A healthy diet is important to our physical health, but it can improve our mental health as well. When we're struggling with depression, bipolar or anxiety disorders, it's difficult to maintain a healthy diet, but the right foods and nutrients can actually make us feel better!
Good foods
Fiber and whole grains:
Fiber helps you maintain a constant energy supply. Increase fiber in your diet with pears and apples, whole grains, lentils, beans, peas, Brussels sprouts; even popcorn.
Read the fine print to be sure you're buying a whole grain product. The first ingredient should be oats, whole wheat or whole rye. "Wheat flour" doesn't mean whole grain. If your bread has the texture of a Twinkie, it's not whole grain.
Folic acid
Foods rich in folic acid can lift your mood. Find this vitamin in green leafy vegetables (like spinach and turnip greens), legumes (black beans, lentils, peas), citrus fruits and juices, and fortified cereals and grain products. If you're not eating enough of these foods, talk to your doctor about taking a daily multivitamin and mineral supplement.
Omega-3 fatty acids
Omega-3 fatty acids, found in cold-water fish such as tuna, mackerel and salmon, may significantly reduce depression and anxiety. Read There's nothing fishy about this
Protein
Protein is important, especially at breakfast, when your body is ready to convert it into long-lasting energy. So skip the Danish and have eggs, meat or peanut butter on whole wheat toast. Add fruit for a balanced meal. Protein can reduce cravings for foods that cause fatigue and depression.
Selenium
This mineral has been shown to reduce feelings of depression and is essential for healthy immune function. Find it in Brazil nuts, tuna, wheat germ and whole grains, flounder or sole and poultry. If you decide to take selenium as a supplement, be aware that too much selenium can be toxic.
Not-so-good foods
Caffeine:
When we’re depressed we’re likely to want the "lift" we get from drinking coffee, but it can contribute to anxiety, mood swings and nervousness. Read That cappuccino can be trouble
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 Highly-processed food
Avoid it. "Highly-processed, or highly-refined foods," explains Pat Kendal, Colorado State University Food Science and Human Nutrition Specialist, "have had most of the nutrients removed in their preparation. A highly refined baked good, for example, will likely be made from white flour and provide less than a gram of fiber. A slice of whole grain bread will contain at least three grams."
A fresh orange is better for you than a glass of juice made from concentrate. Brown rice is healthier than instant rice. The whole food is always more nutritious than a processed one.
Sugar and carbs
We crave, we crash, we crave again. Both the emotional lows of mood disorders and some psychotropic medications can be blamed for our sugar and carb cravings. Read Taming the cravings
Enjoy better eating habits
The simple secret to eating a diet that's going to improve our mental health is adding healthy foods like fish and poultry, whole grains and fruits and vegetables to our diet, while significantly decreasing sugars and simple carbohydrates.
For a good balance of nutrients, fill your plate with a little less than 2/3 carbs (fruits and complex carbs like beans, whole grains and vegetables) and a little more than 1/3 protein (meat, chicken, fish, tofu.)
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Sources:
University of Maryland Medical Center
DBSA
Cedars-Sinai Health
System
Harvard
School of Public Health
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articles
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