MOOD DISORDERS & FOOD: PART TWO

Good morning my lovelies!

 I hope you are all having a wonderful day. Today on Mood Disorders & Food we are discussing how much gut health can really affect your mental health, why vitamin b is so important and also why I think caffeine can be harmful and why I limit my intake.

GUT HEALTH 

Have you ever heard that our second brain is in our gut… well I heard this way back in the day, a friend of my aunt who I thought was a weird hippie (funny story cause I am totally now the hippie gal) and I honestly didn’t know what she was talking about. Fast forward over ten years later and I now realize that she was on to something and I so wish I would of paid attention way back then.

Funny thing, it has been found that when there is a mental illness there is also a digestive problem going on. Anxiety, depression, insomnia and more can be caused because our body and more precise our gut is inflamed.

So having a healthy gut bacteria really does play a large role in your mental health and should be taken SO much more seriously then it is.

WHAT TO EAT

Fermented foods are gonna be your besties // sauerkraut, kimchi, probiotic yogurt

It was really hard to find a good quality diary free yogurt that was filled with probiotics and I feel like Coconut Cult has been sent straight from the heavens. I know it’s pretty pricey but I stopped taking probiotic pills and now use their yogurt, best decision EVER! If you can eat dairy there are tons of options when it comes to probiotic yogurt like Siggi’s Icelandic style yogurt and maple hill creamery.

You want high quality sauerkraut and kimchi and I know that some people are like, it smells, that isn’t for me.  I totally converted my brother and mom to fermented veggies and condiments. I sadly don’t make my own, maybe at some point I will.

Wildbrine, I like all of their products, the kimchi gut shots are SO good. I also love their fermented sriracha. AMAZING. I get a lot of my sauerkraut from them.

Collagen // collagen peptides has been the BEST! I started adding collagen to my diet, three years ago and it was actually because I was going to start reintroducing animal protein and since my digestion was horrible from binging/ throwing up/ too much medication/ mood imbalance and more my doctor recommend collagen. I have tried so many brands and honestly am so passionate when it comes to Vital Protein and I am not trying to sell you guys on this, its just that I’ve tried other brands and I notice a difference in a few weeks. I buy their collagen peptides, grass fed gelatin and so much more.

You can’t taste it which is pretty cool, you can add it to just about anything from, oatmeal, smoothies, fat balls, brownies, pancakes, waffles, yogurt, matcha. Eggs, soup, seriously I think everything. I even add it to my water. SO you have no excuse on how to use it.

WHAT TO AVOID 

+ processed sugar is a BIG no no.

+ wine and beer, actually alcoholic beverages in general. they can disrupt your microbial balance.

+ artificial foods and coloring

CAFFEINE

When I was on my medication my doctor wouldn’t let me consume it, it would produce irritability, insomnia and could potentially interact with my medication. When I went off them my doctor told me I could but to limit my intake. I’m not gonna lie, I didn’t really pay attention. I started drinking coffee again, the Colombian side of me was ecstatic. I loved drinking coffee with almond milk and a little honey. SO good. I was having green tea because of all the health benefits it has and not really worried. Then I started to realize that I was irritable, my sleep was out of it and my hormonal imbalance was also wacky. I stopped drinking coffee and realized there was a change immediately. I would make these weird coffee-less tonics and lattes. Earlier this year I reintroduced caffeine in the form of matcha. I will have cold brew every once in a while. I stick to matcha on the weekdays and limit it to one serving a day. I also make sure that I have it before 11 am. That way it won’t affect my sleep. If I want something warm during the colder months, I love ginger, lemon and mint tea. I make my own with fresh ginger, mint and some lemon. SOOO good, plus it’s great for your digestion.

If you wanna give matcha a try, I have this awesome latte recipe here. I’m always sharing it on my Instagram stories, and on my actual Instagram .

VITAMIN B 

There’s a long history that is now being unveiled revolving the connection between Vitamin B and a healthy mental health. It has been proven that depressed patients have improved mood when they take vitamin b1. It has also been proven that for psychotic episodes on bipolar patients along with schizophrenic the addition of vitamin b can lessen the severity of their psychotic symptoms.

There is also a link between low vitamin b12 levels and depression + anxiety. It has been said the 2/5 of our population has b12 deficiencies.

b12 is well known for all of it’s physical health benefits, sadly in the mental health community it isn’t known for all of the wonderful affects it can have in maintaining a healthy brain function and promoting a more positive balanced mood. B12 happens to be the most complex of all the vitamins and knowing that so many people are deficient in it is truly sad.

WHAT DOES B12 OFFER

+promoting a staple adrenal function

+ offering a calming effect

+ helping with  memory function

+ helping with concentration

+ helping with mental energy

and so much more.

B6 B8 & B12 have been linked are a great aid in schizophrenic patients.

WHY

Vitamin b plates a direction role on  the methylation cycle, which is what is in charge of the function of neurotransmitter. PLUS it is crucial in maintaining the myelin which is the fatty outer layer surrounding your nerve cells. If it didn’t have this protection fatty coating, nerve signals become slow and sporadic. This can lead to changes in mood, motor function problems. memory problems and so much more.

If you think about it babes all of these vitamin b types affect our bran. It is important to talk to your health care provider before adding any sort of vitamin or supplement to your daily routine. Please don’t make any changes without talking to your health care provider first. Stay tuned to learn what Mood Disorder + Food Three will bring! Have a beautiful day! Xo!