When you hear the words “whole body health,” do you automatically think only about your physical health or do you include your mental health as well? How you think about your health and your life—your mindset or mental outlook—has a significant (dare we say critical) impact on your overall health.
So the next question is, what can you do to best support and promote your mental outlook and in turn, your whole-body health? First, let’s get a basic understanding of what we mean by mental outlook and whole-body health, as they are intimately connected.
Mindset/mental outlook
Both your mindset and your physical health are equally important. You need a healthy mental outlook so you can most effectively develop habits that support and maintain your overall health. Thinking positive thoughts is a good start, but we all know that can be a challenge sometimes. So, that means it’s time to put thoughts into action, such as incorporating simple lifestyle habits into your daily life that can enhance your mental outlook while also boosting your mental and overall health.
A healthy mindset also means you need to tap into the motivation to follow through on what it takes to fuel your mental and physical connection. That is, buying the best supplements in the world won’t do any good if you don’t take them, just like buying the freshest, most nutritious food available won’t nourish you if you don’t prepare it properly and eat it, and simply talking about getting enough sleep won’t leave you refreshed if you continue to stay up past midnight all the time.
Gut-brain connection
Perhaps you’ve heard of the gut-brain connection. This means that your gut is directly connected to your brain via the vagus nerve, which is the longest nerve in the body. That connection is also maintained through the influence of numerous chemicals that are released into your bloodstream during the digestive process.
Did you know that the gut is known as the second brain? One reason is that both the gut and brain have high levels of so-called brain chemicals, such as serotonin, dopamine, and noradrenaline, all of which are involved in mood, depression, and anxiety. You can also see the connection between the gut (digestion) and the brain when you experience digestive problems such as diarrhea, cramping, constipation, or irritable bowel syndrome, as they are often associated with anxiety and depression.
When most people experience digestive problems, it often can be traced to an imbalance of the microorganisms in the gut (dysbiosis). This imbalance can do more than cause physical symptoms; it can have a negative impact on your gut/brain chemicals and thus worsen your mood, mental outlook, and any mental health issues you may have. An unhealthy gut can also jeopardize your ability to absorb nutrients properly, which can result in nutrient deficiencies that can lead to or worsen mental health challenges.
How to improve mental outlook and overall health
Everyone has the opportunity to improve their mental outlook and overall health by adopting a few healthy habits and supporting them with specific supplements. A healthy mindset requires several "ingredients", including sufficient sleep, managing stress, and getting adequate levels of certain nutrients. When your mindset and mental health are poor, you are less motivated to engage in the healthy practices necessary to bring them back to harmony.
To help support healthy mental health, mental outlook, and overall health, it’s necessary to fuel them on a consistent basis with energizing ingredients and habits. Here are a few recommendations.
- Probiotics: Look for a probiotic supplement that provides a wide assortment of balanced beneficial strains that have been shown to help facilitate optimal gut and emotional health. A suggested dose is 50 billion CFUs (colony-forming units) consisting of 15 different strains.
- Omega-3: For optimal help with mood and mental outlook, EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) is recommended. Research shows that EPA and the other main omega-3 (DHA, docosahexaenoic acid) have “antidepressant, anti-inflammatory, and neuroprotective properties,” and can have a role as a “potential therapeutic strategy for patients suffering from depressive symptoms.”
- Greens: Everyone should include lots of leafy green vegetables in their diet. However, if you need some help getting enough greens on your plate, then consider a supplement rich in the polyphenols found in dark leafy vegetables. Polyphenols can enhance the good mood neurotransmitters in the brain, including dopamine and serotonin.
- Sleep: Adequate sleep every night is essential for good mental health, mood, and cognitive function. Getting the recommended 7 to 9 hours nightly can be challenging for many people. A specially formulated supplement that contains ingredients shown to aid in falling asleep, staying asleep, and improving sleep quality is recommended. Such a supplement should contain reishi mushroom (aids falling asleep and increasing total sleep time), the amino acid L-theanine and the neurotransmitter GABA (promotes relaxation and enhances sleep quality), magnesium (regulates sleep-related neurotransmitters and aids relaxation), and melatonin (balances circadian rhythms and improves onset, duration, and quality of sleep).
Bottom line
Good nutrition and a healthy gut-brain connection are critical for balanced physical health and mental outlook. Conversely, a positive, harmonious mindset is essential for physical health. The ingredients for this state of overall health include adequate sleep, positive mood and motivation, exercise, and balanced nutrition that nourishes the gut-brain connection.
