Nourish Your Mind: Nutrition Tips for Mental Health Awareness Month

It's time to strap on your thinking caps, because May is Mental Health Awareness Month! And what's a better way to celebrate than by keeping your noggin' sharp and shining! With these brain healthy foods, you can nourish your mind and body with every mindful munch!

May is great for a lot of things; warmer weather, greener pastures, vibrant florals and mental health awareness! Like most of things that grow dormant in the frigid winter months, a part of us also goes in some sort of preservation or hibernation mode until the days get warmer and longer and like spring flowers, we too get a kick of that vitamin D and it’s like the world opens up for us all over again. Say goodbye to those seasonal blues and say hello to daylight wellness. There are a lot of ways that can help in boosting your moods during this warmer weather, even something as simple as later afternoon walks after you're done with your work day can do loads for your mood! One of the biggest things is the kind of food you eat. Not sure which foods you should be prioritizing for your mental health? No worries, we’ve got a list of foods that’ll help boost your mood!

Everybody loves some sunshine, not only for the warm fuzzies you get on your skin but also because the sun’s interaction with your body produces vitamin D, which is great for your body from anti-inflammatory and antioxidant benefits to regulating other cellular processes in your body. In layman's terms, it helps your body in keeping the gears pumping! So of course, when it comes to food, we want to ensure we’re getting in that vitamin D-rich foods. From fortified cereals to fortified milks like almond milk, even things like white mushrooms, eggs, and canned fish like sardines have a deposit of vitamin D that you can enjoy along with your daily sunshine! 

Fish like tuna and salmon not only provide a small boost of vitamin D, but they’re also a great omega-3 fatty acid, which are a big influence in keeping your mood balanced! Think of them like the superheroes of the brain, that assist the hormone that regulates blood clotting, inflammation and decreasing the risk of cardiovascular disease–basically it’s great for your heart, eyes, mind, all of the above! And when your body feels great, you feel great too! If fatty fish isn’t your favorite though,, there are other ways to get your omega-3 intake like chia seeds, but if seeds aren’t your fav either, you can always opt for omega-3 vitamins!

Another great mood boosting food is one you’ve probably had a taste of already, rather regularly too! Caffeine; everyone, well most of everyone’s pick me up! But rather than get your caffeine intake from the average cuppa jo (not that there’s anything wrong with that), perhaps you can opt for a caffeine that’s extracted from green tea or matcha, or just go for a green or black tea! Not only is tea great for caffeine, but teas, especially green tea, are said to be great antioxidants, which means it helps in flushing your system out of any toxins that could bog us and our moods down! A cuppa tea will have you feeling energized and light, so of course we have to say, yes please! 

So there you have it, a list of mind nourishing, mood-boosting foods for the season. Happy Mental Health Awareness Month!