Eating Right for Mental Health–and Holiness!

Winchester, VA – Writer Marta Klimek for Aleteia explains that our moods are closely tied to the foods we eat. Foods like sugar and refined grains spike our blood sugar, increasing inflammation of the nervous system and lending us to irritability, insomnia, poor concentration and memory, and also mood disorders. Eating the right foods, however, can shore up our mental resilience. Foods that promote good mental health include: Antioxidants, found in berries, which protect our neural connections, the basis of mental health. Folic acid, in green vegetables, promotes production of the feel-good hormnones seratonin, boosting mood and memory. Omega 3 fatty acids in oily fish assist neuron construction and protection. Lastly, selenium, in brazil nuts, decreases nervousness, emotional instability and depression. Perhaps if we keep our mood in check with our diet we might have less to tell the priest in the confessional? We can hope!