It took me years to learn how much food (and drink) impacts my mental wellbeing

Nutritionist Claire Turnbull on what to eat (and what to avoid) to optimise your mood and mental wellbeing.

I’ve had my ups and downs with mood and mental health since my teenage years, so this is a topic very close to my heart. I was on and off different anti-depressant medications in my twenties, had post-natal anxiety following the birth of my second child in my thirties and have recently had to deal with the reality that comes with mood changes that hit with perimenopause.

Many people face challenges in this space – in New Zealand an estimated one in five people will struggle with their mental health in any given year.

With the pressure of modern life, many things can feel outside of our control when it comes to our mental wellbeing. The good news is there are things we can quite easily control that make a huge difference. Things I wish I had known when I was younger.

One of those things is the way we eat. There's growing evidence that changes to our diets can significantly improve mood. While some mental health challenges require medical advice, you might find that just a few simple lifestyle changes have a hugely positive effect on how you feel.

It probably won’t surprise you to hear that research shows ultra processed food appears to have a negative impact not only on your physical health, but on your mental health too. Regularly having sugary drinks and foods out of packets that are far from their original form with long lists of ingredients – including additives like preservatives, emulsifiers, artificial colours and flavours - aren’t going to help you feel good.

Instead, focusing on enjoying a wide variety of foods which are closer to their original form is best. This increases the likelihood of you getting the balance of nutrients your body needs for good mental wellbeing including the vitamins and minerals that can be easy to fall short on when you are eating a lot of highly processed packaged foods.

As part of the whole food focus, being sure to including a wide variety of plant-based foods like fruits, vegetables, pulses (including lentils, chickpeas, kidney beans, black beans) and wholegrains as close to their natural form as possible, such as oats, brown rice, quinoa and barley is ideal as this way of eating has been shown to be beneficial for body and mind.

This doesn't mean you can never eat anything out of a can or a packet, as there are still many nourishing food options that come this way (for example canned or frozen fruit and veg). Just look for those with minimal added ingredients and if something (like bread products) has a shelf life of several weeks or months, you need to ask yourself, what has had to be added to that food to make it last so long?!

Your gut is the tube that goes between your mouth and your bottom. After chewing your food, it heads down your oesophagus to your stomach to further mash and smash. It then passes through your small intestine where much of the goodness from your food is absorbed, and heads onwards to your large intestine to finish off digestion and absorb water. Then, it comes out the other end, hopefully, never to be seen again!

Inside your gut are trillions of bacteria and other microorganisms which are collectively known as your gut microbiome. These have been shown to have an impact on all sorts of functions in your body including your brain function, blood sugar control, immune system and maybe even your weight.

There is also increasing evidence that points to a link between the health of your microbiome and your mental wellbeing. Fecal transplant studies, which involve transferring samples of healthy people’s gut microbiomes into people with anxiety, depression and other conditions linked to mental health resulted in an improvement of the symptoms in the recipients. Amazing stuff!

One of the ways this is believed to make a difference is the impact of your microbiome on neurotransmitters which are compounds that send messages around your body, including serotonin which you might have heard has an impact on mood.

As fecal transplants aren't an everyday option (yet!), making changes to what we put in our mouths is where to focus.

First up, ensuring you are getting enough fibre is number one here as fibre is the fuel these microbes like to feast on. A review of 18 studies indicated that an extra five grams of fibre was associated with a 5% reduction in depression risk, so this is well worth trying, and there are added benefits of reducing your risk of bowel cancer as well as being a way to help reduce your cholesterol. Adding a sprinkle of nuts and seeds to your breakfast is a good way to start this, chia seed being ideal with 5g of fibre per rounded tablespoon.

Including fermented foods like sauerkraut, kimchi, kefir and kombucha may also be helpful as a way to introduce healthy bugs into your microbiome. Another popular way to introduce beneficial bacteria into the body is through probiotics supplements, but before you dash to the pharmacy to stock up, be mindful that evidence still points to food first being the best option. If you're considering supplementation, there are specific strands of bacteria that have been shown to be helpful called ‘psychobiotics’ so it is worthwhile seeking advice from a Registered Dietitian or Nutritionist who specialises in this area to find what would be the right option for you.

Something else to be aware of is that the gut and brain are also connected with the bi-directional superhighway called the gut-brain axis, so while what goes on in the gut can impact the brain, the reverse is true too. Ever needed to go for a number twos before an interview or first date? That is because stress or excitement can change what is going on in your gut, making you need to go. This is also the reason why people who struggle with their mood, particularly anxiety, can also struggle with gut issues like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

Omega-3s are a type of fat that your body can’t make, so you need to get them from the food that you eat. They are essential for a healthy brain and immune system and can have an impact on your mood too!

There are different types of Omega-3 fats, long chain types known as EPA, DHA and DPA, and the short chain type, ALA. While they are all good, it is the long chain ones that research really highlights are the ones to focus on adding more of. ALA can be converted into the long types, but it is extremely inefficient and it very hard to get enough ALA to reach the recommended levels of the long chain varieties.

In New Zealand the current recommendations to reduce the risk of chronic disease is 430mg of long chain Omega-3 fatty acids for women and 630mg for men. This is a good place to start, but when it comes to mood and mental health, higher doses have been suggested to be helpful so if you are keen to explore this it would be worth talking to a NZ Registered Nutritionists or Dietitian to help provide a personalised recommendation.

Here are some of the ways to get your Omega-3 fatty acids:

Ideally, as always, food is the best way to get this but if you’re not hitting at least the recommendation above, a quality supplement is an option to consider and something I take myself to support my mood.

This is something I wish I had known sooner. I was 19 and at university when I was first put on antidepressants. Like many students I was drinking. Too much. I had absolutely no idea at the time just how much alcohol can influence the likelihood of struggling with depression and anxiety.

If you struggle with your mental wellbeing or know someone who does, I cannot stress the impact of alcohol highly enough. A good couple of weeks without alcohol will enable you to see just how much drinking is impacting you, even if you currently don’t drink that much.

Hands down, if I'd stopped drinking alcohol in my twenties, I doubt I would have relied on antidepressants for so many years. I am now extremely mindful of my alcohol intake as any more than a couple of drinks a week will lead me down to a place I know I don’t want to go again.

The other drinks to be aware of are those which are caffeinated – for two reasons. One, caffeine can increase feelings of anxiety for some people, and as we all have different levels of tolerance to caffeine, what might be ok for your friend, may well not be ok for you.

Secondly, too much caffeine can interfere with the quality of your sleep. Keeping your caffeine to less than 400mg a day is a good first step (that's two strongish coffees), but even less is better if anxiety is something you struggle with. Since hitting perimenopause, my maximum tolerance is now only 100-200mg a day (about one double-shot flat white). Any more and I start to feel like I'm climbing the walls.

Beyond food, there are many things that can impact how you feel and your mental health. Ensuring you spend enough time outside is a big one. Exposure to natural light helps regulate your sleep and mood in a powerful way. Beyond that, moving your body, getting adequate sleep and being connected to others is essential.

Take care of yourself.

Claire Turnbull is a registered nutritionist (BSc Hons Dietetics, Dip Positive Psychology).

* The advice in this column is general in nature. If you're concerned about your mental health, please seek medical advice from a trained professional.

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