Nutritional psychology is a field of mental health that analyzes how certain foods can influence a person’s mood and behaviour. Nutritional psychology has also shown how certain foods may help alleviate physical pain. If you want to use the power of nutritional psychology to improve your mental and physical health, this guide can help you choose more of the right foods.
Mood Enhancement
If you feel depressed or just in a really bad mood, you can try eating more fruits like blueberries and bananas to improve the way you feel. Magnesium-rich foods, such as whole grains, legumes and leafy green vegetables, offer additional mood-boosting benefits. A little bit of dark chocolate can also put you in a better state of mind because of the feel-good compounds that it contains.
Stress Relief
Eating isn’t always a bad thing when you’re stressed, but it’s important to choose the right foods that will help calm your nerves. Sweet potatoes can provide a healthier way to lower your stress while satisfying your sweet tooth. Eating some turkey, which contains a good dose of the tryptophan amino acid, may help put your body and mind into a more relaxed state. Other great foods for stress relief include oatmeal, avocado and flaxseed.
Physical Pain Alleviation
Physical pain can cause a lot of emotional distress, but being in an unpleasant state of mind may also cause you to feel more physical pain. To stop this cycle, you should consume more of the foods listed above that can help with stress relief and mood management. You can possibly reduce your physical pain even further by eating more cold-water fish, tart cherries and walnuts. Seasoning some of your foods with ginger and turmeric may be helpful as well.
You may improve the quality of your life by simply choosing the right foods to put into your body, and keeping some of the key points about nutritional psychology in mind will be to your advantage. If emotional or physical pain is causing you to feel uncomfortable in your body, a painPRO clinic can help alleviate your suffering by offering massage therapy and other bodywork treatments. If you’re in the Metro Vancouver area, contact painPRO today to schedule an appointment by visiting painproclinics.com.
