Eating for Brain Health

“A healthy gut, maintains a healthy brain.” The prevalence of mental health disorders such as anxiety and depression are on the rise. The world we live in is bombarding us with external stressors, then compound this with a food system that makes it difficult to support a healthy gut.

What if you could decrease your risk or even the severity of your anxiety and depression simply by making better choices in the foods you consume? 

The few top foods to help build a healthy gut which in turn builds a healthy brain are green veggies, fatty fish, berries, green tea, and walnuts. These foods are all high in vitamin K, lutein, folate, omega 3s, and beta carotene.  

One of my best tips for all of my health coaching clients is to start small. Small, realistic changes lead to better, longer term results. A few tips to build a few of these foods into your daily routine. Start with one meal at a time. For breakfast throw some spinach or kale into your morning eggs or top your oatmeal with a nut butter and add some berries and walnuts. For lunch try having a fatty piece of fish such as salmon topped on a salad or alongside some brown rice and steamed broccoli with olive oil. Lastly, try replacing a cup of your joe with a cup of green tea. Take note how each of these meals make you feel. Keeping a journal or recording these foods through an app can be beneficial to track. 
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Gut health is so vital for every organ system but what’s more important than choosing nourishing foods to think more clearly, feel more energetic, and have happy healthy thoughts? Take a moment today to sit down and take a good look at what you’ve eaten in the past 24 hours. No guilt, no judgment. Choose to make a small change for the betterment of your overall well being.