Fierce competition, busy lifestyles, and strained relationships take a toll on your mental health. What you eat and when you eat also affects your mental state. But often people worry about going to the gym or doing cardio to stay in shape. But they overlook the fact that certain foods can also affect your mental health.
The foods mentioned below are known to be detrimental to mental health and should be eaten with caution or avoided entirely if possible.
1) Gluten
Many people’s bodies cannot adapt to a protein called gluten, which is found in certain grains such as wheat, barley and rye. This can lead to brain inflammation and lead to mental disorders such as depression and frequent mood swings.
2) Caffeine
A small amount of caffeine helps with metabolism and weight loss. However, excessive caffeine intake can cause jitteriness, irritability, and anxiety. It also disrupts your sleep cycle, making you feel more energized.
Therefore, it is important to consume in moderation when drinking caffeinated beverages.
3) High Fat Dairy Products
These foods increase the level of harmful bad cholesterol, which affects the overall blood circulation in the body. Naturally, this affects the normal functioning of the brain, leading to various mental disorders.
4) Processed Foods
If you’re a fitness enthusiast, it’s no wonder you’ll find processed foods on this list. Everything from the sugar, salt, and unhealthy fats in fried foods to high-calorie fast food is very detrimental to your physical and mental health.
These types of foods affect your mental health by causing inflammation in your body, leading to mood swings and mental disorders like depression and anxiety.
5) Alcohol
Excessive alcohol consumption can cause anxiety and depression and affect sleep quality. It is also known to cause sleep problems by increasing sugar levels. Insomnia can eventually lead to irritability and restlessness of the mind and lead to anger and anxiety problems.