Healthy Eating, Healthy Mind…5 Ways To Eat Healthier For Better Mental Health

How eating Whole Food Plant-Based diet has been a game changer in my depression management and overall mental health.

What is Whole Food Plant-Based eating? Whole foods are any foods that are not altered by science, chemicals or changed from it original form. Basically, if you can’t read and understand all the ingredients in a food product, it is most likely processed and no longer a whole food. 

Plant based simply means foods from plants, not animals. Eating a Whole Food Plant-Based diet has tremendous health benefits that can include improving mental health symptoms. 

One day I was sitting on the sofa in a lot of pain, and I turned on a documentary about eating a whole food plant-based diet. Then I watched another and another. My goal at the time was to find a way to get rid of my pain. I was not functioning which then led to an increase in my depression. After watching a few of these documentaries, I decided to take the plunge and began eating a Whole Food Plant Based diet, but only to see if it would help to decrease my depression. I committed to eating this way for 6 weeks to see if my pain decreased. After six weeks, my pain had decreased significantly and I was able to go food shopping, do laundry and other activities that I was unable to do for months. However, another surprising thing happened; my depression was also decreased, my mind was clearer, the world was brighter, and each day had more joy than sadness. Eating plant based, whole foods was helping my depression too! Now, at first I thought maybe my mood had gotten better simply because I was feeling better and moving again. However, this improvement in my mood continued. I also began to notice that when I ate junk or processed foods, my depression was more easily triggered. So, I do my best to eat a whole food plant-based diet every day.

I’ve known for years that eating healthy helped mental health. Back in the 90’s when I was in graduate school, I did a research paper on nutrition and mental health. I knew that certain vitamins and minerals help our mental health, certain foods could make it worse, and things like alcohol can trigger things like anxiety and depression. I have been a healthy eater most of my life and have been a vegetarian for most of the last 35 years. However, when I cut out all animal products and all processed foods, it was really a game changer for my mental health. That is why I want to share it with others. 

We put so much crap in our body. Too many of us don’t think about what we are eating and how it might affect our mind and body despite it being extremely important for our overall health and wellness. The less crap we put into our body, the less crappy it will treat us. 

Switching from a standard diet to a whole food plant-based diet can be a challenge for many, but here are 5 easy steps to begin the journey towards healthier eating and creating a stronger mental health. 

*Watch a few documentaries on whole food plant-base eating. The one that I first watched was Forks Over Knives. You can watch on their website HERE. I honestly wasn’t curious about it for my mental health. I also have Fibromyalgia and my pain became debilitating and I was living on the sofa. I was curious about how changing my diet might decrease my pain. After watching a few other documentaries, I decided to try it for 6 weeks. The difference was amazing. My pain decreased tremendously, and I was able to complete my day-to-day activities. As I continued to eat this way, I began to realize how much less my depression had become. The frequency and intensity of my depression had become less, and my depression had become easier to manage. Over the last 5 years, I noticed that when I don’t eat correctly, I do struggle more. What we feed our bodies also feed our mind. Feed your brain and body like you love it and it will begin to love you back even more. I have listed some of my favorite whole food plant-based websites, documentaries and books for you to explore if you are interested in exploring this way of eating further. 

*Start by cutting back how much meat you eat each week. If you are a big meat eater, it might be difficult for you to start eating no meat. Slowly cut back on how much meat you are eating. Some people only eat meat products at dinner while others eat it with every meal. Do what works for you. If you like to cook, then find a few new recipes to make that are whole food plant based. If you are like me and hate to cook, then keep it simples. A bowl of couscous, black beans, salsa, and some vegetables. Frozen veggies are totally good. Simple. Easy. Affordable. People often worry about getting enough protein without eating animal product, but you will be surprised at how much protein many plant products have. Between beans, tofu, greens, and many more. The documentary Game Changers is about athletes who have gone plant-based and talks about how they get enough protein. 

*Add extra fruits or vegetables to each meal and your snacks. Frozen vegetables are a great and easy way to add more vegetables to your meals. They don’t go bad for a long time, you can pop them in the microwave for a few minutes, add some to each meal. Vegetables with hummus is a great, healthy snack. Grab an apple and some natural peanut butter. Need something sweet? Dates with some dark chocolate inside them or make some homemade ice cream with frozen bananas and plant-based milk. You can slip fruits and vegetables easily into your daily meals and snacks. The vitamins and minerals will nourish your body and mind. 

*Decrease or eliminate your intake of processed foods. This is a difficult one for so many. We have gotten used easy, quick, pre-made items. It is so convenient to go through the fast-food drive-through for dinner. Look at labels. If you can’t understand the ingredients, then don’t eat it. Or, at least eat it very rarely. Processed food is anything that must be created by humans using unnatural ingredients. The less chemicals and processed food we put into our body, the less will go to our brain. Our physical and mental health will stay stronger and healthier.

*Decrease or eliminate alcohol. Alcohol is a depressant and can be addicted. While I have never been a big drinker, I never had any issue with alcohol making my depression worse until recently. I started to notice that my depression was worse the day after I had an alcoholic beverage. Because of this shift, I have begun to limit my alcoholic beverages to only special occasions again. This is how I drank most of my life and it is what works best for me. Regardless of it you deal with depression, anxiety or another mental health issue, eliminating or decreasing alcohol intake will only benefit your mental wellness. If you believe you have a problem with how much you drink, you can go to www.aa.org to find a meeting near you. At the end of the day, alcohol is like poison to our bodies, so the less we drink it, the healthier your body AND mind will become. 

The best part of eating a whole food plant-based diet is that you’ll be getting healthier physically and mentally. Your body won’t have to work as hard to process all the junk, you will begin to have more energy and focus. You mind will become clearer and hopefully; you will begin to have the energy needed to focus on your mental health and taking the necessary steps each day needed to create a life that supports your mental health. If you don’t think you can fully commit to eating this way, then do what you can to clean up how you eat each day. Simply eliminating processed foods or cutting out alcohol can make a big difference. Hopefully as you slowly make healthier choices, you will begin to see and feel a positive difference in your mental health. Feed your body and feed your mind on how you want to feel each day. 

I’ve listed a few of my favorite plant-based resources below. I hope you find them resourceful if you decide to pursue this way of eating for your health. 

Websites

www.forksoverknives.com

www.shaneandsimple.com

www.monkeyandmeinthekitchen.com

www.plantstrongfoods.com

Documentaries

What the Health

Forks Over Knives

Game Changers

Cowspiracy

Food Inc

Books

The China Study

How Not to Die

Plant-Strong: Discover the World’s Healthiest Diet

The Food Revolution: How Your Diet Can Help Save Your Life and Our World

If you haven’t downloaded my free workbooks and journals, be sure to go grab them now HERE. They can be a great resource for you or your loved ones.