Believe it or not, food can have a massive impact of how we feel and I’m not talking about the joy we get from deep diving into a tub of Ben and Jerry’s, as good as that feels. I’m talking about how certain foods, or food pairings can help promote the happy hormones and chemicals in our brain.

When it comes to food and mental health the first thing we should look at is the brain, and what keeps the brain healthy and working at its optimum. Firstly you should know that the brain is around 60% fat. This fat is functional and needs constant maintenance to rebuild and maintain it. This is through having a constant supply of healthy fats.

Neurotransmitters in our brain regulate our mood, anxiety, depression, and stress. Certain nutrients help to support and maintain the neurotransmitters, which I will talk about below with my list of the best things for your diet to help support mental health.

Lets talk about omega 3 fatty acids. These are a really important dietary nutrient because they can help with a whole host of different health problems but I will stick to its benefits for mental health.

Omega 3 fatty acids are vital for the health of our brain because of 2 of the 3 acids, which are EPA and DHA.

EPA has been found to improve many aspects of brain health and brain function and it enhances the performance of neurotransmitter receptors. DHA is vital for brain development during pregnancy and early childhood.

Both EPA and DHA forma of omega 3 fatty acids can only be found in oily fish. Omega 3 fatty acid, ALA, is what you find in plant-based foods including flaxseed. This has to be converted into DHA and EPA in our body, however our body doesn’t do it fast enough for our body to absorb the benefits. If you are vegan you can get vegan supplements, which are derived from algae.

Refined carbohydrates give us a fast release of energy, which rapidly floods the bloodstream with glucose. The body feels good and energised to start with, however the blood sugar levels drop rapidly, which causes us to deteriorate in mood, feel sluggish, tired and unmotivated.

Consuming wholegrain and fibre rich carbohydrates such as wholemeal pasta, brown rice, sweet potato, we will slow down our digestion. Fibre needs more digestive effort and this makes the glucose harder to get to. When glucose is released, at a more slow and steady pace, it doesn’t make our blood sugars surge and then crash.

Consuming Protein with every meal will slow down digestion further as the gut works to break it down.

Tryptophan is an essential amino acid that cannot be produced by the human body and must be obtained through diet. It is vital for a wide variety of metabolic functions that affect mood, cognition, and behaviour. Studies show that there is a link between dietary intake of rich tryptophan foods and improved moods.

Tryptophan rich foods include sunflower/ sesame/ pumpkin seeds, banana, butternut squash, tuna, turkey, cheese, and eggs.

Tryptophan synthesises serotonin, which is the main neurotransmitter that is involved in how we feel and is a feel good chemical that can keep us happy and stabilise mood. The synthesis of serotonin from tryptophan is a two-step process and the rate of serotonin synthesis is dependant on tryptophan concentrations in the brain.

To get tryptophan to the brain where it is needed, it needs to be paired with a quality high fibre carbohydrate source. The gentle rise in insulin will help it get across to the brain.

Consume magnesium rich foods, for example leafy greens, Quinoa, legumes, cocoa, and seeds. Magnesium can help with both anxiety, depression, and it helps make us feel physically relaxed by calming nervous tension and relaxing the mind.

Magnesium relaxes the nervous system and plays an important role in nerve conduction. It also calms nervous tension and relaxes the mind, which is a great tool for helping with anxiety.

Eat foods rich or enriched with B vitamins such as dark leafy greens, salmon, liver, eggs, legumes, fortified cereals, and meat.

B-vitamins synthesise and regulate dopamine and serotonin neurotransmitters. Both of these neurotransmitters are involved in the regulation of mood, as well as regulating depression and anxiety.

Low levels of B1 (Thiamine) will cause you to feel tired and sluggish.

B12, B6 and folic acid will help boost mood.

B6 is vital for brain health and is vital in converting tryptophan into serotonin as we spoke about above.

Glutamine is found in nuts such as cashews, almonds and walnuts. Glutamine helps control anxiety by managing the neurotransmitter GABA.

GABA is a neurotransmitter that regulates how we feel, reduces anxiety and stress and is vital for mood regulation. GABA cannot be sourced through food, however Glutamine is an amino acid, and is one of the main nutrients of GABA, so consuming foods containing glutamine will help its function.