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Recent graduate Kiren details the role of a balanced diet in improving your health and wellbeing.
I'm Kiren, a recent graduate from UCL currently working for the civil service in regulatory affairs. In my spare time I love writing and I hope my articles can be of great help to UCL's alumni. I aim to provide you with tips and advice that may improve your study skills, mental health and wellbeing.
Exercise, sleep, relaxation techniques and spending time with your loved ones are well known lifestyle factors that can improve your mental health. However, your choice of breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks can play a very important role in lifting your mood and helping you to see the sunshine through the clouds!
We all know too much sugar is bad for our teeth, but let’s explore the impact of sugar and other processed foods on our mental health. In short, excess sugar can cause your blood sugar to rapidly rise falling after 2-3 hours, which can lead to an increase in your stress hormones, cortisol, and adrenaline. This has a negative impact on your mood.
Studies have found that sugar can cause a temporary relief. However, in the long term it has been found to supress the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis, which controls how we respond to stress. So, let’s ditch the sugary library snacks and pick up some fruits and nuts!
More broadly, lifestyle changes are more likely to be successful when we gradually introduce them into our routine. Below are some of the better choices we can slowly introduce into our diets…
1. Omega-3 fats
Salmon, tuna, mackerel, sardines, eggs, yoghurts, and walnuts are just a few examples of how we can eat more omega-3 fats. Several studies have found a deficiency of omega-3 fatty acids is associated with an increased risk of depression. Luckily, foods that contain omega-3 are easy to incorporate into every meal of the day!
2. Prebiotics
Prebiotics increase the growth and activity of beneficial microorganisms that are described as the brain’s peacekeepers. Research has shown a link between gut bacteria and depression, so let’s play our part in increasing the good gut bacteria!
Cocoa beans, apples, bananas, onions and oats are go-to ways of incorporating food that contains prebiotics into our diet.
3. Tryptophan
Tryptophan is an amino acid found in food that contains protein. Tryptophan can be converted into serotonin and melatonin.
Serotonin regulates sleep, appetite and mood and several studied have a found a low level of serotonin associated with depression, whilst melatonin is also an important factor in the regulation of sleep.
It is important to produce these good hormones naturally, and foods high in tryptophan such as pumpkin and sesame seeds, peanuts, tofu and soy, cheese and eggs can be a great source!
Remember, it's never too late to make better lifestyle choices that can improve our body and mind!
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