Food and Mental Health

Eat Well to Feel Better: Food and Mental Health

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Eat Well to Feel Better: Food and Mental Health

“One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well.”

― Virginia Woolf

These words by Ms. Woolf are truer than ever. How you think, feel and act is largely influenced by your diet. Yes, food and mental health have a close relationship and in this post, we’ll learn how what you eat determines how you feel.

Our brain is nourished by the food we feed it and if you feed it well, you feel well but if you feed it junk, you feel like, yes you’re right, junk!

Not just that food plays a huge role in how well you perform, concentrate, react, respond. There is growing evidence that food is linked closely to learning, mental health, behaviour and Types of Mental Health Problems .

Eat the Right Carbs For The Right Mental Health

Carbs or carbohydrate-rich foods generally get a bad rap by healthy eaters. However, not all carbs are created equal and there are complex, nutrient-dense carbohydrate-rich foods, like whole grains  fruits, legumes, some vegetables that are actually good for you. Eating the right carbs can help boost tryptophan absorption in the body which in turn boosts serotonin {a known mood regulator} development in the brain.

Fight Depression AND Poor mental health with Fish

Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids are found in fish, flaxseed and walnuts. Omega-3 can help protect against depression. Fish again, is a good way to increase serotonin levels so it is a good idea to incorporate 2-4 servings of fish in your diet.

Avoid Junk Food

Although, we may seek comfort in that gooey slab of cake, all it does is set us up for a vicious cycle of highs and lows. The sugar gives you an instant high followed by a low and as a result you end up feeling tired, exhausted and irritable.

Get Outdoors and Get Moving

You know, what has an amazing impact on mood and mental health? Vitamin D. You know where you can get Vitamin D? Outdoors! Yes, get outside and soak in the sun. also, remember to get some exercise everyday. Exercise boosts endorphins or “feel-good” hormones and that’s what you want.. to feel good!

Do YOU think food is linked to mental health? Have YOU taken any Mental Health Assessment or a Mental Health Disorders Symptoms Quiz lately? Share with us in our Facebook community! 

Mental health

Mental Health Tips for Students: How Can You Stay Mentally Healthy as a Student

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Mental Health Tips for Students: How Can You Stay Mentally Healthy as a Student

Mental Health Tips for Students: How Can You Stay Mentally Healthy as a Student

80% of college students who need mental health services won’t seek them

50% of all college students say they have felt so depressed that they found it difficult to function during the last school year

Suicide is the second leading cause of death among college-age youth – over 1000 deaths per year.

The rate of student psychiatric hospitalizations has tripled in the past 20 years.

{ Source: wbur’s CommonHealth Reform and Reality}

Yes, those are some worrying numbers especially for parents and teachers. Yes, mental health for students is a concern keeping in mind the increasing pressure on children these days.

Here are some tips that can help you, as a parent or teacher, help children stay mentally healthy:

Talk to Your Kids…Often

Kids in high school and college tend to close parents out. However, simple family rituals like, dinner together or enjoying a date with a child can help keep the lines of communication open and help you as a parent sense if your kids are stressed about something.

Talk to kids without being preachy or judging them. Share news and info about mental health issues without being dramatic.

Learn About Mental Health and Illness

Read up on mental health and illness in children of different ages, refer to some Mental Health Resources so you know what is fact and what’s not. You’ll also be aware of the Types of Mental Health Problems and how to react, respond and deal with a situation should you notice a change in your child’s outlook and behavior.

Encourage Kids to Stay Active and Connected

It is easy for kids to come home from school and then just lounge on the couch, watching television or playing video games. Encourage kids to get out and get active. Set a good example yourself. Being outdoors and getting exercise everyday is a great way to boost endorphins as well as good health.

Also, encourage children to stay connected with friends and while they don’t have to be a social butterfly, a few solid connections can help. It is often, easier for a child to talk to a friend than to a parent.

Encourage Kids to See Support and Help  

Finally, if you notice that your child may be depressed, stressed or mentally troubled, don’t hesitate to seek help. Whether it is using NLP techniques, seeking therapy with the college counselor, medical assistance or Mental Health Services, be supportive and help your child to get help.

Are YOU a parent? What mental health concerns do YOU think children face these days? Share with us in our Facebook community.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mental Health

Mental Health Tips for Moms: How Can a Busy Mom Be Happier and Mentally Healthy

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Mental Health Tips for Moms: How Can a Busy Mom Be Happier and Mentally Healthy

Mental Health Tips for Moms: How Can a Busy Mom Be Happier and Mentally Healthy

Moms have a tough job. They are not only responsible for their own lives but also for little people who generally need help with everything. Even when kids grow up, they need Mom for a million and one things. Add to that, the fact that Moms are generally responsible for the cooking, cleaning, chores and errands and may often, be managing a fulltime or part-time job as well.

Yes, things can get stressful, challenging and lead to various Types of Mental Health Problems.

Sound mental health is key in helping busy, exhausted moms find the balance they need so that they don’t burn out or fall sick.

Here are effective mental health tips for moms to feel happier and healthier:

Take a Mom’s Mental Health Time Out

Spending some time on your own can be a great way to get away from the busyness, routineness and everyday-ness of life and infusing more balance and harmony into your life. Even something as small as going to the coffee shop on your own and enjoying your latte, undisturbed, can be helpful in reducing your stress levels and giving you the energy of balancing life’s demands.

Speak with your partner and identify at least 4 times during the month when you can head out for some time on your own to foster good mental health.

Re-Ignite a Hobby

Hobbies are therapeutic. They help you use parts of your brain that may otherwise languish. Also, they help you feel better and happier, having spent time on something that wasn’t ‘work’.

Find a hobby that you may have given up since the kids arrived and see if you could take it up again. Maybe reading books while the kids nap or an afternoon spent gardening while the kids play inside or your partner watches them.

Relax and Rejuvenate Your Mental Health Regularly

Vacations, trips to the salon, meditating in the morning, coffee or lunch with friends are all small yet simple ways of rejuvenating your tired body and mind and rejuvenate your mental health.

Sit down with your partner and plan these things each month so that you both get some time away together, separately and as a family too but in a more relaxing settings.

Get Support, Share and Talk

Often moms get extremely stressed because they take on too much on themselves. They try to do and be everything for everyone and that is a surefire recipe for burnout and stress.

Get support when you need it.

Whether it is asking your partner to watch the kids one afternoon a week while you go to the salon or hiring a mother’s helper to just play with the children, do it.

Don’t keep everything bottled up inside you. Talk to your friends, close family and of course, your spouse. Sharing is a great way of getting things out in the open, getting some perspective and also, just feeling better.

Are YOU a mom? What Mental Health Resources do you have to keep your mental health and physical health intact while juggling and multi-tasking life’s responsibilities? Join us in our Facebook community to share!

 

 

 

5 Mental Health Tips for Entrepreneurs

Work-Life Balance: Five Power-Packed Mental Health Tips for Entrepreneurs

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Five Power-Packed Mental Health Tips for Entrepreneurs

As business owners and entrepreneurs, we often get completely sucked into our work so much that everything else, including our mental health, becomes secondary.

In a job, you usually work predetermined hours and have designated responsibilities but entrepreneurs take work home all the time and at least in the initial stages are responsible for pretty much everything that the business demands.

Naturally, stress levels are high and mental health suffers, and so Types of Mental Health Problems are on the rise.

Here are 5 simple and effective work-life balance tips and Mental Health Resources to experience good mental health as a business owner:

Set Boundaries

Begin by setting boundaries for those at work with you and also for your self. Some ways you can start doing this:

Commit to not checking emails every second.

Try to finish work once and for all, for the day.

When with family, be with them and not on your phone or tablet checking work-related things.

These may not be possible for everyone but you can always start by taking baby steps and identifying a few hotspots where setting boundaries can help streamline your life.

Take Time for Yourself

When was the last time you spent time on your own doing something you love? Like, gardening, for example? If you’re having trouble thinking about this, it is time that you create space in your calendar to accommodate time for yourself. Yes, it is important, and even critical for your mental health. Do it!

Get Active

Entrepreneurs can often get deskbound. Sitting at the laptop all day long is not good for either your body or your mind. Try to stay active. Get in 30 minutes of exercise everyday. You can go for a run or walk around the block and get your me-time and your active time knocked off together. Nice, right?

Eat Healthy

Yes, food does play a role in affecting our mental health. Fill your body with sugary, fatty foods and you’ll end up feeling sluggish, lethargic and irritable. Gorge on fresh fruits, salads and good, old water and you’ll be more alert and active than ever!

Think Positive

Finally, remember to think positive. Being an entrepreneur comes with its fair share of stress and strain. There will be highs and lows. Remembering to keep your chin up and a smile on your face will help you to deal with stress. Meditation can help as can NLP techniques.  Surround yourself with positive thoughts and words to inspire you.

Are you an entrepreneur? How do YOU deal with the mental stress and the strain on your mental health? Share with us in our Facebook community!