Your Gut Health and Clean Eating Affects Your Mental Health

Every part of the body is connected and impacts other areas of the body. Consider reflexology, an ancient Chinese practice that has become very popular in treatment for internal health concerns.

The following is an image of the foot reflexology chart:

This connectivity shows why it’s important to take care of the entire body. Pain in one part of the body is often due to something going on in another part of the body. Studies have shown this connectivity is why there’s a direct correlation between a person’s physical health and a person’s mental health.

Similar to how foot reflexology works, there’s a reflexology full body chart that connects all organs in the body. Your gut, the exact core of your body, has a significant role on the health statuses of many parts of your body, including your brain, and in turn, your mental health.

According to a study by Harvard Medical School, the food and drink you consume has a direct effect on the structure and function of your brain, mood, and overall mental health. If you don’t have the right amount of nutrients, this deprivation leads to many health issues, such as eating disorders, mood swings, and cardiac issues. Food not only has a direct correlation to mental health, but the way processed foods are absorbed in the gut, is what directly impacts your mental health.

Gut health is overlooked, and is a topic that’s not taught in detail. The reason gut health is so important to your mental state is because of a neurotransmitter called serotonin. Serotonin controls your sleep, appetite, and mood. Interestingly, 95% of the body’s serotonin is produced in the gut. So, when people say, “listen to your gut,” this is really because your gut is the primary source for your emotional state.

Other studies published by accredited medical and psychiatric institutions have found that when the gut is balanced and the body has the right amount of proper, healthy nutrients, people experience less anxiety and improved mentality. This demonstrates not only the connectivity throughout the entire body, but the importance of proper nutrition for proper gut function and proper mental health function. The emphasis is that proper nutrition does not mean dieting. Proper nutrition means “clean eating,” which is consuming natural foods as opposed to processed foods. Unfortunately, the average American diet is loaded with processed foods. The processed foods are what lead to obesity, poor gut health, and poor mental health.

Clean eating has gotten more attention lately from researchers. Some medical practitioners are using this as a form of treatment for obesity and mental health conditions. Personally, I’ve noticed an improvement in my own mental well-being by switching to clean eating. I feel I have more control over my depression and anxiety. It prevents me from getting so low emotionally, which in turn allows me to be more aware of my feelings, and I’m able to “snap out of it” faster. Additionally, I have more energy, and feeling less sluggish keeps me more motivated and able to stay on my tasks.

Even if you’re on medications to help stabilize your mental health, clean eating will improve your mental and physical health. With hectic work schedules, there’s a high level of difficulty in finding time to make healthy decisions and focus on your mental and physical health. But, just as you have work obligations, you have obligations to yourself. In order to live a lasting, fulfilled life, you need take care of your body which in turn takes great care of your mental well-being.

Creative Counseling Center employs only the best therapists in Denver, each with a unique therapeutic specialty. We work with children, teens, and adults, treating a variety of conditions, including abuse and neglect, depression, anxiety, grief and loss, anger management, life transitions and more… all of which can manifest with physical symptoms. We would love the opportunity to partner you with one of our therapists best equipped to support you and your goals for counseling. Request your free phone consultation today! No Fields Found.