Have you ever heard the saying – We are what we eat? It hits the mark much more closely than we think it does. Not only do healthy eating, adequate sleep and exercise keep us physically healthier than when we avoid them, but they can also help us to sustain better emotional and mental health (Brassai et al., 2015). These activities require some degree of discipline and commitment, which suggests that cognitive and motivational factors are at play (Brassai et al., 2015). It is not easy to commit to these activities in today’s fast-paced world with ever-increasing food prices, being time-poor, the availability of cheap fast food and the draw of social media.
With the ever-increasing media and social media advertising of fast foods, our young people are being targeted. Adolescence* is a critical time for Physical and Psychological growth, it is of the utmost importance to provide education on healthy options for food, good sleep patterns and physical exercise to promote well-being in the young mind (Kulkarni et al., 2015). Successful physical and mental well-being are dependent on adequate nutritional balance and studies show (Croll et al., 2001) that adolescent nutrition is declining, which may also lead to adolescent depression, obesity and sleep deprivation as side effects (Collings & Ellis, 1997; Kulkarni et al., 2015). Socioeconomic conditions, availability, peer pressure and a time-poor lifestyle may be obvious causes of these problems, but there are no easy fixes.
In light of the ever-increasing costs of food and education for our children, I worry that we are facing some tough times for mental health. There are, of course, other factors out of our hands as well, such as peer pressure and lack of time to prepare healthy meals. In an Australian study teenagers and young adults showed improved mental health and cognitive abilities parallel to increased nutrition from healthy eating (Kulkarni et al., 2015).
Healthy eating and exercise are often put off by the thought that they require expensive ingredients, long preparation times and special equipment or attire. In the wake of all the social media hype and television shows like Masterchef, people have begun to, unnecessarily, believe that they need to follow suit and prepare such meals. By eating three balanced meals, taking a good brisk walk and getting 6-8 hours of sleep daily we can work towards improved health and mental health (Collings & Ellis, 1997).
Diet, Physical Activity and Sleep Quality are predictors of mental health and it is important to remember that we do not need to be experts, but do need to be aware and follow healthy practices. Are you ready to commit to making changes for improved mental health for yourself? How about guiding our young people towards a healthier lifestyle?
