I often get asked the question “Where should I start if I want to improve my health?”. Everyone will say that you need to take care of your health and protect yourself against any unexpected health conditions. But what specifically can you do?
This really is a very fair question, and a lot of people will give good advice. Although it can be hard to pick and then try to change something in your life. I personally choose to first improve nutrition before thinking of mental or physical health. This might be a surprise for you, however if you are not getting enough nutrients then most likely you will not be able to think clearly and you will not have the energy to do physical activities either.
Mental health is especially important nowadays so that we are able to think clearly and focus on our work, and it will affect your relationship with your family and friends as well. Many people struggle with anxiety, sleep disturbances and depression, and actually just in the last couple of years this has increased by almost fifty percent. We are already living in a very stressful environment so if we are not supporting our body with the adequate amounts of nutrients that we need then we may have a very hard time maintaining our health. So being careful with what we eat is not just important for how we look.
Nutrition has a multifactorial effect on your health. First, you need to know approximately how much calories you are consuming each day. Your calorie needs will depend on your activity level, your age, and your gender. Once you know the number — as an example, maybe you are eating 2000 calories each day and maintaining your weight — then you can start to add some nutrient dense food into your diet. If you follow my articles then you have probably heard me mention many times the dangers of consuming excessive amount of added sugar, processed carbohydrates, industrial oils such as seed oils, and food additives. These can cause many health issues, and rather than provide your body with nutrients they can even deplete the other nutrients that you are taking in.
When modifying our diet we can focus on what we can add to our diet to get all the vitamins and minerals that the body needs. One step could be to eat more fish, especially wild salmon and sardines. Do make sure that they are in water and not in oil, as commonly soybean oil is used and when you remove the oil you will also remove the omega 3’s too. These omega 3’s, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), have many health benefits which include helping lower the risk of heart disease, strengthening the immune system, and improving metal health, especially anxiety and depression. If you are not consuming fish on a regular basis, such as two to three times a week, or if you are eating a plant based diet then you may like to consider supplementation.
You can also add psyllium husk, flax seed and chia seed to your diet for increased amounts of fiber intake which can be helpful in staying fuller longer and also in regulating blood sugar, which means that you will most likely not crave sugar.
You can try consuming two to three servings of fresh or frozen fruits each day (not canned or juice). This can help increase your intake of essential vitamins and minerals, which means that you can easily add more nutrients to your diet in a delicious way.
Eating eggs on a regular basis, and organ meats once a week, especially liver, will help you get enough iron and vitamin B12. Although if you choose to not consume animal products then do make sure to talk with a health care practitioner and get the supplements that are best for your body. Beef liver especially is considered a superfood because it contains high quality protein, vitamin B12, iron, B1, B2, vitamin A, folate, zinc, copper, selenium, phosphorus and choline which are all vital for proper hemoglobin production, bone health, immune support, energy production, improved brain function and improved metabolism as well. You may not like the taste of liver or it may be hard to find, however many companies make organ supplements which are easy to take and still provide most of the benefits.
Lastly, vitamin B1 (thiamin) will help regulate blood sugar while helping you to digest carbohydrates, plus is also plays an important role in heart health and nerve function.
You can add it to your diet if you’re not already eating it regularly by consuming more yeast, beef, black beans, oatmeal, nuts, cauliflower, beef liver, eggs, potatoes, whole grains, asparagus and kale. It is also found in molasses and brewer’s yeast too. Do be careful how you prepare the food though because it is a water soluble vitamin which means that it can be lost when boiling in water.
Really, it is just all about eating as much whole food sources as possible, cooking at home as much you can, and being sure that you eat a variety of food. Those three steps will be a great start in improving your nutrition which can help improve your mental health and your sleep. Over time you will want to be more active and you will have much more and energy, and the best part is how that can positively affect those around you as well.
Resources:
w COVID-19, anxiety, sleep disturbances and suicide: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7195057/
w Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA): https://www.mountsinai.org/health-library/supplement/eicosapentaenoic-acid-epa
w Omega-3 fatty acids for mood disorders: https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/omega-3-fatty-acids-for-mood-disorders-2018080314414
w Why Liver Is a Nutrient-Dense Superfood: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/why-liver-is-a-superfood#TOC_TITLE_HDR_2
w What is thiamin, or vitamin B1: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/219545
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Ayda Ersoy is a nutritionist (Dip.C.N., Dip.S.N.); master trainer (CPT ACE, NCSF, CanfitPro); registered yoga teacher; founder, Health Angel Nutrition, Fitness and Wellness; and founder, SMS (Stability, Mobility Strength) Intuitive Training System.
