Monitoring what you eat can be difficult. Oftentimes, we are met with two choices: to eat an appetizing but unhealthy meal or eat a healthy but not as appealing meal. Although we are taught to eat nutritious foods from a young age, sometimes a deep-fried Oreo calls our name. Indulging in unwholesome treats occasionally is fine, but finding the perfect balance between the two is ideal for our mental health and well-being.
It is important to prioritize a healthy diet to ensure that you receive necessary nutrients. Nourishing our body with nutritional food positively impacts our mood and energy levels.
When making the change to a healthy diet, there are noticeable benefits. Junior Josh Karther has focused on maintaining a healthy diet for more than a year and has seen positive results in his mental health and accomplishments in the gym.
“When I ate fast food, I felt a mental fog and felt grouchy,” Karther said. “Eating healthier and taking supplements has helped my mental function, and I have seen a massive increase in my weightlifting maxes.”
Many people depend on processed foods because of the fast-paced American lifestyle. The affordability and accessibility of these foods are tempting, but this can be dangerous because of the threat they pose to our mental well-being.
In a Harvard Health blog, Eva Selhub, an expert in mind-body medicine who is Board Certified in internal medicine, explained the effects sugar has on brain function.
“Multiple studies have found a correlation between a diet high in refined sugars and impaired brain function — and even a worsening of symptoms of mood disorders, such as depression,” wrote Selhub.
Many do not look at sugar levels or other harmful ingredients before consuming a meal. We are so accustomed to eating unhealthy foods that we may not notice the consequences.
The amount of food we eat also affects our mental functions and perception of our bodies. Mental health conditions that affect eating behavior are characterized as eating disorders.
When someone is in a negative head space or looking down on themself, it can be hard to find the motivation and even the desire to eat. This can be especially true when it comes to consuming a healthy amount of proper nutrients.
There are also disordered eating habits like binge eating, eating unhealthy foods or eating in an irregular pattern. These habits can lead to weight gain, bad cholesterol and other health issues. There can be times when teenagers don’t eat a lot throughout the day because they are focused on other priorities, but then they find themselves eating an unhealthy amount at night.
“My biggest problem is that I binge eat a lot,” sophomore Charlie Placzek said. “I’ll go pretty much all day without eating, and then I eat way too much all at one time. It’s gotten better, but it’s definitely not healthy.”
Poor eating habits can create low self-esteem, cause fatigue and damage mental health. It can be hard to break out of the cycle once your body gets adjusted to your average food
intake.
The best strategy for maintaining healthy eating habits is to balance your diet between the five food groups: dairy, fruits, grains, protein and vegetables, throughout the day. Even if all you can manage to eat is a small portion, balancing your diet and eating three meals a day will begin the transition into healthy eating patterns.
The Emily Program, which specializes in helping people recover from eating disorders, examined studies on eating disorders’ effects on the neurobiology of the brain.
The program concluded that eating disorders disrupt neurotransmitters, which are the body’s chemical messengers that have an effect on behavior and emotions. They found that eating disorders reduce heart rate and deprive the brain of oxygen, in addition to having the potential to cause seizures, numbness, odd nerve sensations and more.
It is important to balance nutrients and your food intake for optimal mental and physical well-being.
