Sagar Brain & Spine Institute

How Yoga and Diet can Boost Your Mental Health?

There has been substantial technological advancement in the last two decades and with the over usage of mobile phones, the internet, and computers, people are becoming more stressed. This is resulting in getting afflicted with mental health like depression, anxiety, and other disorders, which is not only hampering the work performance but also personal life.

People today, have forgotten to take adequate care of their mind and body. People can rely on the package and junk foods which are nutritionally low and can result in gastrointestinal issues which can last for a lifetime. Although you may not realize it, lifestyle takes a toll on mental health adversely.

Women are more prone to mental health issues than men as they undergo many hormonal changes in the lifetime: Onset of the menstrual cycle, pregnancy and lactation, and menopause. Many of them go through postpartum depression after childbirth. Today, even children are afflicted by stress and anxiety due to increased screen time.

How can you beat stress in this stressful life?

During these stressful times, it is necessary to balance lives and improve its quality, and this is where timeless remedies like yoga and diet can work wonders for you. Along with this, a change in your dietary habits can go a long way in transforming your life.

How can yoga impact our mental health?

Recent studies point out that yoga for life reduces stress, makes the body healthy, improves concentration, thus giving a feeling of wellbeing and joy. There are various postures in yoga, which can be coupled with meditation to enhance the sleep pattern. Once you start having a sound sleep, your mental health starts improving on its own.

Yoga has been proved to keep away negative emotions like anxiety and fear.Yoga techniques have been shown to improve the physical & mental healthof people suffering from physical ailments or depression or other anxiety disorders.

Yoga can improve the general energy levels of the mind and body and enhances the ability to think clearly.

Yoga includes physical postures, several breathing exercises, and meditation. All these techniques have been shown to improve the mental health of people suffering from depression or other anxiety disorders.

Yogarelaxes the mind and lessens its hyperactivity, which calms the mindbymaking you happy and peaceful.
It can significantly boost immunitythereby improving the overall health
Specific yogic postures, along with proper breath control, can regulate the release of feel-good hormones such as dopamine.
It also helps in reducing the stress-inducing chemicals in the body.
Moreover, the blood circulation of the body improves to a great extent as you practice breathing exercises
Yoga also helps to improve our awareness about the link between mind and body.

How can diet impact our mental health?

We all know that a diet rich in nutrients goes a long way in maintaining the well-being and the quotient of our mind. Most of the people ignore the importance of nutrition in food and rely on junk food, which impacts mental health as the body doesn’t get sufficient nutrients to work correctly. Eating fruits and vegetable daily can beat many mental diseases such as depression. Never neglect the importance ofprotein & vitamin intake should also be monitored.Certain nutrients present in specific fruits and vegetables help in reducing stress hormones and increase the feel-good factor of the mind.

Some common foods to include and exclude in your diet:

Always include sufficient fruits, vegetables, nuts, fish, grains and cereals in your diet.
Foods that have been known to impact the mind positively are bananas, apples, citrus fruits, berries like blueberries, walnuts, peanuts and leafy vegetables like spinach, mint, etc.
Try to reduce the intake of refined sugar, refined flour, and saturated fat as they are unhealthy to the body and mind.
Healthy fats like olive oil must be included in the diet.
Reduce the intake of red meat and include fishes like salmon in your diet. Fishes contain omega three fatty acids which are known to be beneficial for depression.
Superfoods like chia seeds are also helpful for fighting against mental disorders, including anxiety and depression.
It is always better to consume fruits, vegetables, and nuts which are grown naturally without chemicals.

With minimum changes in your lifestyle, you can see much improvement in your stress levels, anxiety, and any otherphysical and mental related problems. Yoga, coupled with the right diet, can bring positive changes in your mind, body & spirit.