How to Eat Your Way to an Amazing, Acne-Free Complexion

 

You may want to look younger, but having spots like a greasy teenager probably wasn’t what you had in mind. Acne is a common problem, especially if you have oily skin, but there are ways in which your diet can help.

 

1. Pick up more protein: Your skin cells react and recover faster from infections with a high intake of protein, as these prevent the secretion of oil onto your skin. This hampers the main cause of acne, as well as causing your skin to replace old cells quickly and become more light and soft.

 

2. Choose the right kind of fats: You might think fats aggravate your skin problems, but in fact you need a 1:3 ratio of omega-3 and omega 6 fatty acids to help your brain work properly and also fight acne. For omega-3, turn to olive oil, flax seed oil, fresh salmon, etc., while you can get omega 6-fatty acids from beef, red chicken, all nuts and peanut butter.

 

3. Find your favourite fruits: No food is better than fruits for skin wellness. Try apples to gradually reduce acne, or apricots for the vitamin A, vitamin B complex and fibre you need to control and fight spots. Bananas are a known boost to anti-ageing wellness, as their high content of potassium acts against acne-causing bacteria, while cherries help to cleanse your blood, which is vital in suppressing spots and pimples. For vitamin A and C try cantaloupe melons, or else pick papaya and other citrus fruits.

 

4. Eat vital vegetables: A strong way to clean up acne is by eating raw vegetables, especially the key players. Carrot is beneficial as it contains vitamin A, carotene and magnesium, while the nutrients in cucumber (notably vitamin A and vitamin C) control your acne and enrich your skin tone. Spinach is a skin superstar, providing you with iron, vitamins A and K and antioxidants, and finally garlic can control your skin’s oil balance, so you might want to add it to dishes or even directly apply garlic juice to the spots themselves.

 

5. Choose acne-treating carbs: Carbohydrates have a huge impact on your body’s inflammation and the balance of your blood sugar. This means that the carbs you eat have to be suitable for acne; low-glycaemic carbohydrates. These carbs don’t exacerbate inflammation, so try to get your carbohydrate fix from beans, legumes, oats, barley and quinoa, and eat them along with protein to effectively treat your acne.

 

6. Make sure you get all your vitamins and minerals: We’ve touched on this with the fruits and vegetables sections, but vitamins and minerals are so vital to your skin health that it bears repeating. The essential vitamins for preventing acne are vitamins A, C, D and K, while your non-miss-able minerals include magnesium, potassium and zinc. The reason why these nutrients are so important is that they have the properties you need to fight against harmful bacteria, exfoliate your skin of any dry and nasty bits, act on those persistent pimples and eliminate the inflammation on any skin rashes you might have. You’ll probably get all the vitamins and minerals you need if you eat a decent amount of fruit and veg – especially those listed above – but if not, talk to your doctor about deficiencies and the possibility of vitamin and mineral supplements.

 

7. Limit your consumption of dairy and processed foods: Milk products antagonize your affected skin, because they are high in saturates animal fats. This means that they promote the growth of bacteria, and so you’ll never protect your wellbeing against acne. Processed foods likewise promote the growth of acne and skin problems, as these contain skin-harming preservatives.

The post How to Eat Your Way to an Amazing, Acne-Free Complexion appeared first on .

Categories: acne, acne free, fatty acids, free complexion, nbsp, processed foods, skin, skin problems, vitamin

How to Eat Your Way to an Amazing, Acne-Free Complexion

 

You may want to look younger, but having spots like a greasy teenager probably wasn’t what you had in mind. Acne is a common problem, especially if you have oily skin, but there are ways in which your diet can help.

 

1. Pick up more protein: Your skin cells react and recover faster from infections with a high intake of protein, as these prevent the secretion of oil onto your skin. This hampers the main cause of acne, as well as causing your skin to replace old cells quickly and become more light and soft.

 

2. Choose the right kind of fats: You might think fats aggravate your skin problems, but in fact you need a 1:3 ratio of omega-3 and omega 6 fatty acids to help your brain work properly and also fight acne. For omega-3, turn to olive oil, flax seed oil, fresh salmon, etc., while you can get omega 6-fatty acids from beef, red chicken, all nuts and peanut butter.

 

3. Find your favourite fruits: No food is better than fruits for skin wellness. Try apples to gradually reduce acne, or apricots for the vitamin A, vitamin B complex and fibre you need to control and fight spots. Bananas are a known boost to anti-ageing wellness, as their high content of potassium acts against acne-causing bacteria, while cherries help to cleanse your blood, which is vital in suppressing spots and pimples. For vitamin A and C try cantaloupe melons, or else pick papaya and other citrus fruits.

 

4. Eat vital vegetables: A strong way to clean up acne is by eating raw vegetables, especially the key players. Carrot is beneficial as it contains vitamin A, carotene and magnesium, while the nutrients in cucumber (notably vitamin A and vitamin C) control your acne and enrich your skin tone. Spinach is a skin superstar, providing you with iron, vitamins A and K and antioxidants, and finally garlic can control your skin’s oil balance, so you might want to add it to dishes or even directly apply garlic juice to the spots themselves.

 

5. Choose acne-treating carbs: Carbohydrates have a huge impact on your body’s inflammation and the balance of your blood sugar. This means that the carbs you eat have to be suitable for acne; low-glycaemic carbohydrates. These carbs don’t exacerbate inflammation, so try to get your carbohydrate fix from beans, legumes, oats, barley and quinoa, and eat them along with protein to effectively treat your acne.

 

6. Make sure you get all your vitamins and minerals: We’ve touched on this with the fruits and vegetables sections, but vitamins and minerals are so vital to your skin health that it bears repeating. The essential vitamins for preventing acne are vitamins A, C, D and K, while your non-miss-able minerals include magnesium, potassium and zinc. The reason why these nutrients are so important is that they have the properties you need to fight against harmful bacteria, exfoliate your skin of any dry and nasty bits, act on those persistent pimples and eliminate the inflammation on any skin rashes you might have. You’ll probably get all the vitamins and minerals you need if you eat a decent amount of fruit and veg – especially those listed above – but if not, talk to your doctor about deficiencies and the possibility of vitamin and mineral supplements.

 

7. Limit your consumption of dairy and processed foods: Milk products antagonize your affected skin, because they are high in saturates animal fats. This means that they promote the growth of bacteria, and so you’ll never protect your wellbeing against acne. Processed foods likewise promote the growth of acne and skin problems, as these contain skin-harming preservatives.

The post How to Eat Your Way to an Amazing, Acne-Free Complexion appeared first on .

Categories: acne, acne free, fatty acids, free complexion, nbsp, processed foods, skin, skin problems, vitamin

How to Eat Your Way to an Amazing, Acne-Free Complexion

 

You may want to look younger, but having spots like a greasy teenager probably wasn’t what you had in mind. Acne is a common problem, especially if you have oily skin, but there are ways in which your diet can help.

 

1. Pick up more protein: Your skin cells react and recover faster from infections with a high intake of protein, as these prevent the secretion of oil onto your skin. This hampers the main cause of acne, as well as causing your skin to replace old cells quickly and become more light and soft.

 

2. Choose the right kind of fats: You might think fats aggravate your skin problems, but in fact you need a 1:3 ratio of omega-3 and omega 6 fatty acids to help your brain work properly and also fight acne. For omega-3, turn to olive oil, flax seed oil, fresh salmon, etc., while you can get omega 6-fatty acids from beef, red chicken, all nuts and peanut butter.

 

3. Find your favourite fruits: No food is better than fruits for skin wellness. Try apples to gradually reduce acne, or apricots for the vitamin A, vitamin B complex and fibre you need to control and fight spots. Bananas are a known boost to anti-ageing wellness, as their high content of potassium acts against acne-causing bacteria, while cherries help to cleanse your blood, which is vital in suppressing spots and pimples. For vitamin A and C try cantaloupe melons, or else pick papaya and other citrus fruits.

 

4. Eat vital vegetables: A strong way to clean up acne is by eating raw vegetables, especially the key players. Carrot is beneficial as it contains vitamin A, carotene and magnesium, while the nutrients in cucumber (notably vitamin A and vitamin C) control your acne and enrich your skin tone. Spinach is a skin superstar, providing you with iron, vitamins A and K and antioxidants, and finally garlic can control your skin’s oil balance, so you might want to add it to dishes or even directly apply garlic juice to the spots themselves.

 

5. Choose acne-treating carbs: Carbohydrates have a huge impact on your body’s inflammation and the balance of your blood sugar. This means that the carbs you eat have to be suitable for acne; low-glycaemic carbohydrates. These carbs don’t exacerbate inflammation, so try to get your carbohydrate fix from beans, legumes, oats, barley and quinoa, and eat them along with protein to effectively treat your acne.

 

6. Make sure you get all your vitamins and minerals: We’ve touched on this with the fruits and vegetables sections, but vitamins and minerals are so vital to your skin health that it bears repeating. The essential vitamins for preventing acne are vitamins A, C, D and K, while your non-miss-able minerals include magnesium, potassium and zinc. The reason why these nutrients are so important is that they have the properties you need to fight against harmful bacteria, exfoliate your skin of any dry and nasty bits, act on those persistent pimples and eliminate the inflammation on any skin rashes you might have. You’ll probably get all the vitamins and minerals you need if you eat a decent amount of fruit and veg – especially those listed above – but if not, talk to your doctor about deficiencies and the possibility of vitamin and mineral supplements.

 

7. Limit your consumption of dairy and processed foods: Milk products antagonize your affected skin, because they are high in saturates animal fats. This means that they promote the growth of bacteria, and so you’ll never protect your wellbeing against acne. Processed foods likewise promote the growth of acne and skin problems, as these contain skin-harming preservatives.

The post How to Eat Your Way to an Amazing, Acne-Free Complexion appeared first on .

Categories: acne, acne free, fatty acids, free complexion, nbsp, processed foods, skin, skin problems, vitamin

You Say You’re Eating Clean – But Are You Actually?

You don’t need me to tell you what you do to take care of your weight and wellness; cut back on all the crap you’re eating! If you’re yearning after Jessica Alba’s abs, all the exercise in the world won’t get you there unless you stop wasting your time and finally reduce your intake of sugar, high frequency cheat meals and processed foods. Abs are not made in the gym; they’re made in the kitchen. You may think you’re already taking care of your wellbeing by “eating clean” – but, let’s be honest, are you? What do you think eating clean means? It’s not about cutting back on the odd treat or only letting yourself indulge at weekends (although that is better than nothing), eating clean means that if you can’t kill it or grow it, you shouldn’t eat it.  That may hurt, so ask yourself how badly you want those abs. If you’re still up for the challenge, then read on!

 

1. Read the label: Most people think that the key to losing body fat is cutting calories, and burning off more calories than they consume. While this is indeed a vital aspect of anyone’s weight loss programme, it goes hand-in-hand with good nutrition, or avoiding processed foods. If you’re not sure what’s processed and what’s good for you, a good general rule of thumb is: If you can’t pronounce it, don’t eat it. The fewer processes an item of food goes through, the better it is for you. When you read the label – which is a must if you want to know what you’re putting into your body – you want to see as few ingredients as possible. Two important products to avoid are canned foods and deli meats, as both are very much processed and full of nitrates.

 

2. Choose the right milk: When products lists added minerals and vitamins, this means the food is processed and not a good choice. This “added vitamin” rule applies with 2% and low-fat milk, so unfortunately you need to avoid these staple diet products. While the rule does not apply to soya milk, that is not to say that this is a decent alternative if you want to lose weight. Soy produces oestrogen, which causes your body to produce more fat, so it should also be avoided as part of a weight loss diet. However, this doesn’t mean you have to forgo your morning bowl of cereal or cup of tea; almond, goat or rice milk are all good choices.

 

3. Stay away from simple sugar: Another thing you need to clear out of your clean eating diet is simple sugar. Your body can process a maximum of three to six grams of sugar at one time, depending on your physical makeup. If you exceed your maximum intake of sugar, it simply turns into fat. Still, cutting out simple sugar is no mean feat, as it takes three weeks for your body to withdraw from them. Sugar is a chemical and, as such, does cause withdrawal. You might be tempted to replace sugar with Sweet-n-low or Splenda, but these are chemicals too. To satisfy your sweet tooth, you’re better off with Stevia or honey.

 

4. Steer clear of simple carbohydrates: Finally, you need to clean up your act with carbohydrates. Simple carbohydrates, such as white rice, white bread and white bagels, should be avoided at all costs. Rather, you need to choose a grain with at least three grams of fibre – but the more the merrier. Good choices include brown rice, old fashioned oatmeal and sweet potatoes.

Categories: Abs, body, Clean Eating, eating, processed, processed foods, simple, simple carbohydrates, Simple Sugar, Sugar, Weight Loss

You Say You’re Eating Clean – But Are You Actually?

You don’t need me to tell you what you do to take care of your weight and wellness; cut back on all the crap you’re eating! If you’re yearning after Jessica Alba’s abs, all the exercise in the world won’t get you there unless you stop wasting your time and finally reduce your intake of sugar, high frequency cheat meals and processed foods. Abs are not made in the gym; they’re made in the kitchen. You may think you’re already taking care of your wellbeing by “eating clean” – but, let’s be honest, are you? What do you think eating clean means? It’s not about cutting back on the odd treat or only letting yourself indulge at weekends (although that is better than nothing), eating clean means that if you can’t kill it or grow it, you shouldn’t eat it.  That may hurt, so ask yourself how badly you want those abs. If you’re still up for the challenge, then read on!

 

1. Read the label: Most people think that the key to losing body fat is cutting calories, and burning off more calories than they consume. While this is indeed a vital aspect of anyone’s weight loss programme, it goes hand-in-hand with good nutrition, or avoiding processed foods. If you’re not sure what’s processed and what’s good for you, a good general rule of thumb is: If you can’t pronounce it, don’t eat it. The fewer processes an item of food goes through, the better it is for you. When you read the label – which is a must if you want to know what you’re putting into your body – you want to see as few ingredients as possible. Two important products to avoid are canned foods and deli meats, as both are very much processed and full of nitrates.

 

2. Choose the right milk: When products lists added minerals and vitamins, this means the food is processed and not a good choice. This “added vitamin” rule applies with 2% and low-fat milk, so unfortunately you need to avoid these staple diet products. While the rule does not apply to soya milk, that is not to say that this is a decent alternative if you want to lose weight. Soy produces oestrogen, which causes your body to produce more fat, so it should also be avoided as part of a weight loss diet. However, this doesn’t mean you have to forgo your morning bowl of cereal or cup of tea; almond, goat or rice milk are all good choices.

 

3. Stay away from simple sugar: Another thing you need to clear out of your clean eating diet is simple sugar. Your body can process a maximum of three to six grams of sugar at one time, depending on your physical makeup. If you exceed your maximum intake of sugar, it simply turns into fat. Still, cutting out simple sugar is no mean feat, as it takes three weeks for your body to withdraw from them. Sugar is a chemical and, as such, does cause withdrawal. You might be tempted to replace sugar with Sweet-n-low or Splenda, but these are chemicals too. To satisfy your sweet tooth, you’re better off with Stevia or honey.

 

4. Steer clear of simple carbohydrates: Finally, you need to clean up your act with carbohydrates. Simple carbohydrates, such as white rice, white bread and white bagels, should be avoided at all costs. Rather, you need to choose a grain with at least three grams of fibre – but the more the merrier. Good choices include brown rice, old fashioned oatmeal and sweet potatoes.

Categories: Abs, body, Clean Eating, eating, processed, processed foods, simple, simple carbohydrates, Simple Sugar, Sugar, Weight Loss

How to Get Clean & Lean in Time for Christmas

If there’s ever a time to lose your unwanted flab, the lead-up to Christmas is it. To prepare for all the turkey, chocolates and general Christmas foods, you need to get your wellness in shape and celebrity trainer James Duigan is the man to help you do it. His Clean & Lean diet plan asks you to cut out the ‘toxic’ foods that threaten your wellbeing and encourage the body to store fat. This means saying bye-bye to alcohol, sugar and processed foods and bringing on the fish, lean meat – including turkey and chicken – and fresh, preferably organic vegetables.

 

Duigan explains, ‘My diet works on the principle that your body’s natural state is lean and fit, not sluggish and fat. But processed foods and drinks and excess sugar pollute the body, causing fat to cling to the hips, thighs, bum and tummy. However, as soon as you stop doing the wrong thing, your body responds very quickly, and you’ll get lean fast. But you have to believe you can do it. It doesn’t matter how often you have failed in the past. What matters now is focusing on what you want and taking action.’ So, which changes do you mean to make to your diet in order to get a flat tummy in time for Christmas?

 

1. Cut out the CRAP: An appropriate acronym if ever there was one, the CRAP – i.e. caffeine, refined sugar, alcohol and processed foods – is what you need to avoid on the Clean & Lean diet. According to Duigan, these foods are so crappy because they encourage fat to cling to your body.

 

2. Let yourself have a weekly cheat meal: Although the CRAP foods should be avoided, as part of the Clean & Lean diet you’re allowed – nay, required – to have an indulgent meal of whatever you fancy on a weekly basis. As long as you’re eating clean the rest of the time, you can choose a day every week in which you give in to temptation, be it from creamy pasta or a giant slice of chocolate cake. In fact, apart from helping you to go into craving-mode, an occasional high-fat treat actually speeds up your metabolism, meaning you’ll actually lose more weight.

 

3. Step up your supplement intake: While supplements are no replacement for good nutrition, one pill you should start popping is a fish oil supplement. These pills help you to burn up fat, as well as providing your body with essential fatty acids.

 

4. Never skip breakfast: Any dietician or nutritional wellness expert will tell you that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, especially when it comes to weight loss. That doesn’t mean that whatever you eat first in the morning will count as “breakfast” – you need to eat within one hour of waking up for it to count. If you’re not food-inclined first thing in the morning, or you don’t have time to sit down for a proper breakfast, grabbing a piece of fruit and a few nuts will do just fine.

 

5. Avoid eating late at night: As eating early in the day is good for helping you develop better abs, it logically follows that you should also eat your evening meal as early as possible. Your digestive system works better earlier on in the day, so you should try to avoid eating anything after 8pm. Not only is eating a large meal in the evening when your body is slowing down or sleeping is a bad idea for your weight, but it can also do a certain amount of harm to your digestive system, which can cause uncomfortable bowel troubles.

Categories: amp lean, avoid eating, body, breakfast, Clean & Lean Diet, CRAP Foods, foods, lean, lean diet, meal, nbsp, processed foods

Top Tricks for Eating a Better Diet

Experts are always expressing the importance of a healthy and balanced diet in order to maintain good health. It doesn’t have to be as difficult as it first appears, either. It simply boils down to making better choices and relying less on processed foods – here are some basic tips that could help you to forge a beneficial diet easily and effectively. The first step is to eat the right amount of calories for your lifestyle – if you’re more active, the more calories your body needs. You’ll be able to judge by how much weight you lose or gain – if you’re losing weight, you need to up your calorie intake. Likewise, if you’re gaining weight, you need to drop your calorie intake or up the amount of exercise you’re doing. You should try to eat a range of fruits, vegetables, meat and legumes too. This will ensure that you get a range of nutrients.

 

You need to base your meals on a starchy food, such as pasta or potatoes. If you choose wholegrain varieties then this will be better for your body and will keep you feeling fuller for longer. Try to include a portion of starch with every main meal, as this will keep your appetite suppressed and will give you energy. Alongside this you need to aim for a minimum of five portions of fruit and vegetables every day – these are loaded with nutrients If you think it’s too difficult to eat that many portions every day, try being more creative with how you eat. For example, chop up a banana or throw a handful of berries onto your cereal, or you could include two or three portions in a smoothie. Eat a portion of carrot or celery sticks with some humus for your afternoon snack, then have a glass of juice and side dish of veg with your main meal. Remember that dried fruit and legumes count towards this as well.

Fish is really good for your health, being low in fat and high in omega-3 fatty acids. Try to include two portions into your weekly diet for better health, protection from heart disease and improved joint function. Oily fish such as salmon, tuna and mackerel are the best varieties, as these have the highest levels of omega-3s, but keep your options varied for the best array of nutrients. Be careful how you cook them in order to retain the levels of goodness – steaming or grilling the fish is the best way. You also, naturally, need to cut back on the fat, salt and sugar. These dangerous additives are found in processed foods, junk food and ready meals. By cooking your own meals and relying less on processed foods, you’ll naturally lower your intake of these things – many health conditions have been linked to high intakes of fat and salt, such as diabetes and stroke, so your health will thank you for it. You should also keep your body hydrated – this means drinking between six to eight glasses of water every day. Our body relies heavily on water in order to function properly, so you need to replace what you use so that your bodily functions can work efficiently. It doesn’t need to be plain water though – cups of tea and coffee all count towards as well. Lastly, don’t skip your breakfast in the morning – you may think that you’re saving your calorie intake each day, but in actual fact you’re making your metabolism struggle and you may gain weight as a result. Keep your metabolism working by having a healthy and filling breakfast, to stop you snacking on unhealthy snacks mid-morning.

Categories: body, calorie intake, diet, health, Healthy Eating, Intake, main meal, nutrients, processed foods, weight

How to Eat Your Way to an Amazing, Acne-Free Complexion

You may want to look younger, but having spots like a greasy teenager probably wasn’t what you had in mind. Acne is a common problem, especially if you have oily skin, but there are ways in which your diet can help.

 

1. Pick up more protein: Your skin cells react and recover faster from infections with a high intake of protein, as these prevent the secretion of oil onto your skin. This hampers the main cause of acne, as well as causing your skin to replace old cells quickly and become more light and soft.

 

2. Choose the right kind of fats: You might think fats aggravate your skin problems, but in fact you need a 1:3 ratio of omega-3 and omega 6 fatty acids to help your brain work properly and also fight acne. For omega-3, turn to olive oil, flax seed oil, fresh salmon, etc., while you can get omega 6-fatty acids from beef, red chicken, all nuts and peanut butter.

 

3. Find your favourite fruits: No food is better than fruits for skin wellness. Try apples to gradually reduce acne, or apricots for the vitamin A, vitamin B complex and fibre you need to control and fight spots. Bananas are a known boost to anti-ageing wellness, as their high content of potassium acts against acne-causing bacteria, while cherries help to cleanse your blood, which is vital in suppressing spots and pimples. For vitamin A and C try cantaloupe melons, or else pick papaya and other citrus fruits.

 

4. Eat vital vegetables: A strong way to clean up acne is by eating raw vegetables, especially the key players. Carrot is beneficial as it contains vitamin A, carotene and magnesium, while the nutrients in cucumber (notably vitamin A and vitamin C) control your acne and enrich your skin tone. Spinach is a skin superstar, providing you with iron, vitamins A and K and antioxidants, and finally garlic can control your skin’s oil balance, so you might want to add it to dishes or even directly apply garlic juice to the spots themselves.

 

5. Choose acne-treating carbs: Carbohydrates have a huge impact on your body’s inflammation and the balance of your blood sugar. This means that the carbs you eat have to be suitable for acne; low-glycaemic carbohydrates. These carbs don’t exacerbate inflammation, so try to get your carbohydrate fix from beans, legumes, oats, barley and quinoa, and eat them along with protein to effectively treat your acne.

 

6. Make sure you get all your vitamins and minerals: We’ve touched on this with the fruits and vegetables sections, but vitamins and minerals are so vital to your skin health that it bears repeating. The essential vitamins for preventing acne are vitamins A, C, D and K, while your non-miss-able minerals include magnesium, potassium and zinc. The reason why these nutrients are so important is that they have the properties you need to fight against harmful bacteria, exfoliate your skin of any dry and nasty bits, act on those persistent pimples and eliminate the inflammation on any skin rashes you might have. You’ll probably get all the vitamins and minerals you need if you eat a decent amount of fruit and veg – especially those listed above – but if not, talk to your doctor about deficiencies and the possibility of vitamin and mineral supplements.

 

7. Limit your consumption of dairy and processed foods: Milk products antagonize your affected skin, because they are high in saturates animal fats. This means that they promote the growth of bacteria, and so you’ll never protect your wellbeing against acne. Processed foods likewise promote the growth of acne and skin problems, as these contain skin-harming preservatives.

Categories: acne, fatty acids, nbsp, processed foods, Protein, skin, skin problems, vitamin, vitamins, vitamins and minerals

How you can boost emotions with your diet

Junk food might be the tastier option, but it does very little for our health, both mental and physical. Eating too many saturated and trans fats can lead to a high cholesterol, increased risk of coronary heart disease and other health problems. But what many people aren’t aware of is that a poor diet that’s high in these fats can also lead to depression. This is because trans fats cause inflammation in the heart and brain, which can lead to us feeling sad and withdrawn. Though researchers are unsure why these aspects of food lead to depression, there is a definite link to what we eat and how we feel. However, it’s not as easy as blaming it all on the crisps and biscuits. Nutritional deficiencies could also be connected to symptoms of depression.

 

It seems that the more processed foods we eat, the more depressed we’re likely to become. Researchers believe that people who prefer to chow down on sweets over fruit and vegetables could be skipping vital antioxidants, which help to protect against depression. They will also be skimping on folate which protects the neurotransmitters in the brain. Studies claim that patients with depression have around 25 percent lower folate levels compared to healthy people. While scientists can’t say for sure that eating junk food for dinner is a direct link to mental health problems, there is evidence mounting that it doesn’t aid your emotional stability either. But knowing what to eat for a healthy mind is the difficult part – which nutrients offer the most effective results?

 

It’s difficult to know for sure which comes first, poor nutrition or depression, as the two are closely linked. It’s no surprise that depression leads to us making poorer diet choices though, so it stands to reason that improving your diet will help you make clearer choices when it comes to meal times. If you’re depressed, then you need to up your intake of vitamins and minerals which can fix the damage caused internally. B vitamins can start this process off, as they are essential for healthy and happy bodies. B12 can help to balance the chemicals in the brain to keep us calm and collected. These are found in fortified cereals and organ meats, such as turkey giblets and beef liver. Folate, which is another B vitamin, can be sourced from dark green leafy vegetables and citrus juices. Omega-3 fatty acids can help to lower the risk of depression and anxiety so make sure you add some fish into your diet, with salmon and mackerel being the best choices. Don’t eat fish? Walnuts, soybeans and flax seeds are great substitutes. Carbohydrates are also important, as these trigger the production of serotonin, which is a neurotransmitter and regulates your mood. You want to add complex carbs, rather than sweets, to have a lasting effect on the chemistry in the brain.

 

People who eat more processed foods are far more likely to develop depression than those who opt for wholesome organic foods. A balanced diet can do wonders for your overall health and well-being, not least improving your mental health and fending off the blues. You should aim to for plenty of nutrients across the board, paying close attention to omega-3s, folates, B vitamins and complex carbs to make sure that the brain is releasing the hormones and chemicals it needs to stay happy. However, if you’re seriously depressed and your diet isn’t making a difference to your mood, you should speak to your GP who can devise a personalised plan for your treatment.

Categories: Complex Carbs, depression, diet, emotions, Food, health, health problems, junk food, Mental Health, processed foods, trans fats, vitamins