GMOs. Ingesting these chemicals can result in the most feared disease. Thus, staying clear from such practices is a much-needed revolution.
- Kale - Harvard University just linked Kale to one’s overall sense of optimism, due to the various phytonutrients of the plant. Sulforaphane travels from your kale smoothie to your liver where it amps up your body’s natural detox power. Glucosinolates are a known cancer fighter. It contains the plant-based omega-3 which is linked to numerous health benefits like lowering the risk of depression. It is higher in calcium than broccoli or bok choy.
- Eat solid fruits instead of making smoothie/juice out of them. ( I know, this is my least favorite too :/ ) But it’s already a known fact that fruit juices have high sugar but low fiber content.
- The Nordic Diet touts tremendous health and heart benefits, as staples include whole grains, berries, root vegetables, nuts, and seafood.
- The highly looked upon Mediterranean diet is high in vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts, beans, cereals, grains, fish, and unsaturated fats such as olive oil. It usually includes a low intake of meat and dairy foods.
“Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.”- Michael Pollan
- Water is the nectar that, believe it or not, keeps us hydrated and mentally healthy (it is known to not only alleviate headaches but also a tired mind.) You can read a practical example of water’s benefits here -
Why is food quality an important factor?
- According to WHO, the top country in the greatest burden of mental and behavioral disorders, e.g., depression; in terms of most years of life lost due to disability or death adjusted for population size, is India, followed by China and U.S.A. You can see the official graph below -
Recalling from the above section, where we discussed the Mediterranean diet, we can draw a conclusion based on the above graph that many Mediterranean countries, like France, Algeria, Egypt, Italy, and Greece, are on the lower spectrum of having depression issues. This corroborates our claim of a sincere connection between food and mental health.
2. Below is the list of top organic food consumer countries, in the world.
3. Below is the list of top organic food-producing countries, in the world.
On comparing points 2 and 3, one can infer that
a) even though India is the largest producer of organic food, wistfully, it is not one of the top consumers (India also rated high in point 1).
b) many Mediterranean countries are top consumers of organic food.
Thus, again supporting our theory.
Of course, food cannot be the only reason for a country’s low mental health rate, e.g., U.S.A. is a top consumer of organic food, yet they suffer from a high suicide rate. So why is food not helping? It could be due to a lack of knowledge about nutrition or having unhealthy eating habits. Consequently, educating people about a nutritional diet is equally important.
4. If you still don’t understand the importance of food quality, here’s another example. In India, young kids attend government schools based on the fact that they are served mid-day meals there. These poor kids come from families where the parents cannot afford filling, nutritional meals regularly. Such programs work to invest in a kid’s nutritional and mental health. Hence, food is something that affects our lives, every day, about three-four times.
5. When you start investing in healthier and organic foods, you will realize the eastern philosophy, about food being medicine, is true; that we don’t need to be superhumans to live long and healthy lives, the secret is right in front of us, in our plates. Investing in eco-friendly products increases the demand for better quality in food, which makes the merchants want to sell more organic products as the initial loss due to the high production cost not being covered by the demand, is no more a problem for such farmers, mill owners, processors, and poultry farmers. In return, this increases the requirement for farmers and encourages more farmers to pickup such practices. This could help in bringing down the cost of the product, be it a fruit or a slice of organic meat, and will become accessible to more people. Global food demand is rising and we are unable to meet that, let alone focus on sustainable habits, so the change required is not small but it is possible and your contribution is very simple, you just have to be conscious about what you and your loved ones eat. 💃🏻
“So many people don’t understand that when you get depression, it’s just impossible to think about things that are going to make you healthy because honestly you want to do stuff that doesn’t make you healthy.”
- Sarah, a clinical trial participant for dietary improvement for adults with major depression
6. Today, Sarah claims to have found improvement in her depression and hasn’t been sick for up to two years and counting. Just like Sarah, dietary change has been a life-altering juncture in many people’s lives.
7. When it comes to food, we should be truly materialistic; care about what goes in our stuff. 🧐
How can we help?
A single person can make a holistic change and below you can find some inspiring examples -
- Doctors - A good doctor will not only give you medicines but also suggest you look into your lifestyle and eating habits. In Indianapolis, a hospital has started sending patients home with medicines and a bag of Kale!
- Government - A lot of programs are initiated by the government concerning food and health but we lack in creating awareness about them. A lot has to be done in this area, like educating kids at the school level, maintaining a good nutrient college mess meal plan, teaching women in rural areas and to-be mothers about the importance of food on their and their child’s health, making stricter organic farm certification policies, not supporting mining near agricultural areas, limitations on waste management; and it all begins by educating and banning the use of harmful products.
- Merchants - These play one of the biggest roles, as they are the main distributors of food and can bring a real change in the industry. Ventures like four seasons produce, in U.S.A., or Hyperpure, in India, are ensuring that sustainable and organic food reaches more people. Hyperpure not only wants to get more people to eat outside but also to make sure that the restaurants need to have better quality food. “And that can be determined only by the quality of the raw materials.”
They also guide farmers on sustainable farming methods and matching up to the set quality standards. Today, by predicting what is in demand, in what area (with an accuracy of 95–97%), they can maintain a high fill-rate and low waste production. - Food businesses - Companies like food aggregators, packers, and storage centers, need to follow strict guidelines and should promote sustainable practices. E.g., BazaarNXT, a food packaging company based in Bengaluru, has sold over 25 tonnes of paper products, preventing the emission of 150,000 kilograms of carbon dioxide.
- Individual - On a personal level, we just have to be picky about what we eat, how is it produced, and delivered to us and our loved ones. Promote organic food businesses. Reduce the waste produced. Replace throwing away extra food by donating those healthy meals to the people in need. Has backing up a cause ever been this simple?! 🤯
So what can I do?
Once in a while, we all have cheat days and late-night munchies (if you don’t, teach me how, senpai 🥺).
Making a conscious change for one of the core reasons for our conscious existence is a difficult task. And not because we don’t want to, but because there are certain hindrances like cost, availability, and time!
I’m a foodie but when Musk said, “If there was a way that I could not eat, so I could work more, I would not eat. I wish there was a way to get nutrients without sitting down for a meal.” I related to that! Because how many times do we NOT fuss about our diet or next meal? Optimizing the agricultural and food industry is an important step for any country.
So until we have a miracle pill, we have all these nutrient-rich delicacies available, and we should savor them with gratitude.
So to answer our original question, “Can a kale leaf a day, keep the therapist away?”
The answer is, YES and no.
Yes, it improves your health and mood, it detoxes your body and elevates your immune system. A healthy lifestyle goes a long way.
But, even after all this lifestyle and diet change, if you still seem to struggle, then No, all these physical changes cannot keep your therapist away. Mental health is an upcoming yet lacking area of research, so prevent taking matters into your own hand, and always consult your doctor, if the need arises.
With this article, I wanted to bring to your notice that the benefits of good food on mental health are already scientifically proven, and now the only way forward should be a sustainable and organic one. Your lifestyle depends almost entirely on your mind. Each and every one of us decides whether to keep up certain habits or avoid them.
And eating good food every day is overall the most fundamental form of health insurance. 💚
If you would like to read my upcoming work, please follow me to stay updated; if you want to strike a conversation, find me on Twitter. 👩🏻💻
Resources- Research papers, docuseries, official stats, and an Indian dad (are you telling me your parent didn’t/doesn’t tell you to have fruits and almonds, at least twice a day?!) 🤯
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