Spring Is a Colorful Time!
Now is the perfect time to try a healthier diet and fill your plate with the colors of the rainbow. Veggies, fruits, and whole grains provide fiber, antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. All of these will improve your mental health. You should aim for around 10 portions of veggies and fruit per day, but let the main focus be on vegetables.
Don’t Forget the Vitamins
It’s very important to incorporate Omega-3s in your diet, as well as some crucial vitamins. To get the Omega-3, eat oily fish like salmon, mackerel, anchovies, sardines, and herring. If you are vegan try flaxseeds, linseeds, walnuts, chia seeds, and/or supplementation. Cold-pressed olive oil and avocados are also amazing.
The essential vitamins that will support your mental health and well-being are B12, vitamin D, and magnesium. Since the main source of B12 is animal products, vegans and people with deficits should supplement. As for vitamin D, sunlight is the best source, as we all know, but you can also get it through the aforementioned oily fish, tofu, egg yolks, and some fortified foods like fortified mushrooms, yogurt, nut milk, and cereal. During the winter, it is recommended to supplement but in spring you can start getting it with more sun exposure. Magnesium can be sourced from dark, green leafy vegetables and nuts and seeds, particularly sesame, sunflower, and pumpkin.
Limit Brain Drains
Most people love a sweet little treat. Sugary things usually give an energy boost but they are followed by a crash, which contributes to mood swings, sleepiness, and hunger. This is not good news for mental wellness and overall wellbeing. Try switching the sweets with whole fruits. Caffeine is also one of those things that make you feel good quickly but then you can feel a major crash in your mood. Try non-caffeinated drinks and hot water instead of tea or coffee.
Lifestyle Changes
Physical exercise is good both for the body and the mind all year round, but it’s a good thing to start this spring. This doesn’t mean you need to spend hours at the gym but a quick exercise session at home can do miracles for your mental health. Combine that with a good night’s sleep and you will see a world of a difference! Turn down the lights an hour before bed to wind down better and avoid TV programs, stressful conversations, and too much stimulation. Sleeping in a dark room with a comfortable temperature is also advised.