What Are Top 10 Foods for Mental Health?

Foods may boost your mood by what you eat so check out the top 10 foods for mental health!

The food that we eat also can make a difference in our brain and mental health also and is a great partner with good mental health care. And there is an effect on diet on depression. For instance, here is a great article on the connection on the Food and Mood Connection.

I want to share some of these foods with you and ways to incorporate more of them in your daily routine. There is a lot of good reading on food and mood, I hope that you find these ideas helpful and delicious whether you are feeling blue or already feeling pretty good.

Which Food is Healthy for Your Brain?

Foods that have anti inflammatory properties help keep your brain feeling it’s best.

What is meant by anti-inflammatory foods?

Inflammation can be a good thing and happens in our body when our immune system helps fight off something foreign in our body or help heal us. But if our immune system can go into overdrive when we constantly bombard it and it wears and tears on our body like stress, lack of sleep, an unhealthy diet and physical activity. And as a result, we can get into a constant state inflammation this can start to cause harm. Here is a little more about nutrition and its role to reducing inflammation.

Here is a brain health food list.

Top 10 Foods for Mental Health

Link on each food on the list below to find out more about their role in brain health and food.

• Fatty Fish Rich in Omega 3 Fatty Acids
• Dark Leafy Vegetables
• Berries
• Healthy Fats, Nuts & Seeds
• Rich Purple Foods
• Whole Grains
• Green tea
• probiotics
• prebiotics
• Magnesium rich foods and zinc rich foods.

You can also find a few additional ideas in the link below:

https://foodandnutrition.org/blogs/stone-soup/relationship-food-mood/

Mood Boosting Foods – Cleveland Clinic Health Essentials – Cleveland Clinic

What Foods Are Not Healthy for the Brain?

Foods that cause inflammation are not good for the brain and also have been linked to other chronic health conditions. These include refined carbohydrates and sugar, foods high in trans and hydrogenated fats and other processed foods. Here is a blog posts that I wrote on inflammation.

Here is a tasty way to get lots of brain healthy nutrition in your day with my recipe below. I hope that you love it as much as me and my family!

I love the flavor of the pistachio nuts and salmon together. The added flavor of orange makes this dish so delicious! The colors, textures and flavors are just a ray of sunshine and will be sure to lift your spirits! This would be delicious on a bed of greens to include more brain food also!

Makes 4 servings

1 pound Alaskan salmon

2 cups pistachios

1/2 cup panko

Salt and pepper to taste

1 beaten egg

Olive oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a food processor, crush pistachios in large pieces, on a plate mix pistachios, with panko crumbs, salt and pepper. Cut the half pound salmon into 4 pieces. Brush the bottom of baking sheet with olive oil or cover with parchment paper.

In a bowl, beat the egg and dip one side of the fish in the bowl. Place the egg washed side of the fish into the nut and bread mixture. Place the fish on the baking sheet with crumb side up. Drizzle the fish with about 1 teaspoon of olive oil over each piece.

Place fish in the oven and bake about 15 minutes or until the crust is slightly brown and crunchy and the fish flakes with a fork. While the fish is baking make the orange sauce (see recipe below).

After the fish is done, drizzle it with a little orange sauce and garnish with shopped cilantro, pistachios and orange slices.

Orange Sauce

2 small mandarin oranges

2 teaspoon freshly ground coriander

1/2 cup vegetable broth

2 teaspoons of cornstarch

Reserve 2 teaspoon of grated orange peel

Salt and pepper to taste

Use juice one mandarin orange (cut the other one in slices for garnish). In a small saucepan, add freshly squeezed orange juice and coriander. Mix cold broth with cornstarch and stir well and slowly add it to the juice mixture. Heat on low temperature and slowly thicken.

Chopped cilantro

Focus on Your Top 10 Foods for Mental Health

We all can benefit from eating the top 10 foods for mental health. Most of us have a family history of mental health just as we have a family history for high blood pressure, diabetes and cancer which all have a link to inflammation.

In summary, now is the time to turn towards healthy eating habits while the weather is not at its best. And when it is beautiful and sunny outside, you can get out and enjoy it because you may feel stronger and healthier! What you eat can make a difference in how you feel and that includes food for your brain health. I look forward to sharing more on ways to keep your brain healthy and other ways to feel your best!

If you are looking for a nutrition program to help you boost brain health, reduce inflammation and feel your best, you may be interested in one of my Fresh Approach to Health Programs! Any one of them can be personalized just for you!