What you eat affects your brain, your physical health and your mental health.
Eating well means you are feeding your brain with fuel and nutrients it needs. This may help if you have mental health difficulties or want to protect your mental health.
If you have a poor diet you may miss important nutrients, have changes to your gut health or not eat the right fats.
These may affect your mental health.
To eat well for your brain and mental health, you can try:
- plan ahead
- do not skip meals
- eat breakfast
- use the food pyramid
- eat the right fats
- eat more fruit and vegetables
- choose the right drinks
- keep a food diary
Plan ahead
Eating lots of different foods means your body is more likely to get the nutrition it needs. To make this easier, plan and shop for meals ahead of time. Make extra meals to store and freeze portions for times when you do not feel like cooking.
Do not skip meals
Eat balanced meals regularly during the day. This helps to keep your energy levels steady and gives your brain nutrients it needs.
Start the day right
Breakfast breaks your brain's overnight fast. Eating earlier in the day gives you energy for the day's challenges and steadies your mood.
Start your day with foods that give your brain the nutrients it needs.
Do
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eat porridge, wholegrain toast or other wholegrain carbohydrate foods
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include milk, yogurt or other dairy foods
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add some fruits or vegetables for extra fibre and vitamins
Use the food pyramid
Use the food pyramid to help you plan healthier meals.
Aim to eat 5 to 7 portions of vegetables and fruit a day. You can do this by making sure they are a main part of each meal.
Use wholegrain bread, brown rice and pasta, or other grains. They contain more fibre than white varieties.
Foods rich in protein give you nutrients that are vital for your mental health. They help the production of complex chemical messengers in your brain. Meat, fish, eggs, nuts and legumes such as lentils or beans are a good source of protein. Milk, yogurt and cheese are also good sources of protein.
Vitamin B12 is important for your mental health. It helps make chemicals that affect mood and other brain functions. You can get vitamin B12 from eating fish and eggs.
If you do not eat fish or eggs, you can get vitamin B12 from:
- a vitamin supplement
- in fortified food that has the vitamin added - such as yeast extract, soya milk or yogurt
Find out more about the food pyramid
Healthy Ireland food plans and guides - gov.ie
Food alternatives for vegan diets - indie.ie
Eat the right fats
The brain runs on glucose, which is a type of carbohydrate. But the brain itself is mostly made up of fat.
To keep your brain working well:
- eat unsaturated fats
- eat omega 3 fats
- limit food with saturated fats
Food you can eat with unsaturated fats
You can find unsaturated fats in:
- oily fish - such as mackerel, salmon and tuna
- avocados
- nuts and seeds - such us flaxseed, chia seeds and walnuts
- sunflower, rapeseed and olive oil
Food you can eat with omega-3 fats
For good brain health it is important to eat foods that contain omega-3 fats.
Good sources of omega-3 fats include:
- oily fish
- nuts and seeds
Limiting foods with saturated fats
Limit foods that have high amounts of saturated fat. They can have a negative affect on your mood.
Limit:
- processed foods such as biscuits, bars, crisps and chocolate
- takeaways and fried foods
- fatty meats
- cream and butter
- full-fat spreads and cheeses
Eat more fruit and vegetables
Fruit and vegetables are a great source of vitamins, minerals and fibre. Choose a wide variety of fruit and vegetables of different colours to get the best mix of nutrients. For example, spinach, broccoli, carrots, bananas and berries. Have them fresh, frozen or tinned.
Try to eat some fruits or vegetables with every meal. For example, add some vegetables to sauces, serve a salad with your meals or have some berries in your breakfast cereal.
They are also great to have as a snack between meals. Eat an apple as a snack, or add banana to your your yogurt.
Choose the right drinks
If your body does not have enough liquid you can get dehydrated. This can cause fuzzy thinking, poor memory and tiredness. Try to have around 1.5 to 2 litres of liquid per day. At least half of your what you drink should be water. But you can also include tea or coffee, herbal drinks, milk or milk substitutes, or a glass of fruit juice.
Caffeine
Caffeine is found in many energy drinks, as well as in tea and coffee. Caffeine is a strong stimulant that can cause sleep problems and increase anxiety. It can help to avoid caffeine or reduce the amount you have.
Keep a diary
It might take you time to get used to a new eating pattern. Make changes slowly and give yourself time to adjust. Write down what you eat and make notes about how you're feeling in the following hours and days. Over time, you might work out how particular foods make you feel and how they affect your energy or mood.