Is your diet considered natural anxiety medicine? - Take the food and mood quiz

Is your diet considered natural anxiety medicine? - Take the food and mood quiz

Do you feel tired after eating or feel anxious a few hours after skipping lunch? If you also have a high-sugar diet, you may need to back up your facts about healthy eating. See how your food choices fare in this next quiz.

Food & Mood Quiz

Rating: Give yourself one point for each question you answer YES.

1) You eat a lot of sugary foods; Muffins, chocolate bars, cakes

2) They eat white wheat bread as a staple diet

3) They mainly like starchy vegetables like potatoes and corn

4) You eat a lot of fried and fast food

5) Most of your food is canned, packed with lots of additives

6) French fries and iceberg lettuce are your two most important vegetables

7) You are addicted to caffeine and drink 3-8 cups of coffee daily

8) You rarely drink water

9) Alcohol is an important part of your life, at least 2 glasses a day

10) You skip meals, especially breakfast and sometimes lunch

11) You never or rarely eat fish (except fried)

12) Soda or diet drinks are your main drinks (3 or more per day)

13) You crave milk, pasta, cheese, cereal, bread, apple juice or orange juice

If your score is:

fifteenYou try to eat healthy but sometimes fail. Work on the items you answered YES to avoid brain fog.

6-9You don't think much about what you eat. Sometimes you feel anxious or depressed. Start paying attention to the quality of your diet.

10 – 13You have a lot of food cravings and have difficulty remembering things. They sometimes get panic attacks and/or depression. Choose a healthier, natural diet to promote brain and body health.

Even for those on medication, a holistic diet can make profound, positive changes to your mental health. Our society tends to ignore the role of diet as a way to influence our thoughts or feelings.

Food allergiescan not only cause a rash or wheezing, but also lead to negative psychological symptoms. According to Dr. B. Zylberberg, MD, of Toronto, who specializes in food allergies, mold and ragweed are two environmental allergens that have been linked to food problems. For some, anything that has been fermented or uses the yeast process, such as wine, beer, vinegar, soy sauce, and bread containing yeast, can be highly allergenic. Some people also react to nightshade vegetables (tomatoes, potatoes, eggplant, and peppers). They may react to other foods. To be sure, a food allergy test is a good option.

After a week of avoiding offending foods, you may feel better. However, it can take around three months for a brain to recover from chronic deficiency - so don't give up.

Healthy diet plan for mental health

proteinis made up of fragments known as amino acids. Some amino acids have a direct impact on the levels of certain brain chemicals. Eating foods naturally rich in tryptophan (fish, chicken, meat, eggs, dairy, legumes, beans, tofu, walnuts, and avocado) can improve mood because the tryptophan is converted by the body into serotonin (the happy neurotransmitter). Consume small amounts with each meal. Serotonin elevates moods, self-esteem, feelings of optimism and induces calm feelings and sleep.

Carbohydrateshelp the absorption of tryptophan into the brain. Slow-release carbohydrates like oatmeal and natural sugars found in fruits and vegetables can aid in the absorption of tryptophan across the blood-brain barrier. Eat these with protein. Refined sugar creates cravings and addiction.

Fatsare important for the brain because it consists of over 60% fat. Avoiding fat can lead to anxiety, depression and other mental health problems. Healthy fats are also foods that lower cholesterol. The polyunsaturated “Omega 3” fats, which are found in salmon and sardines as well as pumpkin seeds, ground linseeds or their oil and walnuts, are particularly important. Omega-6 fats are found in nuts and seeds and other cold-pressed, healthy oils. Only small quantities are necessary.

Vitamins and mineralsare co-factors, nutrients that help convert tryptophan protein fragments into the feel-good brain chemical serotonin. Nutrients such as vitamin C, folic acid, vitamin B6, biotin, zinc and selenium are found in fruits, avocados, vegetables such as lettuce, other leafy vegetables and fish, oats, sardines, walnuts or other nuts. These vitamins and minerals as co-factors can also be taken as dietary supplements, but good nutrition throughout the day is the basis.