Your Gut is Your Second Brain
Did you know your gut makes about 90% of your body’s serotonin - the mood stabilizing neurotransmitter? This is why your diet is so paramount to your mental health! There’s a reason why there’s a sub specialty of nutritional and metabolic psychiatry!
Many health professionals consider your gut to be your “second brain.” Treat it well by eating healthy! This section will review healthy eating, general tips, what a dietician is, and barriers to healthy eating.
*Please know this section about diet isn’t going to be preaching different diets, how many meals to eat a day, or the timing of your meals. Rather, the word diet in this article purely refers to the food you eat. This information is general as I’m not a certified dietician.*
Table of Contents:
-Overview of Healthy Eating
-General Tips
-Dieticians
-Barriers to Healthy Diet
-Diet Summary
Overview of Healthy Eating
The Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health has a Nutrition Source article demonstrating a healthy, balanced plate of food you can look at here. They even recommend printing “The Healthy Eating Plate” out to put on your fridge as a reference when you’re cooking!
The Healthy Eating Plate contains ¼ whole grains,½ fruits and vegetables, ¼ protein, along with a drink - ideally water.
Additionally, they recommend consuming healthy cooking oils in moderation and avoiding sugary beverages.
What are some good sources of whole grains?
-Barley
-Millet
-Oats/Oatmeal
-Quinoa
-Wild rice
What are some good sources of protein?
-Chicken
-Cottage cheese
-Eggs
-Greek yogurt
-Lentils
-Nuts
What are examples of healthy fruits and vegetables?
-Apples
-Asparagus
-Berries (blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries)
-Broccoli
-Dark leafy greens (kale, spinach, swiss chard)
-Watermelon
The Nutrition Source article also recommends staying physically active. You can read more about the mental health benefits of movement here.
General Tips
Avoids These Things
Would you fill your car with bad oil knowing it would damage your engine? No! Don’t fuel your body with junk food!
Avoid eating highly processed “junk food.” These are foods that typically have a long shelf life. Foods like this contain stabilizing chemicals that are best to avoid.
What’s the best way to do this? Remove it from your counter, fridge, or pantry!
Studies show what food is in your kitchen heavily influences your diet choices. For example, if cookies are on the counter, you’re likely to eat them. Check out the study here.
Another study here shows that the foods in closest proximity are more likely to be eaten. Take this into account when you organize your pantry and put healthy snacks at eye height.
Having sugar cravings?
I have a HUGE sweet tooth! Cookie dough and ice cream are my guilty pleasures.
When craving sugar, eat fruit instead! Snacks like dried dates are extremely sweet without added sugar and have more nutritional benefits than processed sweets. Also, make sure you’re consuming enough protein and salt which can help decrease cravings.
Keep in mind It’s impossible to eat perfectly all the time. Just focus on consistency and sprinkle in the occasional Parks and Rec “treat yo self” meal!
Consider using the 80/20 principle: Eating healthy foods 80% of the time and your favorite foods 20% of the time
Cooking & Nutrition Labels
In general, you want to seek out whole, nutritious foods!
What’s the easiest way to do this? Read the nutrition labels when you’re grocery shopping!
Here is the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics article about the basics of reading a nutrition label.
Another way to know you’re eating healthy is to cook for yourself!
Feel like you don’t have the time to cook? Consider meal prepping so you’re preparing multiple meals at once!
Dietitians
Feeling like you want to learn more about healthy eating or are overwhelmed about where to start?
Meet with a registered dietician (RD/RDN) to help you figure out where to start and create a meal plan!
I personally met with a RD before and it was very helpful. I’m a picky eater and it was really helpful to work with someone to identify more protein sources to incorporate into my diet!
Just make sure you do your research on the provider to make sure they’re recommendations are based on evidence-based research and not diet “fads” that haven’t been scientifically proven.
Hydrate
I can’t stress how important it is to be properly hydrated! In general you need about 2-4 liters of water daily.
Dehydration can lead to:
-Constipation
-Kidney stones
-Cramps
-Lowered energy
-Increased heart rate
-Trouble with focus
-Headaches
Some common signs of dehydration are being thirsty, dizzy/light-headed, or producing dark colored urine. You can read more about dehydration on the Mayo Clinic website here.
Proper hydration includes water AND salt! Salt helps you maintain proper hydration by playing a vital role in fluid balance.
Hydration electrolytes include:
-Chloride
-Magnesium
-Potassium
-Sodium
It’s important to replace all of these electrolytes for proper hydration in the morning and during/after exercise.
I started using this LMNT electrolyte drink mix in my morning water and it has really helped!
However, beware of electrolyte drink mixes and read the nutrition label as many contain large amounts of sugar. I love the LMNT brand because it contains no sugar but has 1000 mg sodium, 200 mg potassium, and 60 mg magnesium.
Kind reminder that just because I use a product doesn’t mean it would be recommended for you by a medical provider! Nothing in this blog is a treatment plan, but rather general information.
You can read more about the importance of proper hydration here!
Portion Control
Portion control is important to avoid overeating and making sure you’re getting nutrition sources from multiple food groups.
A good tip for managing proportions is to slow down how fast you eat. This allows more time for your brain to recognize that you are approaching satiation (fullness), meaning you are less likely to overeat. It takes 20 mins for our brains to register we’re feeling full!
It’s hard to recognize when you’re feeling full if you’re eating your food at lightning speed! Take time and enjoy your meal.
The general recommendation is to stop eating when you’re 80% full
Need help with portion control?
Make sure you’re eating enough protein! Why? Because protein is the most satiating macronutrient! Protein has numerous other health benefits.
Protein helps with fat loss by:
-Burning calories/fat
-Reducing hunger/cravings
-Supporting muscle growth
-Stabilize blood sugar levels
Morning Protein?
Early morning / breakfast protein is a great way to start your day! It helps you feel more satiated and stabilizes your blood sugar levels throughout the day.
Don’t like eating food first thing in the morning? Try Fair Life protein shakes!
Fair Life protein shakes have multiple flavors - vanilla, chocolate, strawberry banana and have variations of 26 mg and 42 mg of protein!
If you’re a breakfast person then consider focusing on foods with high protein such as eggs, Greek yogurt, or cottage cheese.
Bonus tip - consuming more water and protein also helps us feel more full and can help curb midday munchies
Barriers to Healthy Diet
Cost
A lot of people claim that healthy eating is “too expensive.” However, eating junk food or ordering food can actually empty your wallet more.
Eating processed and sugary food leads to greater levels of hunger and cravings typically leading to you to eat more. Ordering food means you’re likely getting processed foods in addition to paying for delivery fees and tips.
How expensive are your medical bills from having a poor diet leading to chronic medical conditions going to be? Eating healthy now is an investment in your future self!
Not Confident in the Kitchen
This section screams my name as I am someone who’s not confident in the kitchen, at all!
Meal delivery services are perfect for this scenario. Some meal delivery services I’ve heard good things about:
You could also take a cooking class or watch videos to get better at cooking yourself!
My partner loves watching cooking videos on YouTube! Bon Appetit has many free recipes on their site here plus a YouTube channel here. My partner’s favorite Bon Appetit YouTube channel contributor is Brad Leone!
Time
A lot of people feel like they don’t have the time to cook.
A great way to help with limiting time as a barrier is to consider meal prepping!
Another way to save on time is to consider a meal delivery service which was discussed in the above barrier section. If you can, try to get fresh meals that aren’t frozen.
Many families are looking for meals that can be prepared quickly; there’s an entire genre of recipes devoted to this! One site I like that does this is Budget Bytes. It’s cheap, easy, and quick - love it!
Meal prepping allows you to cook multiple meals at once
Diet Summary
Great job making it to the end of this diet section! Below are some of the key takeaways.
Focus on portion control to avoid overeating. Another way to avoid overeating is to stop eating when you’re 80% full.
Make sure you’re eating enough protein which is the most satiating macronutrient!
Seek out whole, nutritious foods! You can do this by reading nutrition labels.
Avoid eating junk food and remove it from your counter/fridge/pantry so you’re not tempted! When craving sugar, eat fruit instead and make sure you’re consuming enough protein and salt.
Hydrate properly! Proper hydration includes water AND salt.
Some ways to ensure you’re eating healthy is to cook for yourself and if you’re concerned about time then consider meal prepping.
Don’t be shy about meeting with a dietician if you want to learn more!
Remember your gut is your second brain so feed it well!
Here is an awesome book that discusses the importance of diet on your mental health called This is Your Brain on Food by Dr. Uma Naidoo.
Another book recommendation is Brain Energy by Dr. Christopher Palmer.
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans here.
Finally, the World Health Organization (WHO) discusses a healthy diet here.
Thanks for reading! Please consider what fuel you’re giving your body!
Disclaimer: This blog section is meant to provide general advice about mental health. By no means should this information be taken as a personal treatment plan. Please consult your provider.