No matter who you are, you eat food. Every human needs to eat food to survive. But, what we eat varies greatly between individuals. 

While we often think of the foods we eat as having implications on our physical health, it is not often that we consider the mental health ramifications of consuming certain foods. 

The study of food choices on mental health has developed into a new subspecialty of psychiatry, called nutrition psychiatry. 

Various mental health disorders - anxiety disorder, agoraphobia, depression, etc. - have become much more commonplace in society. In fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC, states that around 50% of Americans will be diagnosed with some kind of mental health disorder at one point in their lives. 

In fact, mental illness is the third most common cause for hospital admission in the United States among adults aged 18 to 44. 

The high rate of mental disorder diagnoses, when considered in conjunction with poor diet in the United States, caused scientists to postulate that there is some sort of connection between diet and mental health. 

Exploring the Relationship Between Food and Mental Health

Over the past ten years, there has been much research conducted regarding the link between food choice and mental wellbeing. 

Studies have shown that the risk for depression in teens increases dramatically when a low quality diet is consumed compared to a high quality, whole food diet. 

Additionally, the risk of acquiring ADD (a term used to describe what is now known officially as attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD) doubles for teens when consuming a low quality diet. 

Why does diet matter so much?

Most contemporary research studies have focused on the interrelatedness of diet and mood disorders (depression, anxiety, etc.). 

To this day, there has not been any direct evidence linking any particular diet with mental health. 

But, scientists are working hard to find this link. Even without a direct, proven link, it’s clear that a balanced diet can be beneficial for both mental and physical health overall.

As of now, scientists and physicians are aware that consuming a healthy diet positively impacts the brain in the following ways:

• Aids in brain development so that you may cognitively function in a normal manner. 
• Increases production of neurotransmitters by altering brain proteins/enzymes. Neurotransmitters are chemical signals that make connections between nerve cells.
• Promotes healthy gut bacteria. This decreases inflammation, which can affect mood and cognition. 
• Elevates serotonin, which contributes to a good mood. 

While diets consisting of rich and diverse nutrients can change brain proteins that lead to improvements in brain cell connectivity, diets consisting of large amounts of saturated fat and sugars cause the opposite effect. 

These poor diets can be destructive for brain proteins and lead to poor cognitive functioning. Also, high sugar and high fat diets tend to destroy healthy gut bacteria, which can decrease the body’s ability to prevent severe inflammation. 

How to Improve Your Diet    

If you would like to eat healthily to promote good brain health, and mental health by extension, there are certain foods you might want include in your diet. 

The following nutrients can be added into your diet whenever possible:

• Omega 3s. These can improve mood, improve memory, and improve cognition.
• Zinc. Too little zinc has been linked to depression.
• Vitamin B12. Low B12 levels increase risk for cognitive decline, Alzheimer’s disease, and brain atrophy.
• Iron. Anemia (too few healthy red blood cells) caused by iron deficiency contributes to depression.
• Vitamin C. Low Vitamin C intake in older adults is associated with depression.
• Fulvic Humic Concentrate. Re mineralises the body, energises and improves leaky gut.

Takeaway: Diet and Mental Health are Linked

Choosing to eat foods - such as whole grains, vegetables with colour, beans, fruit, and fish - that are dense in nutrients will promote physical and mental health by giving your body the fuel it needs to function at its best.

Eating well helps your brain operate at its best, in particular, and has the potential to improve your mood, energy levels, patience, and willingness to participate in activities.

All of these factors combined with the confidence that comes with taking good care of yourself can help you live as happy and as full of a life as possible.

It’s honesty time.

• Have you ever gone to the bathroom a few too many times before a big meeting, presentation or exam?
• Do some situations make you feel like butterflies (read: eagles) are floating around in your stomach?
• Can you think of an experience where you felt your stomach drop?

If you’ve nodded your head in agreeance to any of the above scenarios, you’ve experienced the impact of the gut and brain connection.  

The what? 

Let me explain.

We know that the brain is responsible for the interactions we have with the external world, enabling us to see, feel, hear and smell. Our gut, however, governs the way we interact internally, specifically the way we digest, absorb and utilise nutrients. The gut and brain mirror and influence each other every single day.¹

Let’s take a deeper deep into this intricate connection. 

How does our gut affect our brain?

If you’re new here and not used to talking all things gutsy (hi!), here’s a bit of a breakdown: 

The gut microbiome represents the hundreds of trillions of bacteria that make up our intestines. These microorganisms protect our gut from foreign invaders and have close contact with the body's primary information-gathering spaces, including the immune, endocrine and nervous system.¹ Emerging research indicates that the gut can positively or negatively influence these areas depending on its balance of bacteria. 

You can also read my Gut Health 101 here. 

The gut-brain axis

There’s a bidirectional communication link between the gut microbiota and brain, known as the gut-brain-axis.¹ This means when the gut is in balance, we’re more likely to feel calm and positive. Conversely, an inflamed gut is linked to several mental illnesses, including anxiety and depression.¹

Interestingly, some research demonstrates that having certain microbes in the gut can affect the brain's structure and function.¹

So, we are what we eat, but, perhaps more importantly, we are what we digest and absorb.  

How does the brain affect our gut? 

Imagine you’re feeling upset about a particular situation (I’m looking at you, men on Married at First Sight). This sadness travels to the gut and causes an uncomfortable symptom, such as abdominal pain. 

But how?

Well, neurons, the cells found within the brain and central nervous system, tell the body how to behave. And while we have over 100 billion neurons in the brain, the gut contains around 500 million neurons, which is pretty astounding when you think about it!¹

So, the brain and gut communicate through neurons via the vagus nerve.¹ If you’re unfamiliar with the vagus nerve, think of it as the body's LinkedIn – it connects and sends messages from the gut to the brain and vice versa. Whatever is going on in the emotional part of the brain causes a reaction in the gut through the vagus nerve.

The gut and brain are also connected through chemicals called neurotransmitters. The brain produces neurotransmitters that create different feelings and emotions, which we now know can cause several gastrointestinal symptoms. Many neurotransmitters are made in the gut – including gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), which controls feelings of anxiety and fear.¹

It’s critical to look after the gut and the brain for stabilised moods and minimal gastrointestinal upset.

How can we support the gut and the brain?

For optimal communication between the gut and the brain, we need the brain to feel safe and the gut to be balanced. Some of the ways I recommend helping them include:

• Look at your diet: Emerging research says that a healthy diet – one rich in vegetables, fruit, lean protein and healthy fats – can improve our gut and, therefore, the state of our mental health.² This research consistently shows us that a more diverse gut is linked to better health, so eat various plant foods each week. The fibrous and antioxidant-rich nature of plant foods helps promote the beneficial gut bacteria we need. I recommend aiming for five to seven servings of vegetables daily. 

• Become a pro of the biotic: Probiotics have the potential to restore microbial balance and improve mental health. A 2017 research study assessed the impact probiotics have on chronic stress. They found those who took probiotics had an overall happier mood, improved energy and were more clear-headed with less anxiety and depression than those who didn’t.³ I recommend including probiotic-rich fermented foods such as yoghurt, sauerkraut and kefir. You can also support your gut health by introducing Fulvic Humic Concentrate into your life; it goes beyond probiotic supplementation by strengthening the gut lining’s integrity and tightening its junctions whilst acting as a prebiotic and replenishing the gut microbiota.  

• Manage your stress: Even if you’re eating the healthiest foods and eating probiotics on the reg, if you’re experiencing stress daily, you’re sabotaging your gut. I recommend incorporating relaxation techniques and mindfulness-based stressed reduction activities into your routine. As I’ve said before, Vedic meditation changed my life, but you may want to try other ways to manage your stress, or bring about more self love at Kegglers.

• Watch out for diet negativity: A diet laden with sugar and processed foods harm the gut barrier and increase its leakiness, causing energy shifts and mood changes.² The more we eat these foods, the more we displace the healthy foods our gut and mind love. I recommend limiting your intake of refined sugar, alcohol, gluten and processed foods. Instead, fill your plate with gut-nourishing foods. 

• What can you tidy up? A little like Marie Kondo, tidying up my space helps bring me to a state of calm. To tidy up internally, I choose to use Love Your Gut and Golden Gut Blend; they help sweep away the internal cobwebs to make way for improved nutrient absorption and more energy. 

I’d love to know; how will you look after your body’s most important connection – your gut and brain?

Please let me know in the comments below.

Lee x 

Research

1 Wang, H. X., & Wang, Y. P. (2016). Gut Microbiota-brain Axis. Chinese medical journal, 129(19), 2373–2380. https://doi.org/10.4103/0366-6999.190667

2 Turnbaugh, P. J., Ridaura, V. K., Faith, J. J., Rey, F. E., Knight, R., & Gordon, J. I. (2009). The effect of diet on the human gut microbiome: a metagenomic analysis in humanized gnotobiotic mice. Science translational medicine, 1(6), 6ra14. https://doi.org/10.1126/scitranslmed.3000322

3 Clapp, M., Aurora, N., Herrera, L., Bhatia, M., Wilen, E., & Wakefield, S. (2017). Gut microbiota's effect on mental health: The gut-brain axis. Clinics and practice, 7(4), 987. https://doi.org/10.4081/cp.2017.987

Fishery Improvement Projects (FIPs) are a type of private regulation that uses seafood distribution networks to decrease the ecological effects of fishing in some of the world's most vulnerable fisheries. 

Such FIPs are driven by business, while non-governmental organisations support others. They are used in both high- and low-income areas, and they cover a wide variety of fishery species at FishMart & other places. 

Their variety is noteworthy, as is their widespread distribution. FIPs are a central aspect of the international fisheries governance landscape, based on their rapid development.

NFI and FMI – The Food Industry Association have released new techniques to standardise and streamline the seafood purchasing process. The aim is to simplify and streamline the terminology and requirements for each fishery product to make it easier for distributors to comply with demands and fulfil them.

What are the standards that must be met?

According to the rule, the goods must be labeled appropriately, with proof of origin and the necessary health certificates, so you must check the labels and look for the certification, especially when buying the imported fish. 

Although there is a lot to remember, the following section will provide you with an outline of the most relevant considerations. Meeting all standards starts in your home country. Your government enforces these conditions by a relevant authority.

1. Accreditation of the country and processing facilities is required.
2. You must have the ability to make sure that the fish and seafood processed there follow food quality standards and do not pose a risk to yourself.

Growing the amount of food available from the sea in a sustainable manner

These reforms outline four significant pathways for increasing food supply from the ocean: 

1. bettering wild fisheries management; 
2. introducing marine policy reforms periodically; 
3. developing feed technology for feeding mariculture; and
4. changing demand, which influences the quantity supplied from all three development sectors.

Sustainable Growth- Forecast 

Overexploited populations can be rebuilt by fisheries management, which can improve long-term food production from marine stocks. While wild fisheries production is nearing limits, mariculture output is well below them and can be enhanced by policy changes, technical advances, and increasing supply.

This will necessitate widening current opportunities for underutilized stocks. This will require the adoption or improvement of management practices that discourage overfishing and encourage declining stocks to regenerate in overfished markets.

Wrapping Up 

Global food consumption is on the rise, and soil supply is rife with questions about the atmosphere and health. Seafood is nutritious, rich and removes or reduces terrestrial food production's environmental impact and is exceptional in contributing to food supply and future global food and nutrition sustainability. 

The forecast of sustainable food production indicates significant prospects for the potential expansion of wild and marine fishing. The capacity for improved global wild fish productivity depends on the maintenance of fish stocks close to their most viable levels.

By avoiding and eliminating environmentally destructive mariculture activities and allowing ecologically friendly growth, better policies and execution will increase the food supply.

We all know greens are good for us, yet most of us aren't eating enough of them. While this can be frustrating to my fellow nutritionists out there, I can understand why. Why would you choose a green salad over a burger at lunch with your friends? I mean, there's lettuce between the buns, so that's good enough? Right? 

If that sounds familiar, you're not alone. Often, it comes down to convenience, price and taste. But, there's something else that should be motivating you: your health.

Besides greens being full of vitamins and minerals, they can also help regulate our bowel movements (which gets a big tick from us here at Supercharged Food HQ). While you don't need to choose the green salad over the burger every time, the more you do, the better your health outcomes will be.

If you need some more convincing, here are six of my favourite benefits of greens:

1. They love your liver

Our liver's primary role is to metabolise the nutrients we eat, cleanse the blood and convert toxins into waste. While the liver naturally cleanses itself (even though ads for skinny teas may tell you otherwise), it may not be able to do its job adequately if it's constantly trying to detoxify alcohol, sugar, medication and external toxins.

This can cause us to feel sluggish, tired and can even contribute to weight gain. But, don't worry, it's not all doom and gloom. Cruciferous vegetables, such as rocket, Brussels sprouts and broccoli, can help support stage two liver detoxification and reduce oxidative stress to assist liver clearance.

You can learn more about the art of cooking these types of vegetables here and get my recipe for Oven Baked Broccoli and Cauliflower Steaks. 

2. Improved cognitive ability 

Forget words with friends or sudoku (although they can be good too); if you want to keep your brain thriving as you age, leafy greens may be the answer.

According to a 2018 research study, one serving of leafy green vegetables a day may help slow down age-related cognitive decline.¹ Getting even one serving of greens in can increase mental agility and support cognition. 

3. Boost your energy 

If you're tired of feeling tired, greens may be the answer. Dark leafy green vegetables are rich in vitamin B, which help convert the foods we eat into energy. They're also rich in iron, calcium and vitamins A, C, K and E so they cover a lot of nutritional bases.

4. Hello, glowing skin

While there are plenty of antioxidants out there, carotenoids are one of my favourites. I know what you're probably thinking?,  – why would these be relevant? Well, carotenoids are antioxidant-rich and help neutralise free radicals to create glowing skin.

One of the most popular carotenoids is beta-carotene. Kale is one of the top sources of beta-carotene, which is sure to leaf your skin glowing. 😉

5. Support your immune system 

Our nose, mouth, ears and small intestines all make up part of the body's first line of defence against infection. What do all of these body parts have in common? They all secrete mucus (I know, sounds gross, but hear me out). Mucus helps help clear bacteria and pathogens from the body. If these mucus membranes are disrupted, pathogens can enter the body and cause colds and flu.

Luckily, green vegetables, such as spinach, dandelion greens and broccoli, can help repair these mucus membranes so you can help your immune system do its job. 

6. They shower your gut with love 

Raise your hand if you've ever struggled with a leaky gut or food sensitivities? Me too! If your hand's raised, you'll likely benefit from increasing your green vegetable intake.

Green veggies can inhibit pathogenic bacteria and support the growth of good bacteria. Plus, the fibre within green veggies can assist digestion and absorption.

Fulvic Humic Concentrate is another natural way to promote good gut health and support you eating more greens, as it goes beyond probiotic supplementation, by supporting the integrity of the gut lining and strengthening its tight junctions, (it's great for IBS and leaky gut) whilst replenishing microbiota, nutrients and enzymes. This super nutrient food aids the absorption of important nutrients, decreases acidity and enhances your cells use of antioxidants and electrolytes.

Sounds great, but how can you actually eat more greens? 

1. Green Powders and Gut Supportive Ingredients

You may have heard of "superfood" green powders that include wacky-sounding ingredients such as chlorella and spirulina, but what you may not know is that these foods can act as powerful probiotics. 

Spirulina is comprised of more than 70 per cent protein, as well as vitamin E, chlorophyll and fatty acids. Chlorella is a green microalga filled with chlorophyll, protein and carotenoids. Chlorophyll, found in both spirulina and chlorella, is a powerful probiotic in the gut. You can mix these powders into a glass of water or add them to green smoothies.

The best way to have them is with my Love Your Gut powder or Love Your Gut Capsules which not only keep the gut cleaned and toned but also they'll allow the body to absorb more of the good stuff that you're eating or drinking. 

2. Soups

Making homemade vegetable soup doesn’t need to be tricky and can quickly become a crowd favourite, especially when it tastes as good as My Sweet Potato, Broccoli and Ham Soup pictured above. This soup is so delicious and easy to throw together. It’s also great to freeze, for use as a quick midweek work meal. You can add any amount of greens to it too. 

Look at this greened up pesto!

3. Pesto

Okay, seriously, who doesn’t love pesto? The best part about pesto (besides the fact it rhymes with presto, and it too is a bit like magic) is that you can make it with literally any dark green vegetable and herb you have.

I’ll add kale, basil or mint into my blender with olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper and presto – you have pesto! If you’re looking for inspiration, here’s my Basil Pesto recipe. 

4. Smoothies

If you want to trick increase your loved one’s intake of vegetables, smoothies are my go-to. I add a handful of spinach, kale or celery (or, sometimes, all three) to my smoothie to boost my nutrient intake. 

My favourite gut-friendly green smoothie is this Microalgae green smoothie. I would consider this a mid-level green smoothie, packing a green punch with spinach, cucumber and celery. Don't worry; it's still sweet and creamy with the help of frozen banana and blueberries. 

Give it a whirl and let me know what you think about it in the comments section below. 

MICROALGAE GREEN SMOOTHIE 

Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 1 frozen banana 
• 1/2 cup blueberries 
• Handful spinach 
• 1/2 cucumber 
• 2 stalks celery
• 1 tsp Love Your Gut powder
• 1 Scoop of Supercharged Food Greens Powder, Mushrooms and Adaptogens
• fresh lemon juice 
• 1/2 cup water 

Method:

Blend in a high-speed blender until smooth.

Research:

¹Morris, M. C., Wang, Y., Barnes, L. L., Bennett, D. A., Dawson-Hughes, B., & Booth, S. L. (2018). Nutrients and bioactives in green leafy vegetables and cognitive decline: Prospective study. Neurology, 90(3), e214–e222. https://doi.org/10.1212/WNL.0000000000004815

Just like any other business, the constant struggle for blog owners is driving traffic to their website. Whether your passion is fashion, travel, or automobiles, some niches are trendy while others are timeless.

One industry that I'm passionate about is food blogging. Starting a food blog is fun but as easy it is sounds, blogging requires special skills as there are millions of people across the globe in search of interesting food ideas that cater to different diets and so working on the content that people want to read and access is key..

As much as mastering your cooking skills and perfecting recipes is important, so is keeping your audience entertained and satisfied so creating great content will make your blog alot more appealing to them.

There are several techniques you can implement to drive more traffic to your food blog and I'd love to share with you today my top 7 things you can consider to increase the popularity of your blog.

Know your Niche 

When building a website, having a clear theme that will be constant in all your web pages and blogs is important. When you recognize your niche its easier to create content that reaches the right audience and generates traffic.

A food blog can consist of a variety of topics such as recipes, restaurant reviews, food product reviews, cooking techniques and so much more. There is no right and wrong when it comes to blogging but in order to drive traffic to your website, paying attention to your audience and comments is helpful. 

Be consistent 

Consistency is something that bloggers end up taking lightly which can amount to a loss of online visitors. The more regularly you update your blogs with relevant content, the more traffic you'll receive. People are always in search of sites that have new and updated content. This improves your site’s credibility, so ensure that you stick to a particular schedule and maintain consistency. Outdated blogs can increase the bounce rates of your site and impact your website ranking on search engines. Creating fresh and unique content will keep your subscribers interested and your blog more appealing.

Take Great Photos 

One of the best ways to drive traffic to your blog is through high-quality images. Most smartphones can deliver good quality photos that can make your food look so tasty! 

Some food bloggers who have made blogging their career like to invest in good equipment to enhance the quality of their photos and videos to attract more people to their website.

A good rule of thumb is to do your research and pick up tricks and tips on how to capture the food you create in the most creative way, natural light always works best.  This will improve your exposure and reach to enabel to you find a wider audience. 

Food blog SEO

As most of you may already know, SEO is the heart and soul of increasing visibility on search engines. Not only does it help in brand awareness but also builds a strong online presence.

With the food industry being so vast, optimizing your food blog with SEO is essential so that you can drive more traffic.

The first thing to do is familiarise yourself with different SEO techniques and find ways to implement them in your food blog. 

• Keywords: The foundation of any SEO strategy is keywords that will boost your visibility and drive traffic to your blog. Small, medium and long-tail keywords that are less competitive can increase the chances of your blogs being seen on search engines. 
• Optimize Images: As much as high-quality images are useful, adding the right alt text and inserting the appropriate image size can increase the visibility of your blog.
• Linking: Earn backlinks from authoritative sites and internally link to your past blogs can increase web traffic to your food blog and makes your site more trustworthy. 
• Web host provider: An excellent hosting service will provide great website speed, security, web design, and so much more that can be quite useful for a food blogger. Hosting Foundry has reviewed some of the best hosting services that can work best for your food blog. 

Creating the Right Content 

As mentioned before, the industry is vast and a variety of topics to choose from, bloggers often wonder what kind of content to put up on their site.

While some bloggers focus on a single particular topic that is local and effective. Whereas others focus on a wider genre of food topics that cater to all foodies across the globe.

Creating engaging and interactive content that has high-quality value will have people flocking to your site.

Try out different recipes that are attractive to your target audience, create listicle pieces, giveaway posts, quality foods, images, and videos to make your blogs look great.

Writing guest blogs is another great way to bring traffic to your website. Just make sure that sites you write for are relevant to your niche or else you will be writing for audiences that are not interested in what you offer. 

Social Media 

Social media can be your best bet in promoting your food blogs and building awareness. It also gives you an opportunity to engage directly with your followers and interact with them on a personal level.

Grow your social profiles by uploading your blog posts with attractive and high-quality images. Allow social sharing on your profiles so once your followers share your post, it will be able to reach a wider audience and attract more people to your profile.

Update your profiles with all necessary information in regards to your blog such as website link, blog name, contact information, and so on. By doing so, people will not only visit your social channels but also look further into your website.

Mobile-friendly Website

In today’s digital world, every website on the internet must have a mobile-friendly website. Search engines have made it a crucial ranking factor, so if you want to drive traffic to your website, you must have a mobile-friendly website.

For those who love looking up recipes and cooking, it can difficult to be in the kitchen with a laptop or a desktop, right? This is where smart devices come in handy. With modern technology, you can easily access the internet through your smart devices and look-up for favorite recipes.

It is important to note, optimizing your mobile site must have good readability, great speed, easy website navigation, and much more.

Remember, no matter what technique you invest in your food blog, nothing happens overnight. It takes time and patience to consistently make necessary changes that work best for your blog.

Monitor, track, and re-test different strategies until you find the best tactic that drives more traffic to your website.

Many people know how frustrating it can be when you feel like you have no energy. The thing is, we all have days like this, and it can make getting in with your day very difficult. For those who lead active lives and have a lot to do each day, it can cause a lot of problems. However, there are ways in which you can boost your energy levels and give yourself a well deserved energy lift! One in particular is my Fulvic Humic Concentrate which you can read more about here. 

Another product that can prove very effective in terms of helping you to maintain higher energy levels is CBD. You can use CBD products such as full spectrum CBD gummies to help you to benefit from this energy boost, and it can make a big difference on those days when you feel zapped. You can choose from many CBD products, and this makes it easier to find the perfect one for your needs as well as your budget.

So you might be wondering how CBD can give you the energy lift that you need? I've broken it down below, and you can read more about CBD at CFAH.org

How CBD Helps to Boost Energy

There are various benefits that come with using CBD products, and many of these can help to give you an energy boost. Some of the ways in which it does this include:

A Natural Energy Booster

CBD is known as a natural energy booster, so it can give you an energy lift over the course of the day. In order to achieve this, you simply use it in small doses throughout the days. If you take part in sports activities or you simply have a very busy schedule, this is a great way to keep you going without your energy levels suddenly falling through the floor. You can also avoid the energy spikes followed by periods of fatigue that some other energy products result in.

Getting Enough Sleep

Getting proper sleep is also vital if you want to benefit from increased energy levels during the day. However, a lot of people have difficulties when it comes to getting to sleep, and this can cause a myriad of problems. Lack of shut eye can affect not only your energy levels the next day but also your health, mood, and overall wellbeing. Using CBD products provides an effective solution that can help to boost serotonin levels to aid proper sleep. This then means you have adequate energy to get through each day without feeling exhausted.

Aiding Mental Wellbeing

Your mental wellbeing can have a huge impact on your energy levels. When you feel anxious, low, or stressed, you often feel as though you do not have the energy or motivation to get things done. Fortunately, CBD can aid your mental wellbeing, as it helps to reduce anxiety and stress, lifts a low mood, and aids relaxation. This then makes it easier for you to have the motivation and energy you need each day.

As you can see, there are various ways in which CBD products can help to provide you with more energy so that you can get on with your day and shine bright!