You Can’t Run a Car Without Gasoline (or a plug)
Exploring How Mental Health is Impacted by Nutrition

Have you asked yourself lately, “How do I feel?” Like really, how do you feel? Do you wake up feeling energized or sluggish? Do you sleep well? If you are in your 40’s like I am, life is busy! We have jobs, families, kiddos, kid activities, date nights, family nights etc. The list goes on and on. If you are not feeling 100% at your best to run the ever demanding lifestyle you live, there could be many reasons. One important reason I’d like to help you assess is the following: what are you putting in your body?

These days, the Standard American Diet, also know as the SAD diet (guess why)? consists of processed foods with artificial ingredients, added sugar, and added chemicals that make us feel bad. Sure…we think we are eating just a piece of bread if you have toast for breakfast, but what is in that bread? Have you looked at the ingredients lately, is the second ingredient sugar?

Studies have shown that people who consistently consume high levels of sugar are more prone to depression and anxiety.

What we put in our body matters and we don’t always know what we are putting in our bodies. Do you drink soda or energy drinks or sugary alcoholic drinks? Do you feel like crap? That is why. All of the above are HORRIBLE for your body but even more horrible are the chemicals that these products contain if they are allegedly “sugar free” or “diet.” Many of us think, “sure no problem, I can get a diet soda and not have sugar and that will be better for me, right?” Wrong. Artificial sweeteners are toxic. They are pure chemicals and because they are chemicals your body has no idea how to digest them. It is basically like eating cardboard or plastic; your organs would not know what to do with it. That is what happens when we put Nutra Sweet or Aspartame in our bodies, our bodies get stuck. We can’t process it and it takes work to digest something so foreign, and then we wonder why we don’t feel good. Processed sugar is generally bad for you, but fake sugar is even worse; keep this in mind. A general rule of thumb if you want to immediately feel better, don’t drink soda. In fact do not “drink your calories” at all. If you are hungry, eat real food and consume your calories that way. When we drink soda, sugary coffee drinks, etc we are consuming hundreds of calories and it is not doing us any good because those calories are empty. They don’t provide nourishment and we are not full after we consume them. If you are thirsty, drink water. If you want to really be fancy sometimes and like your bubbles, drink carbonated water.

People ask me all the time, “how much do I workout, how come I am not gaining weight at age 41 etc etc.” What is the kicker? Well, I do work out 5-6 days a week but more importantly, I don’t consume crappy food. The key to feeling good so that I can work out is to put nourishing food in my body. I know it sounds kind of boring but it is true. The other kicker is once you reduce your sugar and simple carbohydrate intake (think chips, cookies, candy, crackers and, cereals), you start to taste natural sugar more intensely and fruits and veggies are more flavorful (think carrots and apples)

What you put in your body affects your mental health in a major way. If you put junk in your body, it junks up your mind. You may feel more depressed and anxious; you feel less motivation to achieve your goals because you just don’t have energy. You are lethargic, foggy and can’t seem to kick it in to gear. You get stuck in a sedentary cycle of not working out because you don’t have the energy but then you don’t work out and still don’t have energy.

I urge you, start reading food labels on the food you buy, start to wonder about your mood and how it may relate to what you have eaten lately. You will be shocked at what you find. Educate yourself, love your body, give it amazing energy with amazing food.