Improve mental health through nutrition, exercise and weight loss to boost self esteem

Yell0w2lip
Yell0w2lip Posts: 6 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I am eating a Mediterranean diet and am focusing on nutrition for brain health. My medications cause weight gain and I am not happy with the weight gain. I need to introduce exercise to lose the weight but to also increase dopamine in the brain. It has been proven that exercise helps with depression. I want this to be a permanent lifestyle change so that I can better manage my mental health symptoms.

Replies

  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,617 Member
    Welcome to MFP: It sounds like you have a good approach. Nutrition and exercise are key to health. In addition to those, make sure that your calorie intake is a little below the number of calories you expend in life and exercise, and your weight loss goals will be realized. Making a plan that has a path to permanent healthy living is the perfect thing!

    Wishing you much success with MFP!
  • Yell0w2lip
    Yell0w2lip Posts: 6 Member
    I walk at a moderate pace nearly every day for 20 minutes. This is great for the body and mind but it also allows me to consume more calories if I want to. Exercise increases dopamine and serotonin levels in the brain. Both affect mood. Sometimes I walk for a bit just because it lifts my mood, not to burn calories. That’s just an added bonus!
  • Luke_rabbit
    Luke_rabbit Posts: 1,031 Member
    It's wonderful that diet and exercise have helped you. Good luck in the future.

    It's also good to remember that, even in well controlled studies (and many of the studies are not), not everyone has success with these methods.
  • viktorijandz
    viktorijandz Posts: 72 Member
    I relate to you because I have a mental illness myself (yes, I am clinically diagnosed). I believe that food can help us heal just as it make us sick, so I started researching nutritional psychiatry two or three months ago on "Google Scholar". (Thanks to being a student at university I can get access to academic publications via my university library account.) I first look at articles published in 2019 and 2020 and notice few things coming up over and over again - consumption of healthy fats (primarily fatty fish and nuts because they have higher bioavailability in comparison to other foods) and intake of vitamin B.

    I hope that you will find a dietary approach that will help you to improve your cognitive functioning. :)

    Take care.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    I think 20 minutes is a great start! I encourage you to try to increase it gradually.

    My brother takes mood stabilizers and antipsychotics known to cause an increase in appetite. When he was in a hospital setting, he gained weight while eating hospital food and not getting much exercise. Now that he is home, eating Mom's cooking, helping her with extensive yard work, and walking several miles per day, he lost all the weight he gained in the hospital and has maintained a healthy weight for going on 6 years.

    He doesn't count calories. He does eat lots of whole foods - fruits, veggies, legumes, whole grains, chicken, fish, etc. There's very little, if any, junk food in the house. Mom's natural way of eating is basically the Mediterranean diet. I've been looking into this myself.
  • Yell0w2lip
    Yell0w2lip Posts: 6 Member
    Omega three oil is definitely a good “brain food.” This oil can be found in oily fish like salmon and in walnuts, chia seeds, flax seeds, eggs, soy, and many other foods. A diet rich in omega 3 fatty acids may help with depression, anxiety and some other psychiatric conditions. A Harvard study found that populations with a diet high in omega 3 have lower rates of depression.
  • Yell0w2lip
    Yell0w2lip Posts: 6 Member
    I am diagnosed with a “treatment-resistant” illness. I know that not everything works for everyone. I’m willing to try anything that is safe. So far, I have lost weight and my mind is a bit less foggy. Baby steps! 😃
  • MirraTok68
    MirraTok68 Posts: 14 Member
    Yell0w2lip wrote: »
    Omega three oil is definitely a good “brain food.” This oil can be found in oily fish like salmon and in walnuts, chia seeds, flax seeds, eggs, soy, and many other foods. A diet rich in omega 3 fatty acids may help with depression, anxiety and some other psychiatric conditions. A Harvard study found that populations with a diet high in omega 3 have lower rates of depression.

    I use them every day and they do a lot when it comes to our bodies
  • MirraTok68
    MirraTok68 Posts: 14 Member
    Good morning everyone happy Monday
  • Speakeasy76
    Speakeasy76 Posts: 961 Member
    It sounds like you've got a great plan. I, too, really believe in the gut-brain connection. There's actually now scientific evidence that this is a real thing, and not just some theory.

    I'm on an SSRI now and have somehow managed, with some careful attunement and work, to not gain weight. However, I still take an Omega-3 supplement and try to get a bit in through my diet (not a big fish eater, unfortunately, but working on it). I also think probiotics and prebiotics can help as well.

    Exercise is a big stress reliever for me, and I think the key is finding something that is actually at least somewhat enjoyable and not viewed as some sort of punishment. It sounds like you are definitely on the right path.

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