Be Mindful: Healthy Food, Better Mood

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — May is Mental Health Awareness month, and ABC-7 is committed to sharing information about mental health as part of our Be Mindful initiative.

A growing number of studies continue to identify the connection between a healthy, well-balanced diet and positive mental health.

Dr. Eva Selhub is an Internal Medicine expert and staff member at Harvard Medical School.

In an article for the Harvard Health blog, titled “Nutritional psychiatry: Your brain on food,” Selhub uses the analogy of an expensive car to explain how one’s brain reacts to different sources of nutrition.

“Like an expensive car, your brain functions best when it gets only premium fuel,” Selhub writes.

“Eating high-quality foods that contain lots of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants nourishes the brain and protects it from oxidative stress.”

Culinary Arts Instructor Jonathan Nickerson teaches future chefs and restaurateurs at El Paso Community College. In a recent interview with ABC-7, he echoed many of Selhub’s observations.

“Making healthy food and being on a consistent schedule does help promote your own mental health,” Nickerson explained. “Good fats like olive oil, avocados, nuts, seeds, fatty fish, salmon (and) mackerel have been linked to promoting cognitive development.”

Healthy eating and cooking habits are an important piece of the education in EPCC’s Culinary program, which includes promoting sustainability and “farm to table” food.

The school operates a community garden and aquaponics system to source some of the food students cook and prepare for classes, and for the full-function Thirteen09 Restaurant on campus.

Outside the kitchen, the chef says everyone should make an effort to eat consciously.

“Focus on balanced diets, seasonal vegetables, grains, and try to avoid like foods that are processed or are high in fat,” Nickerson said. “Consult with a doctor about what may be best for you and your own healthy eating situation as well.”