If you observe some of the deficiency symptoms of the micronutrients, especially the B vitamins, you’ll observe symptoms like confusion, poor memory, dementia, paranoia and depression etc.
While mental health may not be completely dependent on nutrition, but there definitely is a relation between these.
This 2017 study finds that mental health and physical health effect each other, directly as well as indirectly.
Then we have the hormones. Over 60 hormones can be found in the human body. These hormones are responsible for the regulation of many physiological processes and behavioral activities.
These processes and activities include digestion, metabolism, respiration, sensory perception, sleep, excretion, lactation, stress induction, growth and development, movement, reproduction, and mood manipulation.
For example cortisol is the hormone released when you are stressed. High level of cortisol can cause weight gain, thin and fragile skin that is slow to heal and acne etc.
Similarly vitamin B6 and vitamin D might influence the Serotonin hormone which heavily influences mood and mental health.
You can read more about hormones here.
For now, let’s address the heart of the matter.
Nutrition, clean eating, sleep and mental health are all part of an interconnected web; where each part influences each other and ultimately the whole web.
From these observations, we can conclude that healthy living is something, that is more about self care and building good habits.
There is this section by Socrates from Plato’s Republic that really goes well here:
“Thus he will be led to combine, all these together, and become of many an entire one, temperate and attuned, and in that manner to perform whatever is done, either in the way of acquiring wealth, or concerning the management of the body, or any public affair or private bargain; and in all these cases to account and call that action just and handsome, which always sustains and promotes this habit; and to call the knowledge which presides over this action, wisdom: but to call that an unjust action which dissolves this habit, and the opinion which presides over this, folly.”
Your body works day and night to keep you alive and functioning. Respect that! Love your body, work with it to improve the way you live. Appreciate the mechanisms.
It is not about losing or gaining weight. It is much more about living a healthy life; and that is a much broader scope than a few kilograms.
Start eating clean and living healthy and allow your body to find it’s natural weight.
| (1.00)30 |
= 1.00 |
| (1.00)365 |
= 1.00 |
| (1.01)30 |
= 1.34 |
| (1.01)365 |
= 37.78 |
Consistent baby steps!
Good things take time and you have to allow it.