Survey
* Your assessment is very important for improving the workof artificial intelligence, which forms the content of this project
* Your assessment is very important for improving the workof artificial intelligence, which forms the content of this project
Naturopathic Medicine and Mental Health By: HarmonieEleveld, Naturopathic Doctor NaturalChoiceMedicalClinic.com How Can Food Affect My Brain? Do you feel clear, grounded and balanced? Or are you at the whim of emotions that seem to take you over? Mood imbalances, including anxiety and depression, are common in our society. Those suffering from them often feel helpless and cannot remember what it feels like to be calm, grounded, or to experience their emotions without being overcome by them. Naturopathic medicine has helped many people to regain balance and address the deeper issues that lead to anxiety and depression. One of these deeper issues can be the food we put into our bodies. I am sure you have heard the saying “you are what you eat”, but have you ever really taken that phrase seriously? If you put Coke into your car instead of gas, would it run properly? What I am saying is that if we don’t fuel our bodies properly, they won’t work properly, and that includes our brains. Mental illness can be a result of, or exacerbated by, biochemical imbalances caused by an inappropriate diet. What is important to remember is that what might be okay for one person may cause significant problems for another. An example of this occurs in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Research has shown that removing artificial food colouring from their diets can cause significant improvement in their symptoms. Most other people do not seem to be obviously affected by artificial food colouring, (not to say that artificial colour is necessarily a healthy choice for anyone else). Our brains require many different nutrients to function optimally. These include vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids, etc. We need to be consuming adequate amounts of these nutrients in our diets for our brains to work to their full potential. PLACE PHOTO HERE, OTHERWISE DELETE BOX 5 Tips to Improve your Mental Health 1. Eat oily fish and walnuts Both oily fish and walnuts contain a high amount of Omega-3 fatty acids which are essential for brain health and for decreasing inflammation in the body. The best oily fish to consider in order to avoid accumulated heavy metals and PCBs include: Wild pacific salmon, pacific sardines, farmed rainbow trout, smelt and anchovies. If you can’t or don’t want to eat fish, consider speaking to your naturopathic doctor about supplementing with a good quality fish oil. 2. Have leafy green vegetables at every meal Leafy greens have one of the highest nutrient densities of all foods. If you want to make sure you are not deficient in any of your essential nutrients, have a handful of leafy greens at every meal (and yes that includes breakfast!) Try them in a smoothie or juiced. 3. Exercise at least 20 minutes every day Exercise plays a huge role in your mental health. Numerous research studies have confirmed a significant improvement in conditions such as depression from exercise. 4. Try yoga or meditation Yoga or meditation has a positive effect on psychiatric problems from mild depression to sleep troubles to schizophrenia. It allows the individual to calm the mind and focus inward, while stretching and working the muscles of the body. 5. Spend some time in nature everyday! Recent research published last year shows what many of us have known our entire lives; that being outside amongst nature actually benefits our mental health! “NATURE HEALS; THE PHYSICIAN IS ONLY THE ASSISTANT.” Naturopathic Medicine and Mental Health By: HarmonieEleveld, Naturopathic Doctor Key Nutrients for Maintaining Optimal Mental Health 1. Vitamin B12 Deficiency or sub-optimal levels of this vitamin can cause a variety of medical problems including depressive symptoms and anxiety. Food sources of vitamin B12 include: animal protein, milk, eggs, seafood and fermented cheese. 2. Vitamin B3 Vitamin B3 is required to help produce energy from food in every cell of the body. Severe vitamin B3 deficiency can manifest as anxiety in some situations, however extra vitamin B3 has been shown to help with anxiety even in people who do not have a deficiency. Food sources of vitamin B3 include: organ meat, meat, whole grains, fish, peanuts and dairy. 3. Folic acid Most people should not be deficient in folic acid as it is now fortified in many of our foods. However, certain circumstances can cause mal-absorption of folic acid including excessive alcohol intake, gastrointestinal disease or surgery, and the use of some medications. A deficiency of folic acid can manifest very similarly to that of vitamin B12 deficiency as they work together in the body. 4. Vitamin B6 Among other roles, Vitamin B6 aids in the production of neurotransmitters which are chemicals in the body that are vitally important for healthy brain function. Vitamin B6 can be deficient resulting from the use of some medications. Food sources of vitamin B6 include: meats, whole grains and fish. 5. Magnesium It is very common to be deficient in magnesium. Magnesium deficiency can cause anxiety as well as decreased stress tolerance. Further complicating matters, excessive stress in and of itself can decrease magnesium stored in the body. So the result is a vicious circle of stress causing decreased magnesium and decreased magnesium causing us to react poorly to our stress. Food sources of magnesium include: hard water, wheat, millet, rye, rice, buckwheat, nuts and seeds, green vegetables and soy. 6. Omega-3 Fatty Acids Over half of the brain is made up of fatty tissue so it is very important to provide the body with a steady source of good healthy fats. Omega-3 fatty acids fall into this category. Omega-3 fatty acids have also been found to be deficient in many people with mental illness. Food sources of omega-3 fatty acids are mentioned on the reverse of this page. NaturalChoiceMedicalClinic.com What to Avoid to Maintain Optimal Mental Health 1. Aspartame Aspartame is an artificial sweetener used in many “sugar free” foods and beverages including yogurt, juice and soft drinks. Aspartame can cause a variety of negative side effects including anxiety. Aside from the mental health detriments of this chemical, it is touted as a “diet” additive, although research has shown that when comparing people who drink diet pop and regular pop, the people who drink the diet pop tended to be more overweight than those who drank equal amounts of regular pop. Aspartame can be an addictive substance and should be avoided. 2. Food Sensitivities Food sensitivities can wreak havoc in our bodies causing inflammation which can lead to mental health disruptions among many other problems. It can be very difficult to determine whether a food or foods are causing problems because the reaction can be delayed up to 3 days. Consult a Naturopathic Doctor to see if you have any food sensitivities that are contributing to your health problems. 3. Caffeine In sensitive individuals, caffeine can cause symptoms that are exactly like those of anxiety or can make an already anxious person more anxious. If you are a particularly anxious person, try avoiding caffeine. 4. Fructose While you may think of fructose as the sugar you find in fruit, a modified form of it called high fructose corn syrup is used to sweeten many processed foods. This sugar is thought to bind to serotonin (a chemical necessary for healthy brain function) making it inactive and contributing to mental illness. It is only important to avoid fructose in processed foods as the fructose in fruit is a very minimal amount and it is balanced by the fiber and other beneficial components in fruit. 5. Alcohol Excessive alcohol ingestion can significantly impact mental illness, especially depression. If you suffer from mental illness it is important to avoid alcohol as much as possible. Principle source: Gaby, A., Nutritional Medicine. (2011, Fritz Perlberg Publishing, Concord, NH) *The information provided in this handout is not medical advice and is meant for general informational purposes only. Always speak to your doctor before taking any type of supplementation. If you have a mental illness, speak to a naturopathic doctor about your specific requirements and dosing for any nutrients.