You Are What You Eat
By: Elly Kutch, MSW, LCSW
Food affects our mental health in multiple ways. Many of us can attest that what we eat can affect self-esteem as our weight gain or loss can drive some of our deepest thoughts about ourselves. What many people may not know is that our gut is directly connected to our brain, making the food we eat a direct link to our mental health. Let’s say you do an experiment. On day one, you eat only fast food, carbs, greasy meals, and sweets. My guess, and probably yours, is that you would feel more sluggish, and depressed. If you spent the next day eating plenty of protein, fresh fruits, vegetables, and clean snacks, you would feel more energized and cheerful. Food has power.
The Gut/Brain Connection
Inside your gut there is something called the enteric nervous system (ENS). It has two thin layers with millions of nerve cells linking your digestive tract from top to bottom. This ENS communicates back and forth with our brain while also controlling digestion. People struggling with physical issues, even something as minor as constipation, are reportedly showing signs of anxiety and depression. Researchers are noticing that the gastrointestinal system is sending signals to the central nervous system, which triggers mood changes. So instead of anxiety and depression causing physical health issues, it may be the other way around at times. 
Energy Reset
According to the book, Energy Reset, When inflammation begins in the gut (based on the unhealthy foods consumed), the immune system produces cytokines–special chemical messengers produced by immune cells in response to pathogens and toxins. As these cytokines travel throughout your body, they eventually can cross the blood-brain barrier and incite inflammation in the brain, leading to depression and other issues with mood, memory, and cognition. The gut is lined with neurons–nerve cells that communicate with the brain via the vagus nerve. When you’re feeling stressed, the activity of the vagus nerve becomes decreased, meaning many of the functions of digestion, such as stomach acid production, enzyme secretion, and rate of digestion are dampened. When stress is chronic, such as when toxins constantly bombard your system, the digestive system and by association, the brain, take another hit to optimal functioning. (Brown, 2017)
Real Struggles to Eating Healthy
It’s no secret that the economy is not in its prime. As a result, food prices are elevated. One way to eat healthier on a budget is to grow your own food. All that you need is a pot, some dirt, and seeds. Put your pot in the sunlight, keep the dirt moist, and watch your food grow. This can take up some space, but if it’s an option for you, it’s worth it. Growing your own food can reduce the amount of chemicals that are found in store bought food, and it allows you to have access to many more fruits and vegetables that you enjoy eating. You can freeze the excess and use it year round. Another tip is to plan out a menu for the week. Often, we find ourselves going to the store buying food that looks good while trying to also put together meals for the week/month while shopping. If you prepare a menu and grocery list ahead of time, you may find that you buy only what you need. This can help save money by not buying in excess or grabbing for foods that you do not need.
Small Steps to Noticeable Results
Eating healthy must be built into a habit. It does not have to be an extreme diet change. It can be small habits that build into major lifestyle changes over time, resulting in mood and mental health improvements. It could be trading your regular pasta for chickpea pasta as it contains more protein. It could be eating yogurt with less sugar in it. A new habit could be eating vegetables and fruit as a snack at work instead of chips. For a new habit to stick, you have to make it easy and you have to make it fun. Meal prepping makes it easy to grab a bag of carrots on the way out the door instead of teddy grahams. Making it fun includes eating things that you enjoy. If you want to eat more protein, don’t force yourself to eat chicken if you don’t like the taste. Try implementing more eggs or cheese into your diet, or any foods that you think taste good and are willing to eat. These small changes have major results over the years. Once a new habit is implemented, you can start on another one. Over time, let’s say a year later, you may be shocked at the results of how different your eating habits look and how free your mind is.
Final Words
I’m a therapist, I want the best for you. I desire your success and believe in you. Even if you grab one thought from this article and run with it, I will consider it a win. There are only pros to implementing new habits when it comes to diet. Protein, fruits, vegetables and so on benefit your long-term physical health, and are shown to reduce brain fog, improve mental health, increase confidence, and reduce weight gain. Even small changes have significant results.
