It’s fairly easy to find articles that make a connection between exercise and mental health. Tal ben Shahar, one of today’s leaders in the Positive Psychology movement, says that NOT exercising is like taking a depressant. We will talk more about this on other days this week.
But what about food? What about eating?
Let’s
start here. Did you know there is a distinct field of study that focuses on the links between nutrition and mental health? The connection is strong.
What we eat affects not just our bodies, but our brains.
It affects not just our muscles, but also our hormones,
and therefore our emotions and moods.
In today’s lesson, I’m linking to a great TED talk from 2014 by Dr. Julia Rucklidge, from the University of Canterbury. Her research focuses on “the role of nutrition in the expression and treatment of mental illness.” The title of her TED talk is telling: “The
surprisingly dramatic role of nutrition in mental health.” She has experimented with changes in diet and nutrition as a way of dealing with depression, anxiety, psychosis, and ADHD. And it works!
She refers to a large body of
research from around the world, all showing the same thing: The more you eat what she calls a “prudent” diet — one that has a higher quantity of fruits and vegetables, and lower amount of highly processed food — the lower the prevalence of depression.
By the way, she suggests the Mediterranean diet as an example of a prudent diet, but many different “diets” offer a similar structure — cutting back on sugar, refined grains, and other highly processed food. And of course, by diet we mean “food plan” or “way of eating,” not short term strategy of weight loss.
What is traditionally called the Standard American Diet (SAD) is linked to not only poor physical health outcomes, but also to poor MENTAL health outcomes — especially depression. The SAD is characterized by large amounts of processed food, refined grains, sugar, fast food … and the absence of fruits, vegetables, and other whole foods. Rucklidge says that she “knows of only one study that does NOT
clearly show the connection” between the SAD and deteriorating mental health.
Bottom line: If you are struggling with chronic low energy and mood:
- The FIRST THING you should look at is what you’re eating.
- The SECOND thing you should
look at is your movement / exercise. Find some way of moving regularly -- whatever form of exercise you want. Then — after you’ve made gains with those two — if you’re still feeling depressed …
- The THIRD thing you should do is see a therapist or psychologist, and maybe get on meds.
- DON'T waste your money and time by doing #3 without also doing #1 and #2.
But also keep this in mind: even if the “low” you are feeling in energy and mood isn’t enough to send you to a doctor … let this be a reminder that what you are eating is having a massive effect on the quality of your thinking and emotions. It is that important.
One final point: DO NOT hear this as disrespect for, or encouragement to stay away from, psychiatrists, therapists, and anti-depressants. They all have their place (my wife is a therapist!). If you are feeling REALLY down, or having suicidal thoughts ... get help right away. But as you're getting help in today's traditional mental health spheres, also take a look at what you're eating and how you're moving, or not moving.
The bottom line: We must re-think our approach to mental health in the industrial world today -- and especially in the US. We don't have "mental health" problems -- we have "spiritual/physical/mental health" problems. It's becoming ever more obvious that
our reductionist and atomizing approaches are failing. Trying to find "healing" by diving deep in one area of life, while ignoring problems in the others, will deliver poor results. Every. Single. Time.
If you want more, enjoy
this great TEDx talk Dr. Julia Rucklidge: https://youtu.be/3dqXHHCc5lA
NEXT ACTION
Today’s recovery action is to make a decision — are you content with how you are eating these days? Do you have any kind of plan or set of commitments about how you eat? If things are going well, you can just sit back and feel thankful about that. If not, are you willing to
consider making some changes? If so, it might be interesting to watch the TED talk reference above sometime in the next day or so.
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Would you like to go "all in" and join the Renewed Man Boot Camp? It's a 12 Week Immersion in these principles. You'll get these daily teachings, a weekly video on one of the 12 Keys of Being a Renewed Man, and access to a support group and/or a coaching group that I lead.
Find out more about
the Renewed Man Program here.
