Is there a recipe, a diet or a typical menu ideal to promote good humor and fight against depression? While several studies have highlighted the link between mental health and diet, there is still work to be done to understand all of these mechanisms. Here is the best diet for mental health.
When we choose what to eat every day , we often think about our physical health and our appearance. But there is another factor that should be taken into account when making this choice: our mental health . More and more studies have shown a link between food and our mood , our emotions, even with long-term disorders such as depression .
After all, our brain is a physical entity that functions thanks to the energy that we put at its disposal . Diets high in fruits, vegetables and unprocessed protein improve our mood, while too much junk food and sugar put our mental health at risk. It is therefore time to stop considering sweets and fries as a reward to cheer us up .
Food and mind
According to a study published, adopting a healthier diet can reduce symptoms of depression, sleep disturbances and isolation. This type of lifestyle change would be particularly effective in women .
How to explain the link between diet and mental health? Researchers are not yet aware of all of the mechanisms involved. It is possible that certain diets may increase inflammation and oxidative stress while disrupting our mitochondrial function and the production of neurons, which could expose us to psychological problems.
Our gut microbiome may also interact in this process. And following a balanced diet can increase feelings of self-esteem , as well as potential weight loss, which influences our minds.
The unknown
However, there are still many limits . The exact type of food to relieve depression has not yet been identified . Scientists know that eating can protect our mental health, but have not yet established the menu to promote positive emotions .
The accumulation of different factors, such as physical exercise, lack of motivation and a decrease in the socio-emotional aspect of a person, must be taken into account. It is still too early to access the regime opening the door to happiness . If in doubt, we can hold on to the information available: focus on fruits and vegetables, avoid junk food, and opt for a balanced diet over the long term.
Can superstition affect our mental health?
As irrational as it may seem, superstition rules the daily lives of millions of people around the world. And for good reason, it allows among other things to relieve anxiety, improve performance and boost self-confidence in a few seconds.
In any case, if you are one of the millions of superstitious people in the world, you were not indifferent to this particular day. Even airports, some buildings, and hotels avoid the hassle of confronting the number 13.
The most fascinating aspect of superstition is to keep believing in it when we know full well that these reflexes are irrational. And do these superstitions play an important psychological role? Indeed, superstition is not only the fruit of our imperfect cognition. It offers some major benefits for mental health .
Relieve anxiety
Ritual gestures of superstition can have a soothing effect and relieve anxiety . Facing the unknown, they give us the impression of being able to control something. According to experts, it is for this reason that superstitions have survived for so long.
When our ancestors did not understand the forces of the natural world, and were threatened by predators, they developed a false sense of control to reduce their anxiety via superstition. These gestures, which find fertile ground in the event of lack of confidence, insecurity, fear and threat, have thus been transmitted from generation to generation .
Improve performances
By alleviating anxiety, positive superstition and good luck have been shown to provide a psychological advantage capable of improving performance . Lack of control over an important outcome creates anxiety.
So even when we know on a rational level that there is no magic, acts of superstition can be sustained for their emotional benefit , and their effect on our self-confidence . .
The risks of OCD
Sometimes, however, repeated behaviors signal a more serious mental state, such as obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). The issue of the link between OCD and superstitions has been the subject of much debate.
Some researchers suggest that this is not the case, as these two reflexes appeal to different regions of the brain . But OCD and superstition share many similarities.
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