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.

Let’s talk about how food you eat affects your brain.

Here is a brain health food list.

Top 10 Highly Effective Foods for Brain Health

This list contains some of the best for memory and top brain foods

• Fatty Fish Rich in Omega 3 Fatty Acids
  DHA and EPA are found in fatty fish and algae supplements. Our bodies can also convert alpha linolenic acid (ALA) from flax, walnut, chia and soy but we really can’t convert enough for it to be a reliable source. If you don’t eat fish an algae fatty acid supplement is a good way to make sure that you get these important, heathy fats for brain and eye health.
  
• Dark Leafy Vegetables
  Eating your greens may help reduce cognitive decline. This is more than likely linked to their high vitamin K which is one of the best vitamins for brain health. Greens appear to be one of the best vegetables for memory!
  
  In addition, greens are also good for your eyes and a source of calcium. I love raw greens but also love to sauté them with a little olive oil, salt, pepper and red pepper sprinkles. Why cooked? You can get a lot of cups of raw greens in one cup of cooked greens because they cook down in volume. Have it as a side daily!
  
• Berries
  What fruits are good for your brain? Berries help protect our brains by helping reduce inflammation and improve communication in the brain increasing neurotransmission and neuroplasticity. Eating more of this fruit may improve memory. Strawberries, blueberries, blackberries and other berries contain beneficial plant chemicals and antioxidants for brain health.
  
• Healthy Fats, Olive Oil, Nuts & Seeds
  The Mediterranean style of living which includes a diet rich in olive oil, nuts and seeds for brain health appear to help improve cognitive function and may be able to prevent and delay memory issues.
  
• Rich Purple Foods
  We already talked about the role of berries and brain health but what about other purple foods? They can also help both our brain and heart with those healthy phytochemicals. Purple foods like red cabbage, pomegranate, beets, eggplant, purple sweet potatoes help prevent oxidation which protect our bodies’ cells and tissues.
  
• Whole Grains
  Whole grains like oatmeal, whole wheat and brown rice are better than processed ones and there are several studies out there showing the link to improved cardiovascular health which can help improve cognitive health. However, other findings on whole grains and cognitive decline are inconclusive. However, there are several studies linked to improved mood and anxiety.
  
• Green tea
  Green tea consumption has been associated with improved mood. This study also found that green tea consumption was associated with a lower likelihood that someone would have cognitive decline later in life. This could be due to some of the beneficial plant chemicals in tea such as catechins, EGCG, caffeine, and l-theanine.
  
  Here is a post on cooking with tea that you might enjoy.
  
• Probiotics
  Prebiotics can provide small improvements in people having depression and anxiety. The best way to get your probiotics is from fermented foods like kefir, tempeh, miso yogurt, kimchi, and kombucha.
  
• Prebiotics
  Probiotics are healthy bacteria, but have you ever wondered what helps healthy bacteria flourish in your gut? Another way to think about it is “What does healthy bacteria need to survive?” The answer prebiotics. Researchers reported in the European Neuropharmacology found that prebiotics can help reduce cognitive deficits, depression and anxiety.
  
  The best way to get prebiotics is from your food, some of these foods include garlic, onion, leeks, asparagus, barley, oats, whole grains, and apples.
  
• Magnesium rich foods and zinc rich foods.
  The mineral magnesium is being researched to decrease anxiety but needs to be researched further. Good food sources of magnesium include green leafy vegetables, nuts, sees, dark chocolate, whole grains and avocado.
  
  The other beneficial mineral in brain health is zinc which may help prevent depression and also help enhance antidepressant medications.
  
  Good sources of zinc include beans, lentils, nuts, pumpkin seeds, whole grains and eggs. In addition to zinc, eating eggs for brain health may be also beneficial due to being rich in choline which may help fight inflammation and enhance brain function. Eggs are also rich in protein, B6 and B12 which can also benefit our brain.

Here is an additional article from the Cleveland Clinic on food and mood:

Mood Boosting Foods – Cleveland Clinic Health Essentials – Cleveland Clinic

Now that we have talked about the foods for brain health, what are foods that are less healthy for it.

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 below.

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!

Recipe with Some of the Best Brain Foods

This recipe is not only delicious but is rich in foods that can benefit your brain and mood.

Pistachio Encrusted Salmon with Orange Glaze

I love the flavor of the pistachio nuts and salmon together and they are excellent foods for brain health. 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 Glaze

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.

Eat more Foods for Brain Health

We all can benefit from eating more foods for brain health. Many 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, we are what we eat and if we want our brain to work its best, we need the best brain food. I look forward to sharing more on ways to keep your brain healthy and other ways to feel your best! And I hope that you feel that you have a better idea about the foods you need.

And now you know that a healthy gut leads to a healthier brain, you may be interested in an upcoming course on gut health for women in mid-life that will be available soon. Check back for details or better yet, if you sign up for my 5-day course on inflammation, you will be one of the first ones to hear when it is up and runningT