“Our diet will contribute to emotional well-being”: a dietitian shares with us the foods to favor on a daily basis for mental health

“Our diet will affect the entire functioning of our body. As much for our mental health as for our physical health”explains Alexandra Murcier. What we eat is not going to have an immediate impact on our emotional well-being. You have to adopt good habits that will be beneficial in the long term. They are the ones who will undeniably play a key role in our health, including our mental health: “This will help optimize the functioning of our body. Subsequently, this good functioning will contribute to the fact that we feel less stressed,” underlines the expert.

Conversely, a poor diet will have negative consequences. Firstly on our health: “This will increase the risk of developing certain pathologies. There are, for example, some studies which highlight the fact that consumption of highly processed foods or high sugar consumption increases the risk of diseases, particularly such as Alzheimer’s.enlightens the dietitian.

Secondly, on our mental health since “in a more indirect way it can affect neurotransmitters such as serotonin or dopamine which will participate in emotional well-being in general”, underlines Alexandra Murcier.

We often hear about so-called “anti-stress” foods. It is therefore legitimate to ask whether they have real power over our well-being. In reality, “not directly”, notes the expert. As we explained to you previously, this will have a global but not targeted impact against stress. It is our general good condition that will allow us to feel less stressed.

However, there is still one exception: magnesium. Indeed, it is not uncommon to be recommended magnesium to reduce anxiety and for good reason: this mineral is the only one to have a direct impact on stress, Alexandra Murcier tells us. It is therefore recommended to consume it regularly. You can find it in particular in whole grains or even in 70% dark chocolate.

“Our diet will, in fact, contribute to emotional, mental and physical well-being. This will involve different habits, sometimes more indirect than the simple fact of saying “I eat this, I improve that”, but which contribute to overall well-being”details Alexandra Murcier. The specialist summarizes the main areas for improving your diet.

The first thing is that it is essential to eat everything. Varying your diet daily is a fundamental point. Generally, for a plate to be balanced, it must be composed of 50% vegetables, 25% carbohydrates and 25% proteins. “The more we vary our diet, the more we will cover the need for vitamins and minerals which play a cofactor role in physiological reactions in our body. If we lack certain vitamins or minerals, there are functions that will go off the rails”warns the dietitian. But this will impact our mental health: “For example, if we lack iodine, this can have consequences on our thyroid which, when it malfunctions, will create emotional problems. We will have a tendency to be more easily depressed or to be more tired.”

By focusing on a varied diet, we put all the chances on our side so that our body functions optimally.

Limiting your sugar intake in general is particularly recommended for your health. It is important to distance yourself from foods that tend to be quite sweet since this can quickly lead to a downward spiral.

Sugar can quickly make people addictive. “A diet very rich in sugar will activate dopamine circuits. Dopamine receptors are the same receptors as those for immediate pleasure such as alcohol or drugs. However, the more we activate these receptors, the more we will have this side of sugar addiction.”, analyzes Alexandra Murcier. It can be difficult to reduce your sugar intake because “we risk being a little lacking”but in the long term the benefits will be very real.

Alexandra Murcier advises favoring an anti-inflammatory diet, that is to say a diet rich in omega-3, which is a fatty acid that is particularly good for health: “Foods rich enough in omega-3 will protect the cardiovascular system and also have an impact on the functioning of our brain and therefore limit cognitive decline.” In addition, they can also play a role on our hormonal system and therefore on our emotional system. “This will bring overall well-being in the long term. It is not by eating omega 3 for 2 or 3 days that we will think better or feel better”nuance l’experte.

But where to find omega-3 and how many times to eat it daily? Favor small fatty fish such as mackerel or sardines. It is best to eat this type of fatty fish at least twice a week. You can also find it in vegetable oils such as walnut oil or rapeseed oil.

Finally, the dietitian’s last recommendation is to turn to a diet rich in antioxidants since the latter “will help slow down cellular aging, including that of our brain. It also contributes to long-term mental well-being,” explains Alexandra Murcier.

Antioxidants are found mainly in raw fruits and vegetables. It is important to consume it every day. Moreover, the specialist specifies that it is better to eat them raw since we “loses some of the antioxidants with cooking. For example, vitamin C is an antioxidant that is very sensitive to heat”.

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*Alexandra Murcier is a dietician-nutritionist member of the AFDN (French Association of Nutritionist Dietitians), her practice is based in Paris 17th.