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With this blog, we highlight how your body and mind are affected by your own, personal nutritional values.
Drinks are a main component of your daily intake. First and foremost, you should consume at least eight glasses of water per day to prevent dehydration. That is the equivalent to 2 liters of water, every day. This should be your base level of intake each day. If you drink caffeine, try to limit yourself to one cup of coffee. Better yet, you could try switching to tea. In fact, tea, which has a lower amount of caffeine, contains various antioxidants that protect body tissue and prevent cell damage. However, you should avoid taking in excessive amounts of caffeine, as well as sugar. Sugary drinks have empty calories and damage tooth enamel, and tend to go hand in hand with caffeine. Caffeine, in turn, dehydrates you, which can lead to fatigue, concentration issues, and headaches. Combining both sugar and caffeine is extremely detrimental to your health and should be avoided, especially in excess, at all cost.
People often say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. This is partially because it allows you to start your day off with a high level of nutrient intake. You should try, at minimum, to eat a whole grain granola bar, yogurt, or fruit to start your day. However, it is of the utmost important that you have at least something to eat in the morning. You should never entirely skip breakfast. It is needed to fuel your body after you have gone without eating throughout the night. In fact, breakfast is directly linked to providing you with both better concentration skills and a better memory, as well as lowering your chance of getting diabetes, heart disease, and being overweight. Think about your last week. Have you eaten breakfast every day? Have you not eaten breakfast on certain days, or perhaps, all of the days? How have you felt as a result? I challenge you to eat a health breakfast everyday and see how it affects your daily cognitive and physical function. Remember what the word means, break your fast!
Breakfast is vital to starting your day, but lunch and dinner are just as important. Everyone learns about food groups as a kid, but it is just as important to maintain a healthy balance of these groups as an adult. A healthy diet typically includes a multitude of fruits, vegetables, nuts, whole grains, fish, and unsaturated fats like olive oil. There is actually a direct correlation between your diet and depression. Someone with a healthy diet, consisting of a combination of the foods above, is actually 30 percent less likely to develop depression when compared to someone who consumes high levels of meat and dairy. Although delicious, high-fat dairy, and fried meat/sugary foods, have little if any nutritional value. Not only do they lead directly to weight gain, there is a direct correlation between these foods and depression. The lower the nutritional value of your diet, the more likely you are to develop characteristics of depression.
There are three main nutrients that you should focus on including in your diet: Folate (Vitamin B), Vitamin D, and Omega-3 Fatty Acids. There is a direct link between an increase intake of folate and a lower risk of depression. Additionally, folate is especially important for pregnant women, however, everyone needs it for the production of cells. Folate is primarily found in leafy green vegetables, fruits, nuts, beans, and whole grains. Another nutrient that is vital to your mental well being is Vitamin D. In fact, rates of depression are higher in people with Vitamin D deficiency, and, furthermore, is thought to be a major cause of Seasonal Affective Disorder. Outside of your mental health, Vitamin D is needed for the body to properly absorb calcium for strong teeth and bones. A lack of Vitamin D is traditionally associated with heart disease and an increased risk of heart attacks. While many foods do not naturally contain Vitamin D, there are foods that are fortified with it. For instance, fatty fish like salmon and tuna actually have Vitamin D, but, other foods like milk, orange juice, and breakfast cereals are Vitamin D fortified. However, the most traditional source of Vitamin D is actually the sun. If you have a limited diet, like I do, it is still possible to get an adequate amount of Vitamin D. In fact, five to thirty minutes of sun exposure twice a week can do the trick. This may be difficult due to the weather in the fall and winter, but there are over-the-counter supplements available for such an occasion. Finally, Omega-3 Fatty Acids are crucial to your mental and physical well- being. Typically, oily fish are recommended for your weekly omega-3 intake, although it can also be found in walnuts, flax, olive oil, fresh basil, and leafy vegetables.
