Even before the six-month quarantine was over, cases of depression and anxiety had already doubled in Brazil and worldwide. So much time trapped inside the house with uncertainties and without social interaction brought a direct impact on psychic health, not to mention the Northern Hemisphere, which has just entered autumn, and the arrival of winter and its shorter days. However, what many do not know is that help may be in their own home, but precisely in the kitchen. For this reason, we spoke with experts to understand the relationship between food and mental health and possible diets to help fight disease. And believe me: everything is related to the functioning of our intestines!
Graduated in Clinical Nutrition from the University of California, nutritionist Bruno Lima defends the importance of food for the functioning of the intestine and its bacterial flora “There are many causes for depression and anxiety, such as chemical imbalance, genetic predisposition, stress, use of medications and different medical conditions. Scientific studies are still limited in this field, but some have shown that the intestinal microbiota boosts the development of the intestinal immune system and can induce immune homeostasis. In healthy conditions, intestinal bacteria have stability and diversity, but in chronic conditions the bacteria are less diverse and their composition is unstable over time. Inflammatory bowel disease and Irritable Bowel Syndrome affect mental health. Therefore, it is known that consuming a healthier diet can help to relieve and / or reduce symptoms of self-reported depression and anxiety.”
The Brazilian doctor Dayan Siebra, a specialist in healthy eating, also supports when it comes to keeping a healthy mind through the intestine, since everything is interconnected “The relationship between mental health and food is total. Our happiness neurotransmitters (such as serotonin) need bricks that will build neurotransmitters, and for them to be well built, these bricks need to be good. Good bricks come from good nutrition. One of those bricks that build serotonin is tryptophan, which is an amino acid found, for example, in avocado, oats, bananas and also in turkey meat (not in industrialized turkey breast), ”explains Dayan.
Constipation could cause mental health issue
The key for a good life is an intestine working well, the bad functioning of the bowel as it should be can lead to stress, anxiety and even depression.
With the word, Dr. Dayan: “In the intestine 80% of serotonin is produced, which is our happiness hormone. The brain and the intestine are connected through a nerve, the vagus nerve, which leaves the brain and goes to the intestine; therefore, people with a stuck intestine are considered stunted, that is, full of feces. The person who doesn’t have a good intestine, gets irritated, tends to have depression. If we eat junk, processed foods, sugars (like bread, cake, cookies and pasta); all this will clog our intestines and form a kind of glue. And we need to understand is that our intestines are not just an organ to poop, but an organ that selects what will serve us and what should be eliminated. Things that the food industry want to sell to people as good cause a kind of inflammation in the intestine. When our gut is inflamed, it loses that ability to control what goes in and what goes out. We get malnourished and don’t produce the hormones that are important for mental health. So much that our gut has long been considered our second brain.”
Cholesterol: villain or good guy?
In addition to avocados, oats and bananas, there are other important elements in our nutrition such as: magnesium, vitamin B6, Omega 3, present in fish, and even cholesterol. Yes. Cholesterol. Understand better: “We need cholesterol, which by the way is something that has been vilified for a long time. People are afraid of having high cholesterol, but cholesterol is essential for the production of our hormones, for building our cells, especially brain cells. We need good fats. When I talk about good fats, I mean avocado, nuts, chestnuts, olive oil, and fatty fish. Our brain is a fatty organ in its essence, 60% of our brain is fat,” explains Dr. Dayan.
- Ten types of food that you cannot miss in your kitchen,by nutritionist Bruno Lima
- Vegetables: mushroom, garlic, onion, spinach, arugula, turnip, cabbage, sauerkraut, sweet potato, broccoli, carrot, cauliflower, asparagus, chives, coriander, celery, parsley, cucumber, soy.
- Legumes: black beans, beans, black-eyed peas, fava beans, chickpeas, purple beans, lentils.
- Fruits: banana, avocado, tomato, blueberry, pear, apple, strawberry, pineapple, peach, date, grape, raisin, blackberry, plum, melon, mango, kiwi, lemon, orange, tangerine.
- Whole grains: oats, brown bread, macaroni and crackers, brown rice, barley, quinoa, rye, buckwheat, corn, popcorn grains, fortified whole grains with low sugar and high fiber content.
- Lean meats: turkey, salmon, sardines, mackerel, tuna, soy products (tofu, tempeh), skinless chicken, lean beef, pork loin.
- Nuts: walnut, Brazil nut, cashew nut and pistachio.
- Seeds: golden flax, chia, cocoa powder made from cocoa beans.
- Healthy fats: extra virgin olive oil, fats found in nuts, avocados, olives.
- Fermented foods: sauerkraut, kefir, kombucha, miso, tempeh, low-fat yogurt with at least 4-6 different strains of healthy bacteria (check the list of ingredients).
- Dairy products: fortified milk, fortified non-dairy milk, cheese, skimmed yogurt with at least 4-6 different strains of healthy bacteria (check the list of ingredients).
- Balanced diet to keep your mind healthy and health up to date, by Dr. Dayan Siebra
(table format)
Breakfast
One to 2 eggs + 1 avocado + 1 dessert spoon of bacon + 1 banana with a teaspoon of organic bee honey and 1 teaspoon of chia on top + unsweetened coffee (if you can’t adapt, use xylitol sweetener or Stevia, which are more natural).
Lunch
Vegetables and vegetables varied to taste, the more colorful the dish the better (e.g. cabbage, broccoli, cabbage, lettuce) + a protein (red meat or fish or chicken). Give preference to fish or chicken, an amount that fits in the palm of your hand.
Carbohydrate: sweet potato, yam or cassava. The amount that will satisfy you.
Dessert
The ideal is not to have dessert, but if you are a person who cannot live without dessert, you don’t need to suffer, you can: Bake for a few minutes, very thin apple chips + cinnamon powder or coconut chips, with cocoa powder on top.
Dinner
Ideal is to eat white meat, fish or chicken, and vegetables.
Carbohydrate: cassava, sweet potato or yam.
Other options: 1) Couscous – 4 tablespoons of couscous with egg, ground beef or tomatoes. You don’t have to worry about quantities.2) Crepioca (a kind of tapioca): 1 whole egg (white and yolk) with 1 spoon of the tapioca gum made in preferably in a non-stick pan. Filling: chicken, tomato, cabbage, ground beef.
Remember that:
- You should not drink coffee at night, it causes excitement, keeps you awake, and you prefer tea. Incidentally, chamomile tea is recommended several times a day.
- If you feel hungry, eat an egg, have some chamomile tea, eat 1 banana with oats (gluten free).
- If you want to snack: chestnuts or nuts (a handful of about 5). Brazil nuts cannot be eaten more than 1 or 2 a day.
Always remember that a strong and anti-inflammatory diet tends to help fight immunity to emotional problems. However, eating itself will not cure any mental disorder. The whole treatment involves taking care of several pillars, from food to your emotions, through some type of therapy and medical advice.
Credentials:
Nutritionist Bruno Lima – born in Recife, Bruno Lima has been living in the USA since 2003. In 2018, he graduated in Clinical Nutrition at the University of California and, since 2019, works at Albany Stratton VA Medical Center.
Dr. Dayan Siebra – from Ceará, Dr. Dayan Siebra has a degree in Medicine from the University of Pernambuco, where he has lived since he was 15 years old. Specializing in vascular surgery and interventional radiology, Dr. Dayan is the author of books on health and well-being.(@dayansiebra)
