Energy, Mood and Mental Health
Nutrients are compounds in foods that are essential to life and health providing us with energy. They are the building blocks for repair and growth, and the necessary material needed to regulated chemical processes.
Just one deficiency in only one micronutrient could lead to serious health concerns both physically and mentally. For example, folate can affect your mood and lead to depression and anxiety. Folate is available in foods like eggs, asparagus, spinach, and avocado. In terms of your mental health, (B9) folate is a vitamin you'll want to ensure you include in your diet daily, however, it is not the only one important when it comes to mental health.
Below you will find a list of some other nutrients you'll need to help balance and support your mood and mental health naturally:
Omega 3 fatty acids – Healthy fats are still important! You can get your fatty acids from healthy sources of fats like salmon, tuna, walnuts, and olive oil.
Vitamin D – Do you know why you feel more energized and happier during sunny days? It is the vitamin D from the sun’s UV rays. IF you live somewhere that is cloudy and rainy a lot, or it is the winter where there isn’t much sun, you will need to supplement vitamin D through your food. You can get it from foods like fatty fish, eggs, dairy, and fortified cereal.
Fiber – For more fiber, eating more fruit, avocados, and whole grains is usually a good place to start.
Calcium – While many people get their calcium from dairy and yogurt, you might not be someone who can eat a lot of dairy. In this case, you can get it from foods like almonds, sesame seeds, tofu, and kale.
Iron – You also want to make sure you have enough iron1 Iron can help with your mental health, as well as balancing your energy levels. Get iron from red meat, turkey, some nuts and seeds like pumpkin seeds and almonds, broccoli, and dark chocolate.
Protein – You get protein from many of these same foods, including meat, poultry and fish, dairy, cheese, eggs, and nuts.
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