This is the third article in a three-part series on The Powerful Role of the Body in Mental Health. Find the first and second articles here.
For most of us, a burger and fries hold more easy appeal to our taste buds than a chef salad. Eating healthy doesn’t often come naturally. It’s all the harder because processed and fast food are everywhere and so easy!
Foster and adoptive families frequently face additional challenges, whether it is a child newly entering their home with different eating habits, strong aversions to certain tastes and textures, or hoarding and overeating related to food anxiety.
We get it.
But research confirms that what we put in our stomach impacts our whole person – our emotions, thinking ability, self-control and confidence. Believe it or not, how we relate to others is impacted by what we eat!
Here’s the summary of associations research shows: Unhealthy eating + time = more unhappiness and anxiety; while healthy eating + time = more happiness, satisfaction and resilient attitudes.
Just like improving sleep and being more active, it doesn’t take big changes to start to feel the reward of healthier eating choices.
Tossing a few of the most unhealthy foods in your house and buying a few palatable healthy items in exchange is a great starting point. You don’t need to radically change your diet all at once. Small steps, if sustained, can be profoundly satisfying.
And, if you’re patient, those little changes will really pay off over time.
God’s design for food and nourishment
Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food … God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. (Genesis 1:29-31)
After making humankind in His image, God directed Adam and Eve to the perfect diet. It was the diet of paradise: fruits, vegetables and whole grains. And He looked upon it – seeing bright colors and varied shapes of abundant produce – and thought it was very good.
It seems God delighted in providing beautiful, nourishing food, much like a parent who has put their heart into preparing an attractive, healthy meal for their family.
It turns out that God’s original creative vision for nutrition is still the optimal diet. In fact, it is not a stretch to say that it is fit for royalty – not only by way of flavor – but also for the striking physical and mental benefits.
Nutrition and mental health interact intimately
Across the lifespan, the developing human brain is profoundly impacted by what we eat.
Longitudinal studies of adults show that high intake of vegetables, fruit, whole grains, nuts, dairy, and fish and low intake of sugar-containing beverages are associated with larger gray matter volume, white matter volume, and hippocampal volume.
When children have a healthy diet, longitudinal data shows greater brain volume and better cognitive performance.
Research proves that a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and healthy fats consistently improves happiness and life satisfaction while significantly decreasing the odds of depressive symptoms. Eating more produce even makes hard experiences feel less negative, providing a protective effect against significant stressors.
On the other hand, a diet characterized by sugary and processed foods is linked to anxiety, depression, and overall poorer well-being.
How do we begin to take steps toward healthier eating in our homes?
Here are some easy, research-based steps you can take that really make a difference in physical, mental and emotional health:
- Focus on colorful, whole and unprocessed ingredients with no added sugar. The more fresh fruits and vegetables, the better!
- Let kids help with food prep. They’ll likely eat more healthy food when they do.
- Have more meals as a family. This is strongly associated with eating more produce.
- Sit just a few extra minutes at mealtime. Ten more minutes at the table means more fruit and veggie eating.
- Put screens away and cultivate joy together at mealtime. Focusing on each other in a positive atmosphere contributes to better eating habits.
- Keep serving vegetables – it will pay off in time. Don’t give up. The research is clear on the benefits over time of sticking with it.
Remember, kids need the guidance of parents to make sure that they have the best odds of good mental health through healthy physical habits.
Especially when it comes to healthy eating, no one has the same influence as parents, in part because the home is where so many of these little habits are formed.
-Rachel Medefind is the Director of the Institute for Family-Centered Healing and Health. For more information on the research behind this article, download The Powerful Role of the Body in Mental Health: Healthy Eating.