Include These 12 Essential Nutrients To Support Mental Wellbeing

Feeling bamboozled about what to eat? There's a ridiculous amount of information available out there! It's not surprising we get overwhelmed from time to time, thinking about the 101 things we 'should' be eating to support our health, especially when there’s always some trendy new superfood on the block and some big celebrity going keto, paleo, vegan or telling you if you're not intermittent fasting you're doing it all wrong!

So let’s strip it back to basics and take a look at what the research says about what are the key nutrients to include for mental wellbeing.... and where you can find them. Eating these foods will not only support mental wellbeing but increase physical vitality and improve your overall quality of life. Now isn't that something we all want?!

Exciting new research published in the World Journal of Psychiatry has identified

12 key nutrients that support mental wellbeing and have labelled these as Antidepressant Nutrients.

Ready? Here They Are!

• Omega-3

• Folate

• Magnesium

• Zinc

• B12

• B6

• B1

• Vitamin C

• Vitamin A

• Iron

• Potassium

• Selenium

These nutrients reduce neuronal inflammation and oxidative stress, support neurotransmitter production, as well as promote brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) which plays a major role in neuroplasticity and neogenesis, or in other words, the capacity for our brain to modify connections, repair and rewire itself. This is something that happens every night when we sleep, but it can become impaired. Watch this space for a more detailed post on BDNF and how to increase it.

You may feel that you need further support in one or more of these nutrients. This could be achieved through increasing certain foods or in the form of targeted supplementation. If you think this may be you, please seek the guidance of a nutritionist or naturopath.

The Best Bang For Your Buck

*High Antidepressant Food Scores containing the above nutrients

Watercress Mustard, turnip, beet greens

Spinach Lettuce

Fresh herbs: coriander, basil, parsley Cauliflower

Dark leafy greens Broccoli

Capsicum Brussel sprouts

Pumpkin Papaya

Lemon Walnuts

Berries Dark chocolate/cacao

Avocado Chicory greens

Salmon Brazil nuts

Hemp, chia and flax seeds Asparagus

Apples Garlic

Onion Olive oil

Herbs and spices: garlic, ginger, turmeric, saffron, cinnamon

Fermented foods: apple cider vinegar, sauerkraut, kimchi, pickles, kombucha, kefir

How Can You Include These Foods? Here’s A Few Ideas:

• Thai green chickpea veggie curry

• Mexican burrito bowl

• Roast vegetable and quinoa salad

• Frittata

• Smoothie with frozen berries, banana, cacao, walnuts, brazil nuts, hemp seeds, chia seeds

• Poached/scrambled eggs with dark leafy greens and avocado on buckwheat and chia bread (recipe in previous post)

• Smoked salmon, poached eggs and avocado

• Grilled salmon and veg patties

• Walnut and lentil burgers

• Cauliflower steak

• Vegan quinoa/tofu/tempeh san choy bow

• Baked brussel sprouts

• Roast pumpkin, carrot, ginger, coconut soup

• Salmon with cauliflower rice and greens

• Home made granola with nuts, seeds and cacao nibs

• Whole grain, nut and seed crackers

• Home made berry and chia jam

• Chia pudding

• Kale chips

• Turmeric latte with coconut or almond milk

• Hummus with vege sticks

Food As Medicine Can Be Delicious And Nutritious!

This is as complicated as it has to be!

Whole food, colourful, nutrient dense.

Don't discount the power of such simplicity.

Eating a diet that is rich in these nutrients has been shown to reduce depression by 30%. That's significant!

So what are the key takeaways to consider when eating for mental wellbeing?

- Small changes can have a huge impact, a little bit of good nutrition goes a long way! The inclusion of these foods will offset some of the poorer quality processed foods that you may still be including, and that’s fine! Just do your best, it doesn’t all have to be done at once.

- Pick 1-2 new foods from the list above to include, after 2 weeks when this is a part of your routine, pick another one.

- Try not to let stress, anxiety or even guilt build up over food.

- Eat food in it’s whole form as much as possible.

- Include the antidepressant nutrients and foods listed above.

- Ensure you’re getting adequate protein from quality sources. Aim for approximately 1g per kg of bodyweight per day (periods of growth, illness/recovery, athletes etc will require more).

- Plant based sources: beans, lentils, chickpeas, tempeh, tofu, buckwheat, oats,

amaranth, nuts, hemp seeds, flax seeds, chia seeds.

- Animal sources: organic/free range/grass fed beef, lamb, chicken, fish, eggs

*Note – meat that is not free range where the animals have been grain fed contains a much higher omega-6 to omega-3 profile and is highly inflammatory.

- Reduce intake of inflammatory foods by choosing healthier swaps, anything that is highly processed and refined will fall under this category. It’s okay to do this slowly!

- Watch out for trans fats or partially hydrogenated oils such as the ones found in margarine, canola oil, sunflower oil, corn oil and safflower oil. These are rancid and highly inflammatory.

- I would also suggest getting out into the sunshine for 30 minutes each day, soak up the sun's rays onto bare skin.

- Stay hydrated. Did you know even 1% dehydration can significantly effect energy, memory and brain function? If you want to feel strong, energised and be able to front up to the day, drink a glass of water every 90 minutes.

LaChance, L.R., & Ramsey, D. (2018). Antidepressant foods: An evidence-based nutrient profiling system for depression. World Journal of Psychiatry (8)3, 97-104. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6147775/