Lifestyle And Our Mental Health in Wayland MI

While people struggle with their mental health in Wayland MI, especially anxiety and depression, many people first turn to the symptom-based medicine approach of reaching for the prescription pad before ever thinking of what is causing their suffering or alternatives to treatment.

Mental Health Affects Life in Wayland MI

Current research is clear and states that many mental health disorders and even the severity of symptoms are influenced by genetic, biological, environmental, and psychological factors.  So, what does this mean to the millions of Americans struggling with anxiety and depression?

It means that there is a multi-pronged approach centered around health and wellness that has been proven to be as effective as medications without dependency, withdrawal, and other negative side effects. While this may seem overwhelming, the easiest way to start is to look at the food we eat and our activity level as medicines all on their own.

Nutrition= focus on small balanced meals throughout the day, high in protein, complex carbohydrates, and healthy fats.  This style of eating helps to keep blood sugar and mood more stable while maintaining physical and mental energy during the day.  While providing the body with essential vitamins, minerals and cofactors give the brain exactly what it needs to make our happy chemicals.  Supplements may be necessary to fill in nutritional gaps especially those containing Vitamin D, fish oils, and protein-building amino acids.

Exercise=regular exercise that is done most days of the week has been shown to be just as effective at treating mild to moderate depression as medications.  It helps to increase levels of feel-good chemicals in the brain like serotonin, dopamine, and endorphins.  Exercise also helps to trigger the growth of new brain cells and increase the connections between them.  Simply walking for 20 minutes 4 times per week can have a profound effect on our mood and outlook.