The Importance of Nutrition for Mental Health and Performance
/The significance of mental health has traditionally been downplayed, especially when compared to physical health and the need to perform well. Let me start by saying that this perspective can be very misleading. Your mental health is just as important as your physical health. In fact, your mental health can greatly impact your physical health.
As you may have heard from peers, news headlines, and other media sources, mental health has become an increasingly large concern this year. Covid-19 has caused dramatic changes in peoples lives, such as loss of jobs, cancelation of sporting events & seasons, closing of gyms, shortage of consumer goods, food insecurity (we’ll define this later), and isolation from support systems like coaches, teachers, friends, and family. It is important, now more than ever, to do what you can to support your mental health.
To improve mental health, you might start by getting adequate sleep, practicing controlled breathing or meditation, exploring movement and exercise, setting up virtual and socially distanced meetings with friends and family, and/or eating foods that nourish your body and mind.
When it comes to nourishing your body and mind, having a balanced diet with a variety of foods from each food group is important to provide the nutrients that support mental and physical health. Now, when I say balanced, I mean balanced. In other words, it’s not about exclusively eating nutrient-dense foods like whole grains, vegetables, fruits, beans, lean meats, etc.—a balanced diet includes “play foods” as well.
Let’s talk about “Play Foods”
Examples of play foods are donuts, pizza, macaroni and cheese, cookies, burgers, and French fries. These play foods nourish your mental health in many ways, but when they are restricted or labeled as “bad” or “junk”, they elicit feelings of guilt and shame when they are eaten. These negative feelings chip away at your mental health, creating stress and anxiety around food, and result in a conflicted relationship with food and your body. They also keep you from fully enjoying time with others whenever you eat out, attend social and holiday events, or go on vacation.
I know, this is likely contrary to what you have previously heard, but that is a balanced diet. Let me put your mind at ease and clarify, I am not shoving nutrition aside and saying eat pizza and cookies to your heart’s content; I am saying eat nutrient-dense foods consistently and allow space for pizza and cookies (or whatever play foods you enjoy). These foods, after all, still provide your body with energy that is needed to think, perform, exercise, and carry out internal metabolic processes.
Plant foods and the gut-brain connection
Plant foods have properties known as phytonutrients that support anti-inflammatory pathways in our bodies that reduce damage to cells and tissues, including your gut, brain, and nerve cells.
These foods also provide your digestive system with nutrients and indigestible fibers that nourish your “gut bugs” (the bacteria in your intestines, known as the gut microbiota). I know, weird, right? Your gut bugs are awesome and very beneficial to you - they synthesize nutrients, fight pathogens, and take part in producing 95% of the serotonin in your body (among a variety of other things). For those of you who do not know, serotonin is the neurotransmitter that creates feelings of happiness and contentment and is commonly referred to as the “happy hormone”. Well known for its vital role in brain health, serotonin also promotes digestive health and motility. It is unclear as to whether serotonin produced in the gut directly affects mood by being transported to the brain, though, it is clear that a healthy gut microbiome can impact brain health and mood. All-in-all, you can think of it this way: happy gut = happy brain.
Just as your gut affects your brain, your brain affects your gut, hence “the gut-brain connection”. Your microbiota shifts from day-to-day depending on how you feel, what you eat, and your health status. For this reason, stress-reducing practices and other self-care practices, along with a balanced diet that includes plant foods, are vital to keep this connection healthy.
Foods and nutrients for mental health
As I mentioned, a balanced diet consists of a variety of foods from each food group–protein, grains/breads, vegetables, fruit, and fat–and each group contains many food options that impact mental health and performance. Here is a list of commonly eaten foods from each category:
Protein: beef, turkey, chicken, bison, fish, lentils, beans, tofu, tempeh, eggs, cheese, milk, Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, nuts, seeds
Grains/breads: pasta, rice, quinoa, couscous, barley, amaranth, semolina, bread, cereal, oats
Vegetables: bok choy, kale, spinach, collard greens, arugula, peppers, onions, carrots, potatoes, green beans, brussels sprouts, peas, cucumber, radish, zucchini, squash, broccoli
Fruit: apples, bananas, orange, berries, kiwi, melon, peaches, nectarines, grapes, pears, mango, papaya, avocado
Fat: nuts, seeds, avocado, olive oil, avocado oil, canola oil, butter
Water: not necessarily a food group, but it is just as vital to mental health and performance
These foods (and many more) play a significant role in supporting your body’s ability to run, jump, swim, kick, throw, and lift weights. They also support your mental health by providing the necessary nutrients for regulating nerve transmission, keeping your nervous system functioning optimally, and providing building blocks for the creation of hormones like gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA – calming), dopamine (“feel-good” hormone) and serotonin (“happy” hormone). Here’s a list of those nutrients, along with some food sources for each:
Vitamin D: salmon, tuna, mackerel, fortified dairy, soy, orange juice and cereals
Vitamin B12: beef, chicken, pork, bison, turkey, eggs, dairy, eggs, fortified grains and cereals
Vitamin B6: chicken, beans, pork, fish, nuts, bananas, potatoes, oats
Thiamin: whole grains, beef, pork, chicken, fish, fortified grains and cereals, enriched flour
Folate: leafy greens, fortified grains and cereals, enriched flour
Omega 3s: salmon, mackerel, tuna, sardines, flaxseed, walnuts
Zinc: oysters, beef, pork, bison, beans, nuts, dairy, fortified grains
Magnesium: nuts, seeds, beans, grains, spinach
Protein: beef, bison, pork, turkey, chicken, eggs, dairy, beans, lentils, tofu, tempeh
Carbohydrates: grains, breads, pastas, baked goods, beans, lentils
Often overlooked, it is important to consume enough energy (calories) every day, especially for athletes and active individuals. This is crucial to mental health and performance. If you are skipping meals, suppressing hunger with dieting tricks, or only consuming low-calorie foods, there will not be enough energy available for your body and mind to function optimally. All in all, listen to your hunger cues and give your body and mind the nourishment it needs.
What about access to food affecting mental health and performance?
Some of you may see these lists and realize that you do not have access to several of these foods. Food insecurity is something that greatly affects mental health and impacts many families. According to Feeding America, food insecurity describes a household’s inability to provide enough food for every person to live an active, healthy life. If you are experiencing food insecurity, don’t get hung up on white versus brown rice, white versus whole grain pasta, organic versus inorganic, canned versus fresh or frozen, cereal versus granola–all versions, while there are some differences, will still provide you with many of the nutrients you need for performance and mental health. If you try to eat a few foods from each category, you will likely get the nutrition you need.
If you are experiencing an inability to access adequate food, reach out to coaches, mentors, friends, family, and your community to explore solutions. Take advantage of convenience stores, small grocery and corner stores, food banks, school meal services, SNAP benefits and other community organizations for more reasonable prices and meal assistance. Visit Feedingamerica.org to find other resources around your area if you need food access assistance.
Caring for your mental health
As we enter the Winter months amid a pandemic, remember that mental health is just as important as physical health. So, give yourself grace as you navigate exercise and eating patterns to find what makes you happy and keeps you healthy. As you may know, exercise releases endorphins (remember dopamine and serotonin?) that support positive mood and behavior. Paired with a balanced diet that includes anti-inflammatory foods and a perspective that food is not “bad” or “good”, you will build a strong foundation for your mental and physical health.
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