If you are what you eat, eat healthy.

If you have a headache, you might reach for a painkiller. We’re ready to medicate physical problems and, with the market boom of anti-depressants and antianxiety medication, we’re ready to take pills for those, too. How about if we take things that will make medication unnecessary, like nutritious, healthy food that will influence both mental and physical health for the better?

Dietary restrictions and guidelines are common for physical adjustments, like losing weight or avoiding physical health issues like heart disease and diabetes. What if we also put in place whatever guidelines are necessary to prevent or reduce common mental health issues, too?

It seems to me, we often overlook that everything we put in our bodies is going to have an influence, not just on our physical state but on our mental one. Everything matters. That doesn’t mean you can’t eat anything but broccoli. It does, however, mean you need to own your food choices. All of it matters.

Let’s treat food like what it really is - the ultimate influencer.

Please note: None of the information provided here is intended to prevent or treat illness or disease. If you are experiencing signs of depression or any illness, mental or physical, please contact a health care provider. This information has not been assessed by the FDA. Don’t eat any foods that conflict with medical professionals’ recommendations. Don’t take anything that might interfere with medications.