A doctor has warned our diet could be affecting our mental health. Dr Uma Naidoo says a change in what we eat can make a difference to our mood.
The Harvard Medical School teacher says there is a connection between our gut and mental health. And the expert has come up with a three-step plan to help those with anxiety make the dietary changes.
Speaking on Zoe’s Science and Nutrition podcast, Dr Naidoo explained: “It may not be that you have a diagnosis but you’re feeling this way. Food is one of the things that can help you along with breathwork, exercise and other things, even sunlight.”
She advocates for a method she calls SAW – Swap, Add, and Walk. She says this aims to realign your gut health and mental state.
Starting with a simple food swap, Dr Naidoo suggests: “Maybe you’re not drinking enough water…Maybe you started eating ice cream every night during the pandemic, can you create a recipe for ice cream made from fruit and swap that out or start to eat less of it,” , reports the Mirror.
Additionally, she encourages adding a variety of colourful vegetables to your diet, highlighting their low-calorie nature and the essential nutrients they provide. Dr Naidoo stated: “Peppers, lettuces, greens, whatever it is you might like. They’re low calorie and can be added into your meals to help you feel full but also give your body nutrients, antioxidants, anti-inflammatory substances, that your body and brain need.”
Ultimately, despite the last letter standing for walk, the specialist explained that any form of physical activity is beneficial. She stated: “Someone who’s anxious may not even want to take a walk so getting them to take a walk to go buy the newspaper, get a cup of coffee, walk their dog, is a way to get them moving and move from that almost paralysed state.”
Alongside these diet and exercise recommendations, Dr Naidoo cautioned those experiencing anxiety against overly restrictive diets, instead suggesting embracing exercise as a means to alleviate anxiety.
She explained: “Food is very primitive, very primary to who we are as humans and thoughts like ‘I can’t eat this’ really drive anxiety.”
Dr Naidoo also advised closely monitoring the causes of dietary-related anxiety, whether it’s the quantity being consumed, dehydration, or nutritional imbalance, highlighting a common error: “If you’re feeling anxious about the plan, check in with what’s driving that anxiety.
“Is it the quantity of food? Maybe you’re not drinking enough water? Maybe you have too much or too little food. A common mistake…they might be eating something they’ve heard and read is healthy but the food industry is not necessarily our friend.”
Dr Naidoo has encouraged individuals to conduct their own research into their dietary choices instead of assuming they’ve made a healthy selection. She highlighted the case of yoghurts and fruits, explaining that while whole fruit and plain yoghurt are both highly nutritious individually or together, fruit-flavoured yoghurt often contains a significant amount of added sugar and isn’t particularly beneficial for your health.