Food to Support Mental Health

Nutrition has a high bearing on our mental health! Our Gut is our second brain! Just imagine the things you eat literally making their way to your brain. Pause. Ok, so what we eat truly matters!!!!! Let’s feed our body the fuel that gives our brain the change it needs to support the way we think, feel, behave, and connect with others!

Spices - saffron, turmeric, saffron plus cur cumin, peppermint (attention), cinnamon (attention, ADHD, irritability).

Antioxidant-rich spices: clove, oregano, rosemary, thyme, cinnamon, turmeric, sage, garlic, ginger, fennel

Dopamine rich foods- for focus and motivation: numeric, theanine from green tea, lentils, fish, lamb chicken turkey beef, eggs nuts and seeds (pumpkin and sesame), high protein veggies (broccoli and spinach), protein powders.

Serotonin-rich-foods - for mood, sleep, pain and craving control: combine tryptophan- containing foods like eggs, turkey, seafood, chickpeas, nuts and seeds (building block for serotonin), with healthy carbohydrates such as sweet potatoes and quinoa to elicit short term insulin response that drives tryptophan into the brain; dark chocolate increases serotonin. Fruits and vegetables increase mood!

GABA-rich foods- for anti-anxiety: broccoli, almonds, walnuts, lentils, bananas, beef liver, brown rice, halibut, gluten-free whole oats, oranges, rice bran, spinach

Green Tea- detoxification

Omega 3 rich foods- to support nerve cell membranes, and serotonin: flaxseeds, walnuts, salmon, sardines, beef, shrimp, walnut oil, chia seeds, avocado oil, olive oil.

source: Licensed Brain Trainer Guidebook (Amen, 2020).