Diet

A healthy diet is important for your body and your mind. You need energy to stay focused and you can’t get it from convenience foods, fast food and energy drinks. Students sometimes forget to eat regularly when studying and then have nowhere to get energy for mental work.

There is a very close relationship between a balanced diet and mood. You have millions of bacteria in your digestive tract that affect the production of neurotransmitters in the brain (e.g. dopamine and serotonin). Healthy food promotes good production of these substances, which reflects positively on your mood. A poor quality diet disrupts this production, resulting in mood swings.

Sugar generally has a negative effect on the production of bacteria in the digestive tract. You may feel good for a while after eating something sweet. This is because the sugar causes a short-term release of dopamine (the ‚happiness hormone‘). But the pleasant effect quickly wears off, leaving you with a low mood and feeling more exhausted.

By eating healthily, you can reduce your mood swings and gain a better ability to concentrate and a generally happier outlook on life.

Tips

  • A healthy diet consists of good quality food and a balanced intake. To help you know what your meals should consist of, use the „Healthy Eating Plate“ = ½ fruit and vegetables, ¼ protein (meat, eggs, legumes) ¼ fibre (potatoes, wholemeal bread).
  • Make sure you get enough vitamins and minerals in your diet. Iron deficiency, for example, can cause fatigue and headaches.
  • Include, for example, frozen peas and carrots with your meal. Frozen and good quality canned vegetables and fruit still contain many positive substances, and they tend to be cheaper.
  • Limit your intake of sugars from sweetened drinks. Have just one glass of juice a day and otherwise drink mostly water. Spice it up with lemon, cucumber or herbs.

Do you want to know more?

  • Check out the Nourish website for more basic information and tips on healthy eating.

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