How Fish, Water And Alcohol Affect Your Mental Health

Still on the effects of food on mental health. Include fish, especially oily fish, in your diet.
A few studies suggest that omega 3 oil supplements may reduce symptoms in people with depression on antidepressant medications. These studies are small but we know that a proper balance of omega 3 and omega 6 oils in the diet is important.
To get a good balance of mega 3 and 6 oils:

• include more omega 3-rich oily fish from sustainable fish stocks – try to include 2–4 portions a week (but no more than 2 portions if you are pregnant or breastfeeding). If buying tinned fish, choose varieties in water, brine or tomato sauce rather than in sunflower oil (this is high in omega 6)

• if you fry food (eg. stir fries) use an oil high in monounsaturates eg. olive or rapeseed oil

• choose a monounsaturated margarine or butter for spreading. Avoid margarines or low fat spreads containing omega 6 polyunsaturated or hydrogenated trans fats (trans fats are damaging to your brain and arteries)

• avoid processed foods such as pies, sausage rolls, crisps and cakes – these are high in saturated and trans fats.

If you don’t like fish you could try an omega 3 supplement (choose one that is purified, contains no vitamin A and has a high eicosapenanoic acid (EPA) content – take no more than 1g EPA per day). If you are vegetarian, try a flax seed supplement (although only a very small fraction of the omega 3 contained in plant products can be used by the body).

Maintain a healthy weight.
Depression affects different people in different ways. Some people lose interest in food or can’t motivate themselves to shop and cook, so lose weight. Others find they want to eat more and gain weight when they are unhappy. Some medications can also increase or decrease your appetite – if you are concerned that the medication you are taking has made your weight problems worse, speak to your doctor.
Both excessive weight loss or weight gain can make your mood worse and should be avoided. Weight loss and lack of good nutrition will deprive the brain of glucose and the other nutrients that control mood – you may need the advice of a dietitian to help you overcome this problem.
Putting on weight unintentionally or feeling out of control of your eating can increase your depression and can lead to yo-yo dieting, which leaves you further out of control. If you are overweight, follow the advice on healthy eating but be extra careful to limit your fat and sugar intake (no fries, pies, cakes, puddings, sweets, chocolate or sweet drinks), use less fat in cooking, reduce your alcohol consumption, avoid sugary drinks, and increase your exercise levels.

Maintain adequate fluid intake.
Not drinking enough fluid has significant implications for mental health. The early effects of even mild dehydration can affect our feelings and behaviour.
An adult loses approximately 2.5 litres of water daily through the lungs as water vapour, through the skin as perspiration and through the kidneys as urine. If you don’t drink enough fluids to replace this loss then you will get symptoms of dehydration, including irritability, loss of concentration and reduced mental functioning.
Coffee, colas, some energy drinks and tea all contain caffeine, which some people use to boost energy levels. However, in large quantities caffeine can increase blood pressure, anxiety, depressive symptoms and sleep problems.
Caffeine also has a diuretic effect in the body – it encourages the production of urine and therefore leads to dehydration. For this reason you should not rely solely on caffeine-based fluids.
If you do take drinks with caffeine in them, try to limit yourself to just 3–4 cups per day and drink other fluids such as water, fruit juice and non-stimulant herbal teas at other times. Chocolate also contains caffeine and should be limited to an occasional treat.

Limit your alcohol intake.
Alcohol has a depressant effect on the brain and can result in a rapid worsening of your mood. It is also a toxin that has to be deactivated by the liver. During this detoxification process the body uses thiamin, zinc and other nutrients and this can deplete your reserves, especially if your diet is poor.
Thiamin and other vitamin deficiencies are common in heavy drinkers and can cause low mood, irritability and/or aggressive behaviour, as well as more serious and long-term mental health problems.
Because the body uses important nutrients to process alcohol, people who experience depression should consider avoiding alcohol until they have recovered. Even then, because of alcohol’s depressant effects, they should consider drinking only small amounts – no more than once a week.
If you do want to drink alcohol, try not to exceed the recommended safe limits – two units a day for women and three units for men.
1 unit = 1 small glass wine (8 % ABV)
½ pint beer or lager (3.5 % ABV)
1 single measure spirits (40 % ABV)
1 small glass sherry or port (20 % ABV)

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The Kind Of Food You Eat Could Determined Your Mental Health (2)

( being the continuation of Tuesday's topic on the effect of foods on mental health, sent in by an expert from Mental Health Foundation ).

Eat regular meals throughout the day to maintain blood sugar levels.
Make sure you eat at least three meals each day. Missing meals, especially breakfast, leads to low blood sugar and this causes low mood, irritability and fatigue. If you feel hungry between meals you may need to include a healthy snack eg. fruit, nuts and cereals.



East fewer high sugar foods and more wholegrain cereals, nuts, beans, lentils, fruit and vegetables.
Sugary foods are absorbed quickly into the bloodstream. This may cause an initial ‘high’ or surge of energy that soon wears off as the body increases its insulin production, leaving you feeling tired and low.
Wholegrain cereals, pulses, fruit and vegetables are more filling and, because the sugar in these foods is absorbed more slowly, don’t cause mood swings.
These foods are more nutritious as they contain thiamin (B1), a vitamin that has been associated with control of mood, and folate and zinc (supplements of these nutrients have been shown to improve the mood of people with depression in a small number of studies).
Choose:

• bread – wholemeal and granary rather than white. Also try rye breads, pumpernickel, wholemeal pitta bread, wholemeal chapattis, oat cakes, rice cakes and corn cakes

• breakfast cereals – choose high fibre, low sugar types eg. wholegrain or bran cereals or porridge

• rice and pasta – go for Basmati and brown rice (this gives a nutty texture in salads) and wholemeal pasta

• potatoes – serve boiled new potatoes in their skins (with a little bit of butter) or mashed or jacket potatoes. Potato wedges (lightly brushed with olive oil) are a lower fat alternative to chips and roast potatoes if you are watching your weight. Try sweet potatoes or yams for a change – these are delicious baked.

Aim to eat at least five portions of fruit and vegetables a day eg. 1 glass of orange juice or ½ grapefruit for breakfast, a banana or apple for a mid morning snack, salad at lunch time and then two types of vegetable (a portion is roughly two serving spoons) and piece of fresh or baked fruit for your evening meal.
NB: Green vegetables should be steamed or boiled in a little water and should not be overcooked or you will lose much of the vitamin content.
Avoid sugar and sugary drinks, cakes, sweets and puddings. These are loaded with calories but have little nutritional value and may trigger mood swings because of their sugar content.

Include protein at every meal to ensure a continuous supply of the amino acid tryptophan to the brain.
We all need to eat enough protein to maintain our skin, organ, muscle and immune function but recent research suggests that one particular component of protein, the amino acid tryptophan, can influence mood.
Supplements of tryptophan were tested in studies and in some were shown to improve the mood of people with depression. The supplements were not considered safe and were removed from the market. However, you can ensure your brain gets a regular supply of tryptophan by including at least one good sized portion of protein at each meal ie. meat, fish, eggs, milk, cheese, nuts, beans, lentils (dhal), or a meat substitute such as textured vegetable protein or mycoprotein.
NB: Peanuts are low in tryptophan so if you eat them at a meal-time include another source of protein (eg. other nuts) at the same time...
(To be continued next week)
 

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The Kind Of Food You Eat Could Determined Your Mental Health

According to Mental Health Foundation, one of the most obvious, yet under-recognised factors in the development of major trends in mental health is the role of nutrition. The body of evidence linking diet and mental health is growing at a rapid pace. As well as its impact on short and long-term mental health, the evidence indicates that food plays an important contributing role in the development, management and prevention of specific mental health problems such as depression, schizophrenia, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and Alzheimer’s disease.
Nearly two thirds of those who do not report daily mental health problems eat fresh fruit or fruit juice every day, compared with less than half of those who do report daily mental health problems. This pattern is similar for fresh vegetables and salad. Those who report some level of mental health problem also eat fewer healthy foods (fresh fruit and vegetables, organic foods and meals made from scratch) and more unhealthy foods (chips and crisps, chocolate, ready meals and takeaways).
A balanced mood and feelings of wellbeing can be protected by ensuring that our diet provides adequate amounts of complex carbohydrates, essential fats, amino acids, vitamins and minerals and water.
While a healthy diet can help recovery, it should sit alongside other treatments recommended by your doctor.

What we are eating now is very different from that of our recent ancestors. Food production and manufacturing techniques, coupled with changing lifestyles and increasing access to processed foods, mean that our intake of fresh, nutritious, local produce is much lower, at the same time as our intake of fat, sugar, alcohol and additives is much higher. It has been estimated that the average person in the UK and other industrialised countries will eat more than 4 kilogrammes of additives every year. Same goes for cities in Africa, and Nigeria in particular where rich elites live. Over the last 60 years there has been a 34% decline in developed countries vegetable consumption with currently only 13% of men and 15% of women now eating at least five portions of fruit and vegetables per day. People in such countries eat 59% less fish than they did 60 years ago - decreasing the consumption of essential omega-3 fatty acids.

A healthy diet can be more expensive. Fish, fruit and vegetables can be particularly pricey. However, by cutting down on sugary drinks and snacks, takeaways and alcohol, you can save money so you can buy healthier foods.
Take care to buy only as much as you know you can use within the next few days, to reduce waste. You can also cut your costs by taking advantage of special promotions and by shopping at market stalls, which are often cheaper than supermarkets. If you live alone you could save money by splitting purchases with friends (buying bulk is usually cheaper) or by cooking several portions of a dish and freezing some of them. This also saves energy and saves you the effort of preparing meals every day.
Frozen fruit and vegetables are often cheaper than fresh produce and are usually just as good nutritionally (with no wastage). Fresh fruit and vegetables are usually cheapest when they are in season. Beans, lentils and soy mince are also cheaper than meat and just as nutritious...
(To be continued tomorrow)

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"Forgiveness Prevent High Blood Pressure, Heart Problems, Others" - Sammy Nickalls, Content Manager, Inspiyr

Natural health is not just about herbs, foods, fitness gears and body massaging machines. If the WHO definition of health as the totality of one's well being (including physical, mental, emotional, an spiritual well being) is anything to go by, then emotional intelligence should be a vital part of natural health. Today, we present an article on forgiveness sent in by Sammy Nickalls, the Content Manager at Inspiyr. 
A sage once said, “Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned.”
Most of us equate this “burn” to psychological distress; after all, holding a grudge causes you more mental pain than the person who did you wrong.
But do you know that holding a grudge can cause you physical pain as well? You would be doing your body as well as your mind some good if you took the path of forgiveness instead. There are many health benefits of forgiveness that may make you rethink whether that grudge is really worth it. But first…

Some confuse forgiving with just verbally accepting an apology, but that’s not true. Although saying “it’s okay” often goes hand in hand with forgiveness, these things are not one in the same.
In order to forgive you must let go of your anger and negative thoughts and forgive the person deep within yourself as well as outwardly. You can even do this without a true apology, if the person doesn’t feel they are wrong or has too much pride.
Forgiveness is not just a formality, but a state of mind. And that loving, accepting state of mind can lift you from a lot of burdens—mentally and physically.

5 Health Benefits of Forgiveness

1. Lowers stress levels

According to a study done by Hope College reseachers, one of the benefits of forgiveness is lower amounts of cortisol.
Researchers examined 71 participants and their physical responses when they spoke about grudges as opposed to when they spoke about forgiveness and empathy. Those who exhibited more forgiving perspectives had lower physiological stress responses.

2. Keeps your heart healthy

Forgiveness is good for the heart—literally. One study suggests that people who hold on to grudges tend to have higher heart rates, while those who are more empathetic and able to forgive tend to have lower heart rates.
Why hold onto anger when it will make your heart do more work than it needs to do?

3. Lowers pain

Having a forgiving heart may lower both emotional and physical pain, according to a study done by Duke University Medical Center researchers. Out of 61 subjects who suffered from chronic back pain, those who were more likely to forgive reported lower levels of pain, leading researchers to believe that “a relationship appears to exist between forgiveness and important aspects of living with persistent pain.”

4. Lowers blood pressure

Letting go of that anger you’ve been harboring might lower your blood pressure. Studies show that forgiveness is linked to lower blood pressure.

5. Extends life

Your grudges might be shaving years off your life. According to one study, after testing adults ages 66 and older and determining their ability to forgive, those who were more forgiving in nature tended to live longer. Forgive, and you’ll live!

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The Environment: Health Effects Of Noise Pollution

Today, the world marks the World Environment Day and we cannot but focus on an aspect of environmental hazard that is not usually touched when environmental issues come up on a day like this. Noise health effects are the health consequences of elevated sound levels. Elevated workplace or other noise can cause hearing impairment, hypertension, ischemic heart disease, annoyance, and sleep disturbance. Changes in the immune system and birth defects have been attributed to noise exposure^.
Although some presbycusis may occur naturally with age, in many developed nations the cumulative impact of noise is sufficient to impair the hearing of a large fraction of the population over the course of a lifetime. Noise exposure also has been known to induce tinnitus, hypertension, vasoconstriction, and other cardiovascular adverse effects.
Beyond these effects, elevated noise levels can create stress, increase workplace accident rates, and stimulate aggression and other anti-social behaviors. The most significant causes are vehicle and aircraft noise, prolonged exposure to loud music, and industrial noise. In Nigerian cities, road traffic has been demonstrated to cause almost 80% of the noise annoyances reported. Other major causes include megaphones use by religious bodies like churches and mosques, and sounds made by traders hawking their products with public address systems.
There may be psychological definitions of noise as well. Firecrackers may upset domestic and wild animals or noise-traumatized individuals. The most common noise-traumatized persons are those exposed to military conflicts, but often loud groups of people can trigger complaints and other behaviors about noise. Infants are easily startled by noise.
The social costs of traffic noise in EU22 are more than €40 billion per year, and passenger cars and lorries (trucks) are responsible for bulk of costs. Traffic noise alone is harming the health of almost every third person in the most cities in Nigeria.
Noise also is a threat to marine and terrestrial ecosystems.
As we mark the World Environment Day today, we can only hope that the government at various levels will come up with policies and programs that will stem the tide of noise pollution in Nigeria, especially the urban areas.

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The Importance Of A Healthy Breakfast To The Day's Productivity

Life in Nigerian cities could be very hectic. On a busy working day, it is common for many workers to skip breakfast and replace a healthy meal with a strong dose of caffeine. What they fail to realise is that a healthy breakfast will, in fact help to boost their concentration and, in turn, maximise their productivity.
It is also common for us to avoid food when we are nervous, for example, before an interview for a job we have our heart set on. However, if we are not focused due to having an empty stomach, we are less likely to succeed in the interview and could consequently miss out on the chance of a lifetime.
By keeping hunger pangs at bay, we are able to work more effectively and are more attentive; we all want and, indeed, need to work at our best in order to achieve results and achieve for ourselves. If we do not perform at our best, we risk losing business for our companies and, in turn, will not progress in our chosen career.
Eating healthily will help us avoid making mistakes and will help to ensure that we are successful. Essentially breakfast provides the fuel we need to function, much like a car needs petrol to run. By skipping breakfast, we are literally running on empty tank.
Research has shown that if the key nutrients the body needs such as calcium, iron B vitamins, protein and fibre are not consumed as part of a healthy breakfast they are less likely to be compensated for later in the day.

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