Your feelings are extremely important to your well-being. If you are feeling under the weather, you’ll notice the influence on all kinds of things, like motivation, productivity, and amount of activities you’ll attempt. On the other hand, positive feelings ensure the improvement of these things. If you engage in enough activities, if you’re productive and enjoy things, it will maintain your well-being. Nutrition also plays a major part here. Whether you want to lift your bad mood, want to reduce stress or simply want to be comfortable with yourself, food can never be skipped.

Reduce physical stress
First of all, it’s important to know that people who feel mentally unwell for a long period of time, often have an increased number of inflammatory markers. These markers are body-own proteins. During periods of physical stress, such as an open wound or fever, these proteins help restore your body.

Optimize your diet
It is possible to reduce these inflammatory substances through food, making you feel literally more comfortable. The major causes of these inflammatory substances are added sugars, processed cereal products, and processed meat. Within two weeks, eating more fruits, vegetables, fatty fish and nuts, can reduce these inflammatory substances by 33%. This gives the body less stress and more rest, lifting your mood and reducing complaints. In addition to these foods, you should, of course, also avoid too much stress in your daily life.

Antioxidants
There is also a link between dietary antioxidants, and keeping your brain healthy. Similar to an apple that turns brown when you leave it for some time, your body cells will oxidize through free radicals. Antioxidants from nutrition restrain this process, just like citric acid that keeps the apple fresher. Keeping your brain healthy, for example, affects strokes and Alzheimer’s, but also improves your memory and mood!

Nutrition with antioxidants
Blackberries, blueberries, currants and strawberries contain a lot of antioxidants, so take them as a snack or as an addition to a dish. Also onions, garlic and herbs, such as cinnamon or turmeric contain many antioxidants. Lastly, don’t forget about red wine, pure chocolate, tea and nuts. Consume these products moderately to make you feel better … not just by the taste!

Gain for your brain
Just as important as antioxidants, is consuming enough healthy fats. Often our omega-3 intake is less than ideal, while this fat is repeatedly associated with your mood, brain ability, and feelings of pleasure. A higher intake of omega-3 rich foods, such as fatty fish and eggs at an evening meal, nuts such as walnuts as a snack, or flaxseed and chia seed to add to your breakfast or shake, literally cause chemical reactions in your body that make your brain experience more comfortable feelings.

Therefore, remember to pay some extra attention, once in awhile, to what you eat if you do not feel comfortable mentally. As you step over that threshold you will notice that you can feel better with good nutrition!

Goals: Set Eat Goal for more structure in your eating pattern. Remember in advance what products you want to fetch to make you feel better. Note in the Feel Goal whether it affects overall well-being. In Free Goal, schedule healthy eating for a minimum of 4 dinners a week, for example.