Most people plan their meals with the aim of only lowering or increasing one’s weight. However, meal plans should be made for more than just calorie counting. A thorough analysis of the Mediterranean diet revealed that mental health is directly dependent on the type of meals that people consume, which is true to a great extent. So, the next time you plan out your meals, try your best to include foods for mental wellbeing. Dr Dana Al Hamwi, Clinical Dietician at India Gate KRBL Ltd, has shared with us some of the best foods to incorporate in your meal planning if you want to improve your mental health.

According to Dr Dana, meals that are rich in grains, seeds, vegetables, fruits, nuts, and other components like olive oil play a pivotal role in lowering depression contrary to social support. Unlike processed and fast foods, whole foods will effectively lower the risk of becoming depressed, as they are often natural and do not contain additives, making them great foods for mental wellbeing.

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Studies in the past few years reveal great insights into the relationship between health and diet and how the two influence each other. Carolyn Dean, a medical director at the Nutritional Magnesium Association (NMA), says that nutrients including magnesium, essential fatty acids, and Vitamins (B6, B12) trigger the formation of neurotransmitters. On the surface, these neurotransmitters are chemical transmitters that transmit signals between brain nerves.

How Super Foods can Improve One’s Mental Health

Dietary counsellors have also managed to prove that people who feed on poor quality meals are not only prone to symptoms of depression but are also likely to suffer from obesity. “People who supplement their meals with fruits, fish products, and grains are less likely going to become depressed. Such meals that meet this threshold are popularly dubbed as superfoods. Various superfoods will positively affect one’s mental health courtesy of the nutrients, enzymes, and antioxidants found therein. These foods include Quinoa, Chia seeds, flax seeds, and also sprouted brown rice,” says Dr Dana.

Top Foods for Mental Wellbeing

Quinoa

Primarily, Quinoa is rich in iron and other essential nutrients. As basic biology teaches, Iron is usually the basis for haemoglobin formation and transportation of oxygen to and from different cells. The brain often takes up 20 per cent of the total blood oxygen thus triggering its functions. Other benefits of the Quinoa Iron include the synthesis of neurotransmitters, which are of great aid in brain chemical balance. The level of Riboflavin (B2) in Quinoa is relatively high. According to medics, B2 is essential in boosting energy metabolism within the brain cells.

Chia seeds

A daily teaspoon dose of Chia seeds also helps in fighting depression. They are rich in calcium, magnesium, and omega-3 fats. Scientific studies have continually revealed that low levels of omega-3 fats in the body might cause a host of emotional and mental disorders. Such fats are essential in wrestling mood swings and depression. Therefore, the continuous use of Chia seeds will improve and stabilize your brain performance.

Flaxseeds

Flax seeds are somehow equivalent to sunflower seeds in the way that oil is extractable from them. The flaxseed oil is rich in nutrients like omega-3 fats. Flaxseed has numerous benefits, some of which include a healthy heart and improved skin health.

Sprouted brown rice

Produced by removing the outermost hull sprouted brown rice is on its own one of the grains that contains a high level of nutrients. Often, it has Gamma-Aminobutyric Acids (GABA) in surplus. Additionally, this rice is also rich in enzymes and antioxidants. Attributed to its composition, sprouted brown rice is a preferred option in boosting brain activity. Trustable scientific findings also reveal that GABA alongside specific antioxidants is an anti-depressant.

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Conclusion

A meal plan is merely capable of altering the cognitive functions of a human brain. In these terms, a person’s brain performance will always remain to be indicative of the type of foods consumed over time. Nevertheless, regular intake of any or all of the above foods for mental wellbeing will gradually improve your brain activity. More so, in as much as junk foods are tasty, you ought to avoid consuming them on the regular.