Mental illness appears in many different forms, but some of the most common are anxiety disorders. Numerous factors can cause them like: life experiences, genetics, brain chemistry, personality etc. Depression is very common when there are anxiety disorders. One of the most common anxiety disorders is panic disorder. Many people have experienced panic attacks in their lives. They appear spontaneously.
Here are some of the physical symptoms that you can recognize it by:
- Stomach or chest pain
- Palpitations/Fast heartbeat
- Dizziness or weakness
- Breathing problems, like shortness of breath
- Hands that are tingly or numb
- Sweating
- Trembling
- Feeling hot or cold
- Hyperventilation
People often have problems in handling things they cannot change. There are many studies that show how depression, anxiety as well as our mental state can be affected by our diet directly.
Brain Chemistry
Our gut and brain produce a chemical called serotonin or otherwise known as “the happiness hormone.” It helps us feel good, calm and very happy. The market offers numerous anti-depressant medicines which stimulate the production of serotonin which has the role of a hormone when it’s in our gut and it’s a neurotransmitter when it’s in our brain.
Serotonin can be synthesized with the help of an essential amino acid called tryptophan which can be found in animal foods, seeds, vegetables and fruits. In case we don’t intake tryptophan adequately, we’ll have mood swings and disturbed memory.
Iron and vitamin B6 are other necessary things for a good synthesis of serotonin. People who are deficient in them were proved to have hyperventilation and panic attacks.
We usually obtain vitamin B6 from everything we eat. It is crucial since being deficient in it or iron means that our blood won’t be able to produce hemoglobin. If our red blood cells are low, our blood won’t transport enough oxygen. We’ll feel shortness in breath as well as general fatigue.
Mental Health & Nutrition
It is really important for our mental health and our nutrition to be correlated well.
Here, we’re also going to present you some of the best foods that contain these 3 essential nutrients which we need in order to produce serotonin. Make sure you also sleep well.
Food which contain tryptophan:
Grapefruit
Cauliflower
Eggs
Chia seeds
Cheese
Oat bran
Pineapple
Fish and shellfish
Mushroom
Cucumber
Quinoa
Sesame seeds
Leafy greens
Soy
Pumpkin and pumpkin seeds
Quenepa (ackee) fruit
Pistachio nuts
Turkey and other poultry
Spinach
Tomato
Watercress
Potato
Warm milk
Sweet potatoes
Walnuts
Foods which contain vitamin B6:
Cashews
Broccoli
Asparagus
Beans
Avocado
Hazelnuts
Banana
Garlic
Carrot
Herbs and spices: chili powder, dill, tarragon, sage, bay leaf, marjoram, paprika, oregano, spearmint, turmeric
Molasses
Lentils
Peas
Meats: poultry, beef, fish, pork
Quinoa
Oatmeal
Prunes
Sunflower seeds
Red bell pepper
Peanuts
Sweet potato
Potato
Spinach
Turnip greens
Wheat germ
Tempeh
Foods which contain iron:
Cashews
Dried apricots
Eggs
Beans
Meats
Dark leafy green vegetables: spinach, kale, beet greens and turnip
Lentils
Quinoa
Peas
Molasses
Raw cocoa
Oats
Prunes
White beans
Soy
Tomato
Teff
Raisins
Spirulina
We need to pay attention to our diet and control it. If you improve it by intaking these foods more often, your mental health will become also improved.
