You are what you eat and absorb

You are what you eat. We’ve heard that many times. What about ‘you are what you eat and absorb’?

The same food you eat that’s good for your physical health is also good for your mental and emotional health. The nutrients you consume have a powerful effect on emotions like stress, anxiety, depression while also improving your memory and overall brain function.

When It comes to the role of nutrition on mental health, it’s not only about what you eat but also how and where you eat and even who you eat with. 

For example, if you’re feeling anxious, why not try the following:

• Eat slowly while you eat 
• Try and eat in a calm environment
• Dine in with people who make you feel calm and relaxed
• Share meals with others (this helps with emotional connection)
• Eat foods that help reduce anxiety like fruits, vegetables and healthy fats

This is why nutrition is so important. People always associate it with physical health and weight loss whereas in fact it can play a much bigger role than that. What you put into your body is what you get out of it from a mental, physical and emotional level. Eat low-quality food, and you may not feel your very best. Eat nutritious food, and you’ll feel and think much better. 

As usual, try and focus on small and incremental changes. There’s no need to complicate your nutrition and create strict rules for yourself. Start where you are, and focus on progress rather than perfection. For example, if you barely eat fruits and vegetables, don’t stress on eating so much in the day. Start off by eating 1 piece of fruit (or vegetable) on a daily basis and focus on being consistent with this habit. Then, slowly build as you gain more and more confidence in your ability to include more fruits and vegetables in your diet.

Start from where you are and strive for progress, not perfection.

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