The Important Link Between Body and Mind
In today’s hectic, fast-paced world, it can sometimes be difficult to keep yourself calm and collected in the face of stress. Luckily, there are a number of things you can do to help your body naturally stay calm. Here at awaken your health, we offer nutritionist services to our clients, helping you to make healthy choices to enable your body to perform at its optimal level. That includes reducing stress. Often people gloss over the link between stomach and brain, but here’s a glimpse into how you can prime your diet for greater mental health:
Eat the Rainbow
Eating a wide diversity of colourful plant foods, rich in polyphenols and antioxidants, can boost focus by protecting cellular function and optimising blood flow to the brain. Aim for five or more cups of plant foods daily, predominantly vegetables, and add value and flavour to your meals by including herbs and spices. Try to increase the number of colours on your plate at each mealtime – diversity is the spice of life!
A Natural High
Whilst caffeine and other stimulants may give you a short-term boost of energy, relying on stimulants to function each day has an adverse effect on your blood sugar control, which may increase anxiety and irritability, not to mention impacting sleep quality. We often feel more exhausted than when we began as the effects of caffeine and other stimulants wear off. You are much better off relying on adequate hydration and a high-quality diet to sustain a calm and focused mind. Replace coffee with a couple of cups of quality green tea. This has been shown to produce a better ability to focus attention and to improve both speed and accuracy due to its l-theanine content.
Fishy Benefits
Omega-3-rich foods provide building block components that form a structural part of our brain matter. Including oily fish such as Australian sardines, wild salmon, ocean trout, oysters, mussels, and skipjack tuna aid mental performance and improve concentration and mood. Our founder, Tabitha McIntosh, recently contributed this last point to an article by Bupa Life Insurance: ‘How to Stay Calm: Wellness Experts Share Their Tips’. Read it for more great advice on keeping calm throughout your day and life.
Take care of your diet and you’ll be doing wonders for your mind.
We are all about following a healthy diet, not just for the health benefits but for the mood benefits as well. Check out our latest feature in a Bupa Life Insurance article to learn all about how a balanced, nutritious diet can help you keep calm and reduce stress.