Nutritional psychiatrist and author of “Your Brain’s Impact with Food” Dr. In an interview with CBS News, Uma Naidoo shared the essential elements you should include in your diet to strengthen both your physical and mental health.
FIRST, FIBER
“Fiber is extremely important for your gut health, and you can get it from vegetables, fruits, nuts, colorful salads, but you can also get it from dark chocolate, which is rich in things like serotonin. It’s also a fermented food,” he said, adding that chocolate’s effect on depression has also been studied.
“One population-based study involving over 13,000 individuals showed a greater than 70% improvement in depression,” he said. “So your gut health is also your mental health and your physical health, but it also improves things like your mental health.”
Naidoo said to be wary of chocolate-based confections, which are often full of sugar, and that you should “learn to get used to” dark chocolate instead. “A lot of people love it,” he added.
MEDITERRANEAN DIET
Stating that in addition to plant-based nutrition, lean proteins and healthy fats are also important, Naidoo said that these are the basic elements of the Mediterranean diet.
IT IS GOOD FOR THE HEART
Inspired by the traditional cuisines of the region, this style of diet emphasizes fresh fruits and vegetables, fish, legumes, nuts and whole grains. It has also been linked to various health benefits, such as reducing signs of Alzheimer’s in the brain and lowering the risk of heart disease.
Naidoo said components of the diet are also good for the gut, but it’s OK to add more spices and flavors from other cultures in what he calls the “Mediterranean-Asian” diet.
MAKE YOUR INTESTINE HAPPY
“It’s a way to take the nutrients from the Mediterranean diet and turn them into the foods you eat and make them more accessible in a way that makes people actually want to eat it,” he says, adding that these happy gut-health foods can lead to a multitude of health benefits.
“The ultimate goal here is both better physical and mental health (as well as) reduced inflammation,” he said. “Inflammation is the basis of many diseases, both physical diseases and now mental health and the rise of anxiety, mood disorders, and things like that. So reducing inflammation is critical, and all the foods here will help you do that.”