Sharing how food and diet can affect one's emotional and mental well-being and health.

Excerpts of the article in English:

i) "It is important to note the difference between mental hunger and physical hunger. Physical hunger happens when one has not eaten in a while or when your body needs more energy. However, mental hunger can happen anytime and anywhere and has nothing to do with body’s need for nourishment. Mental hunger can occur by association (e.g., when one is at movies, one may crave for popcorns) or when one chances upon advertisement for a particular food. It can also occur when one wants to cope with an uncomfortable state e.g., stress, disappointment, or it could be due to deprivation from a particular food type. For example, if we deprive ourselves completely from a food group, it may cause us to have strong cravings for related food which may in turn increase our tendency for mental hunger/eating. It is hence important for us to nourish our bodies with a variety of food types and in a timely fashion, so that we feel adequately satiated and lower our tendency for mental hunger."

ii) "there is a link between our diet and our mental and emotional health, via the gut-brain connection. About 95% of serotonin, the key neurotransmitter responsible for regulating one’s mood, is made in one’s gut. Besides being the natural mood stabilizer for our body, serotonin also helps us regulate anxiety, experience happiness and heal wounds. The key is to support gut health in order to facilitate production of serotonin."

iii) "While we can make food decisions to affect our mental and emotional health, it has to be supplemented with other lifestyle changes for a more holistic approach to managing one’s health.

In some cases, especially for individuals who are experiencing more severe depression or have unhealthy relationship with food (e.g., eating disorders), it may be challenging for them to make changes to their diet independently. Hence, these individuals may require support from mental health professionals to guide them from where they are, at their individual pace, towards improving their given situation. "

iv) "if we happen to indulge more than expected for the week, let’s choose to extend kindness to ourselves. This self-compassion and kindness can increase our chance at maintaining a more balance diet in the long run. "

In this Lianhe Zaobao article, I shared how food and diet can affect one's emotional and mental well-being and health.

Eat, love, live.

~Jeanice