| Your mental health is an important key to your physical | | | | exercise has been proven to aid sleep. It also boosts |
| health and wellbeing. Tension, stress; anxiety and | | | | energy levels which again is something people with |
| worry can all affect your mental ability and illness is | | | | depression lack. |
| often a direct result of mental and emotional stress | | | | Another area to look at is nutrition. People are aware |
| overload. | | | | that a healthy diet is paramount in reducing the risk of |
| Two factors can help to improve your mental | | | | obesity, heart disease and diabetes but it is also |
| wellbeing; the first one we are going to look at is | | | | extremely important for our mental health. |
| fitness. Unfortunately too many people still think that | | | | Eating four to five small meals a day will keep your |
| fitness just improves your physical side. This is untrue | | | | blood sugar levels regulated. When they drop, low |
| as exercise can have such a positive effect on the | | | | moods; irritability and tiredness are experienced. |
| mind and is especially effective in treating depression. | | | | Always include protein with each meal as recent |
| A survey carried out by the charity Mind found that | | | | research suggests that a component of protein, the |
| 83% of people with mental health problems exercised | | | | amino acid tryptophan has a very important effect on |
| to lift their mood or to reduce stress. Six out of ten of | | | | the brain where it can influence your mood. |
| the people said that exercise helped to improve their | | | | Eat plenty of fruit and vegetables throughout the day |
| motivation, 50% said it boosted their self-esteem and | | | | including whole grains and natural foods. |
| 24% said it improved their social skills. | | | | Stay away from processed food and high sugar |
| I'm sure you have heard of the exercise high that | | | | foods as they can cause a quick surge of energy in |
| people feel from doing physical exercise, this is | | | | the blood sugar levels which wears off very quickly |
| because the brain elevates your mood by releasing | | | | and this is then followed by a crash leaving you feeling |
| serotonin and endorphins which help reduce feelings of | | | | low and tired. |
| anxiety, stress and depression. The main benefit of | | | | Although exercise and nutrition are extremely |
| exercise is that you feel better instantly, where as if a | | | | important and can aid recovery, a physician should |
| person is put on a course of medication it may take | | | | always be consulted as the number one priority when |
| weeks to actually kick in! Sleeping is a major problem | | | | severe mental health problems are concerned. |
| for people who suffer from depression and regular | | | | |