Mental Healthy Mental Happy - 3: Nutrients & Exercise

The third topic in my series, Mental Healthy Mental Happy in honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, focuses on nutrients & exercise. Our bodies need a variety of nutrients in optimal amounts help the body and brain function properly.  Eating a balanced diet of protein, healthy fats, and an abundance of colorful vegetables and fruit, along with an activity regimen, will put you on track. Exercise can help you to increase energy, boost your mood, sleep better, balance hormones, balance metabolism, increase memory, and decrease anxiety, depression, and stress. To feel your best, get at least 30 mins at least 3 times per week of cardiovascular and muscle strengthening exercises. Jen Simon of FoodWorks Wellness LLC suggests some specific nutrients  and herbs at therapeutic amounts to reduce stress. These include the following:

Zinc balanced with copper - oysters, beef, crab, fortified cereals, lobster, pork chops, cashews, chick peas, chicken, kidney beans, oatmeal, & almonds are good sources of zinc (avoid high copper)Magnesium - calming and found in almonds, avocado, black beans, bran cereal, brown rice, cashews, cereal (shredded wheat), edamame, kidney beans, & oatmealB-vitamins – help make neurotransmitters, decreases stress, and increase energy (protein and dairy are high in B vitamins as well as avocado, pomegranate, dates, watermelon, and some berries are especially high in B-complex vitamins. Leafy greens and vegetables such as amaranth, bok choy, Swiss chard, kale, Brussels sprouts, potatoes, squashes and parsnips also contain significant amounts. Most legumes have a lot of B vitamins; however, soy beans, black-eye peas and edamame contain the highest amounts of B9, also known as folate.)
Vitamin D - especially for depression, bipolar disorders, and schizophrenia (found in fish, especially salmon, crimini mushrooms, tofu, yogurt, fortified cereals, milk, & eggs)
Vitamin C and other anti-oxidants to help with cell repair (found in fruits and green vegetables)
DHA, EPA - essential fatty acids/omega-3’s to decrease inflammation (in salmon, sardines, tuna, & herring)
Amino acids – protein from a variety of sources in the die,t supplements such as GABA, l-taurine, and l-theanine for anxiety (all proteins)SAMe, 5 HTP, l-tyrosine, DL-phenylanlanine for depression (Compounds shown to alleviate symptoms of depression when taken as supplements)Herbals – adaptogens such as ashwaganda, rhodiola, & St. John’s Wort help combat stress and anxietyMore calming herbals – chamomile, passion flower, kava, & peppermint
Wishing you a healthy day!
Tricia