Can you eat your way to good mental health?

• Nutrition and psyche
• Foods that darken your mood
  
• Change your diet – for the sake of your psyche
  
• Foods that brighten your mood
• Nutrition for depression

Sugary foods such as sweet treats or simple carbohydrates (e.g. white bread) are bad for our psyche for two reasons: Firstly, sugar activates the reward system in our brain that releases the happiness hormone dopamine. So, the more sugar we eat, the less receptive our reward system is.

This leads to a vicious circle, whereby we have to eat more and more sugar to benefit from the positive effect of the dopamine. This in turn leads to weight gain and promotes diseases such as diabetes or mental illness, because those affected feel increasingly uncomfortable in their own bodies.

Secondly, sugary foods cause our insulin levels to rise rapidly in order to break down the sugar in our blood. The steeper the rise in insulin, the steeper the fall.

This insulin roller coaster means that we quickly feel hungry again and contributes to illnesses such as headaches, migraines, depression, dementia, arteriosclerosis, arthritis, kidney and eye diseases and cancer.

Feeling hungry all the time makes us feel unwell and irritable – and then we also eat more, which in turn can lead to more weight gain and mental health problems. In this state, those affected often have the feeling that they no longer have control over what they’re eating, particularly when it causes hunger pangs.

And this has a negative effect on the psyche. Those affected often feel incapable, stressed or ashamed. It is a blow to their self-esteem. And once you’ve slipped into bad habits, it’s hard to break them.

There are next to no nutrients in these foods, because they are heavily processed. All that remains is unhealthy fats, a lot of sugar, salt and preservatives. As a result our body is quickly flooded with useless nutrients, and the food doesn’t even reach the large intestine, which is where nutrients are digested properly and healthy nutrients are extracted for use in the body. So when we eat fast food, the large intestine doesn’t get any nutrients to digest, which has negative consequences for our health.

We often drink alcohol to numb negative feelings. But the subsequent hangover leads to an emotional low, and we feel even worse than before. What’s more, studies show that even the smallest amounts of alcohol can damage the body’s cells and promote illnesses.

Coffee stimulates our nervous system, so drinking too much can lead to or increase inner restlessness, anxiety, irritability and tension. Reducing how much coffee you drink may make you feel tired at first, but in the long term it calms your nerves and mind.

Water is essential for our well-being, so we have to drink two to three litres a day to keep our body and mind on track.

Cook for yourself! Use fresh ingredients, particularly vegetables, avoid ready meals, and cut down on salt and sugar. Homemade meals are full of important nutrients for the body. If your body feels nourished, your psyche will feel the effects, too. Cooking for yourself also strengthens your relationship with food, which has been proven to have a positive influence on the psyche.

Your body and mind need minerals, vitamins, healthy fats, protein and dietary fibre every day. So eat a balanced diet. Make sure you eat plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables – as many types and varieties as you can.

Try to avoid always eating the same thing. First, this makes the gut sluggish because it doesn’t have to work to break down complex nutrients from the food. And second, a lack of variety in what you eat can lead to malnutrition.

Take time to eat – without your phone or TV. Sit down and chew consciously. Activate your sensory organs: taste and smell what is in your mouth. Feel the texture of the food. This way, eating will help you relax and enjoy the sensory experience.

This has a positive effect on your psyche, especially for people who are prone to stress eating or emotional eating. In these cases, eating serves as a distraction – to mask or calm the stress or negative trigger.

Eating quickly and without enjoyment, often means that we consume too many calories because the feeling of fullness occurs later. As a result, those affected often lose control of their eating.

This leads to a vicious circle: "Too many calories usually lead to weight gain. Coupled with the loss of control, those affected often feel a sense of shame and guilt,” says Hasler. This puts a strain on the psyche – and can lead to depression.

The social aspect of eating is also beneficial for the psyche. So eat more often with friends and family. Invite guests for dinner. Taking care of others and eating together benefits mental health.

Start small in order to get your eating habits under control. Nutrition expert Gregor Hasler recommends mini-fasting. This means no snacking between meals. Eat breakfast, lunch and dinner. “You’ll notice that you feel better physically when you eat less calories – and that you are able to do it,” says Hasler.

This will improve your self-confidence and self-esteem. This method isn’t suitable for people who suffer from an eating disorder, as they have a compulsion to control themselves, which is exacerbated by fasting.

What does hunger feel like? Many of us have forgotten to really listen to our stomach. We tend to eat at set times, even though we’re not really hungry. So you should try to listen to your stomach. Wait until you feel hungry before eating your next meal.

Studies have shown that the traditional Mediterranean diet helps against mild to severe depression. It is primarily made up of vegetables, fruit, unprocessed grains, healthy fats such as olive oil, nuts, seeds and fish – and very little meat, dairy products, processed food and sugar.

Our brain needs specific fatty acids so that it works properly – and thus also to control our well-being. The most important fatty acids include omega-3 and omega-6. The benefits of fish oil or the vegan substitute made of marine algae have been revealed in several studies.

In addition to other health benefits, these fatty acids increase the level of the happiness hormone serotonin. Researchers recommend eating oily saltwater fish 1 to 2 times a week or taking fish or algae oil. Nuts and avocados also contain fatty acids, but in smaller quantities.

Certain bacteria in our gut produce a range of neurochemical compounds that our brain uses to regulate physiological, mental and mood-related processes. These include messenger substances such as the happiness hormone serotonin, neurotransmitters that have a calming effect (e.g. GABA) or neuromodulators (e.g. norepinephrine) which regulate our attention, reactions and stress.

“Our most recent study shows that probiotics also have a positive influence on mood,” says Lang. “By stimulating the production of these messenger substances, probiotics help improve the cognitive skills and boost the mood of study participants.”

In the study, participants perceived faces presented with a negative expression as less threatening than test subjects without probiotics.

Probiotic foods include natural yoghurt, sauerkraut, kefir, hard cheese and gherkins.

Vitamin D supports the production of the mood hormone serotonin. And B vitamins are good for the nervous system and therefore the psyche. Vitamins that are good for the nerves include B1, B6, B12 and B9. B9 is better known as folic acid. It helps produce the messenger substance dopamine, which is known as a happiness hormone.

Folic acid can be found in dark green leafy vegetables, beans, peas, nuts, oranges, bananas and lemons. “Folic acid, vitamins and zinc have a positive effect on the psyche and can help lift your mood in cases of depression,” says Lang.

The brain produces neurotransmitters to regulate thoughts and feelings. These consist of amino acids, which in turn come from protein. So it’s advisable to eat plenty of protein in every meal.

You can choose from pulses, nuts, seeds (hemp seeds in particular contain a lot of protein), dairy products, fish, eggs, cheese, lean meat or soya products.

Carbohydrates don’t have the best reputation, but they can be a real comfort food – if chosen correctly. Good sources of carbohydrates include brown rice, quinoa, millet, sweet potatoes and starchy vegetables such as lentils, peas, sweetcorn and root vegetables.

Thanks to their complex structure, the body works slower and longer to extract the starch – i.e. sugar – from food. Insulin production and blood sugar levels rise more slowly and less sharply than when we consume simple sugars such as those in white bread or sweet treats.

This gentle rise has a positive effect on our mood. Studies have shown that complex carbohydrates partially reduce the risk of anxiety.

Plant-based foods in particular, such as fruit and vegetables contain a lot of dietary fibre. They help the body absorb the sugar from foods more slowly. This prevents the sugar lows that we experience when we eat sweet treats, white bread, pasta or white rice as these quickly cause our insulin and blood sugar levels to spike and drop.

These lows often cause bad feelings such as irritability, restlessness and tension and can exacerbate anxiety or depression.

Our immune system also has a strong influence on how we feel. If we are highly stressed over a long period of time, the body constantly releases the stress hormone cortisol. This interferes with our immune defences. As a result, the inflammation levels in the body increase, allowing more free radicals to circulate in our body, which can damage the cells.

This can lead to physical and mental illnesses or worsen anxiety and depression. Antioxidants help combat stress. They help to catch the free radicals and reduce the inflammation levels in the body.

So try to eat more berries, green leafy vegetables, turmeric and foods rich in omega-3, such as fish or chia seeds.

Fermented foods, such as sauerkraut, kimchi and miso also have an anti-inflammatory effect – and thus boost physical and mental health.