10 Foods You Should Eat Every Day
The widely used term, super foods, are a bit of hype but there are certain types of foods that you should eat every day. We think of them as multitaskers-foods brimming with various disease-fighting nutrients and delivered in a delicious form.
We’re all for trying new foods and variety is important for a healthy diet but we wanted to find the healthiest 10 foods you should eat every day and that is easy to incorporate into your diet. After all, it doesn’t matter how healthy a food is if you’re not eating it.
The healthiest foods and diets focus on real whole food. Lots of vegetables and fruits, whole grains, healthy proteins, and fats. Sugar and sodium are limited. There are plenty of other good-for-you foods that didn’t make this but this list is a great place to start to add more healthy foods to your diet.
The food we eat has a powerful impact on our mental health. Therefore, a nutritious diet that supports young adult well-being includes a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, proteins, and healthy fats—foods you should eat every day. The nutrients in these foods help control the chemicals in the body that regulate our emotions.
How To Stay Healthy In Mind And Body
A healthy diet for young adults has other positive mental health effects. For one, it builds a lifelong habit of self-care. In addition, healthy meals enhance energy and mental clarity. There is also said to be a connection between food and mood, whereby eating healthier can improve overall mood. That’s essential at all stages of life, but particularly important during young adulthood when you’re starting a new job, attending college or university, developing new relationships, and being socially and physically active.
Maybe you’ve asked, “What should I eat every day?” Hundreds of studies have explored how food affects your mood, and researchers have zeroed in on specific foods you should eat every day. Here are the top 10 foods for mental health that young adults can incorporate into their diets regularly.
Top 10 Foods You Should Eat Every Day
1. Beans
Because they contain fiber, beans also help to stabilize blood sugar levels. Therefore, this positively impacts mood. Beans also contain tryptophan, which supports healthy serotonin production. As a result, it is a great food for mental health.
2. Berries
All berries are great sources of fiber-a nutrient that most Americans don’t get enough of. Fiber helps keep your digestive system healthy and working properly. Since it is so filling it is good for your heart and your waistline. All berries are good for you so be sure to mix it up. In the winter, when berries aren’t in season, grab frozen unsweetened berries which are great for smoothies, oatmeal, or thawed in yogurt. Raspberries -one of the best breakfast foods for weight loss- boasts the most fiber at 8 grams per cup-and also contains ellagic acid, a compound with anti-cancer properties. The same amount of blueberries has half the fiber (4 grams) but is packed with anthocyanins, antioxidants that may help keep memory sharp as you age. A cup of strawberries contains 3 grams of fiber, but more than a full day’s recommended dose of skin-firming vitamin C.
3. Walnuts
Walnuts are another rich, plant-based source of omega-3 fatty acids. In addition to impacting hormones, omega-3s support overall brain health. Deficiency in DHA -the most important omega- is associated with mental health disorders, including depression, ADHD, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia.
Also, numerous studies have demonstrated that omega-3 fatty acids support brain function and reduce depression symptoms.
A 2019 meta-analysis looking at 26 studies found that certain types of omega-3 fatty acids were particularly effective in improving depression.
4. Eggs
A source of high-quality vegetarian protein, eggs might give your meal more staying power too. One egg has about 70 calories and 6 grams of protein. Plus, egg yolks contain lutein and zeaxanthin-two antioxidants that help keep eyes healthy. Mounting research links lutein and zeaxanthin with reduced risk for age-related macular degeneration, which is the leading cause of blindness in people over 50. And lutein also may help to shield your skin from UV damage. The humble egg is cheap, healthy, tasty and one of the 10 foods that you should eat every day.
5. Broccoli
Researchers have found that low folic acid is associated with depression. As a result, folate is an important food for mental health. And broccoli is high in folate, as well as fiber and vitamin C.
Moreover, fiber is what’s known as a “prebiotic.” Prebiotics creates a friendly environment for probiotic bacteria to flourish in the gut. And gut health is important for mental health because the gut helps control our production of serotonin.
Also, a recent study suggests that broccoli sprouts are especially effective in creating a healthy environment for gut microbes. That’s because broccoli sprouts contain powerful antioxidants. Therefore, they help decrease inflammation in the gut. As a result, they alleviate symptoms of depression.
Furthermore, broccoli contains selenium. Research suggests that low levels of selenium might contribute to depression, anxiety, and fatigue. Therefore, broccoli is one of the best foods to fight depression.
6. Sweet Potatoes
The bright orange in sweet potatoes is thanks to their alpha and beta carotene. The body converts these compounds into the active form of vitamin A, which helps keep your eyes, bones, and immune system healthy. These phytochemicals also operate as antioxidants, suppressing disease-promoting free radicals. One medium sweet potato provides nearly four times the recommended daily value of vitamin A, plus some vitamin C and B6, potassium, manganese and lutein, and zeaxanthin.
7. Dark Leafy Greens
Dark leafy greens like spinach, chard, kale, collard greens, and beet greens contain large amounts of healthy nutrients, including the following:
- Iron
- Calcium
- Magnesium
- Potassium
- Folate
- Omega-3 fatty acids
Folate- a form of vitamin B9-, Magnesium, and Omega-3s all support mental health and brain health. Also, studies show that deficiencies in folate may contribute to depression, fatigue, and insomnia. So, it’s important to get lots of leafy greens, among other foods you should eat every day, to maintain healthy folate levels.
8. Oats
A list of 10 foods you should eat every day is not complete without the breakfast staple, oats. Eating more oats is an easy way to up your fiber intake, a nutrient most of us don’t get enough of. Fiber is good for our guts and our waistlines and for keeping us full. Important qualities in breakfast food. Plus, oats are whole grain and plain oats don’t have any added sugar. For a meal or snack start with plain oats and turn them into healthy meals and snacks like blueberry oatcakes, homemade granola to enjoy with fruit and yogurt, or delicious energy bites with peanut butter.
9. Yogurt
Yogurt is a cultured food. Therefore, it contains billions of probiotic bacteria, which make it an excellent food for mental as well as physical health. Probiotics help break down nutrients so the body can absorb them better. As a result, we can digest our food better. Consequently, the body and brain can more easily access the nutrients in our food. And recent research shows that our emotional well-being relies in part on information that travels from the gut to the brain.
Researchers have found that people with healthy and diverse gut microbes are less likely to suffer from anxiety and depression. Furthermore, studies show that having a healthy gut can reduce social anxiety and lower our reactions to stress.
Dietitians and nutritionists suggest switching between different brands of yogurt to get a variety of bacteria. It’s also important to eat yogurt that contains live cultures. In addition, yogurt is an excellent source of vitamin D. Our levels of vitamin D affect our levels of serotonin, which in turn impact mood. In addition, vitamin D contains specific proteins that induce a sense of well-being and relaxation, which is why it’s one of the 10 foods you should eat every day. A 2019 study found that the incidence of depression in individuals with vitamin D deficiency was four times higher than in those who were not vitamin D deficient.
10. Tea
According to some studies, if you drink tea regularly, you may reduce your risk of Alzheimer’s, diabetes, and some cancers. Also, you may have healthier teeth and gums and stronger bones. Tea may also help with weight loss. Tea is rich in a class of antioxidants called flavonoids. Regardless of the variety of tea you choose, maximize the power of its flavonoids by drinking it freshly brewed. If you want to keep a batch of cold tea in your refrigerator, add a little lemon juice-the citric acid and vitamin C in that squeeze of lemon, lime, or orange help preserve the flavonoids.
In conclusion, nutrition is an essential part of maintaining good mental health. And these 10 foods you should eat every day can help ward off depression and anxiety and maintain good physical health. A study published in 2019 showed that a healthy diet can reduce symptoms of depression in young adults. After just three weeks of eating well, participants who ate a healthy diet reported significantly lower depression symptoms than the control group.
Ultimately, understanding how food affects your mood gives us a head start in achieving wellness. Together with enjoying their healthy meals, young and old can use them as part of a strategy for staying happy and healthy in both body and mind.
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