Nutritional Tips for Mental and Physical Well-Being

“The best and the most efficient pharmacy is within your own system”- Robert C. Peale

It is a very well-known idea that the food we eat has a direct relationship with our physical health. Adding some exercise to our daily routine has visible evidence to the improvement of our overall health, weight and vital functions. But while we happily jump on the diet and exercise bandwagon, hopping from gyms to diet fads in mere months, we must understand the deep relationship between the food we eat and our mental health. 

Good, or optimum health reflects not just physical fitness but also a healthy mind, both operating in harmony. A quick roadside Vada Pav or a pizza (with extra cheese) every Friday night as an immediate pick me up may flood your mind with happy hormones but in the long run, when your favourite shirt won’t fit just well, or, your ‘purchased for special occasion dress’ may become uncomfortable, your physical health and the mental well-being will come crashing down together. Here is where the majority of us fall prey to mistakes again. The bar of chocolate to lift your mood is definitely the easy way out but promising yourself (and more importantly sticking to it) a healthier way of life will have immense benefits for the body, mind and soul. And maybe that’s why, Ann Wigmore, a Lithuanian-American holistic health practitioner quoted “The food you eat can either be the safest and the most powerful form of medicine or the slowest, most dangerous form of poison.”

You might want to read: How to Manage your Mental Health on Difficult Days

In order to boost our Mental and Physical well-being, here are a few uncomplicated, easy and sensible nutritional tips to look better, feel better and be unstoppable:

• Colourful Plate, Colourful Life 

Many recent studies suggest a direct link between the diet and the cognitive functions of the brain. Adding raw vegetables and fruits to the everyday diet can lead to a spike in the dopamine levels, i.e, the feel-good hormones. It is as simple as making an effort to recreate the delicious vegetable salad you saw on Instagram reel instead of ordering in a Vegetable burger.

•  Go Nuts!

It is no surprise that all nuts – almonds, pistachios, walnuts are powerhouse foods packed with dense nutrients. If you find having a handful of nuts as a snack evening a tad boring, you can always make an interesting blend of nut powder and add it to your everyday meals’ recipe! The biggest plus on going nuts is that they are friendly to carry anywhere and everywhere. Thus, you create a small moment of self-pride each time you take out that little box of natural snacks. Nuts will keep you fuller for longer, make your heart smile, and make your hair shine. Now this will create a sense of mental peace and acceptance of a small, but significant change in food habits.  

• Choose your Snooze!

To let your creative and energetic juices flow, whether while dealing with excel sheets or changing your baby’s diaper or whatever activity you do, ensure you get a minimum of eight hours of sleep. Not only does sleep repair your body, but also helps in improving cognition and memory. A prudent tip to follow is to put down your phone at least an hour before going to bed and minimising the exposure to blue lights. Research suggests that not getting good quality and quantity of sleep can cause irritability, weight gain and anxiety. Good sleep is beneficial for your mental and physical health.

• Hydrate & Celebrate

About 71% of our Earth is covered with water. By weight, approximately 55% of our body carries water. These statistics should show us the mere imperative of water in our lives. Dehydration has become a phenomenal commonality in the lives of young adults. Adding caffeine and nicotine to the body further lowers the hydration level in the body, making your head spin and vision compromised. The most doable tip to enhance mental well-being while taking care of the physical body is to keep drinking water. To be trendy, you can make infused water and sip it from a fancy bottle all day long. The nutritionists and dieticians cannot emphasize this enough. Water will give a boost to help flush toxins from your body, creating a healthy and happy heart, mind, and soul. 

• It’s all about the Gut!

The bacteria in your gut – the digestive tract, plays a pivotal role in keeping the entire human body system in check. Eating the right kinds of food feeds the ‘good’ bacteria, thus helping cleanse of the system when needed. The most important nutritional tip is to keep up the intake of probiotics- nothing fancy, just a bowl of simple homemade yogurt will do the trick to keep your body at peace and mind at present. 

To conclude, mindful eating has way more advantages than just putting us in good shape. In recent times, when the mental health of all adults is excessively hanging on threadbare, it becomes everyone’s own, personal responsibility to choose the right path forward. Shortcuts, sugar rushes, junk food, and parties are all nothing but a pick-me-up in the moment, leaving the body and the mind much more turbulent than before. So maybe we do not jump to all the tips at one go but make slow, wise choices for ourselves. Because let’s be honest, we have forgotten how to take care of ourselves holistically. Are you ready to love yourself enough to make long-lasting choices? 

About Kelp

Kelp was incorporated in 2013 to provide the best HR solutions to organizations, and to improve workplace culture across the board. Over the last 10 years, we have serviced more than 800 clients in India and a few overseas, across various industries in the areas of PoSH (prevention of sexual harassment at workplace), D, E & I (Diversity, Equity & Inclusion) and EAP. But the common objective of all of these services is to build safer, happier, inclusive and productive workplaces.

For our services related to Prevention of Sexual Harassment (PoSH), Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (D,E &I) or Employee Assistance programs (EAP) do get in touch with us at info@kelphr.com, call +91-95001-29652 and our advisors will help you with customized offerings suited to your organization.