Mental Health

Nutritional & Lifestyle Awareness for Mental Health

Eating for Happiness

There is a strong correlation between diet, lifestyle and wellbeing. For students this can affect their physical, mental and emotional wellbeing, which can impact their performance in their learning ability, sports performance and relationships with peers. Good nutrition has become, now more than ever, an effective solution to address many of the health issues that young people are facing. Home cooking and dining is an integral aspect of family bonding as well as healthy and mindful eating practices to combat the increasing effects of ill-health brought about by hectic lifestyles with an increased reliance on packaged and processed food. These foods laden with hidden sugars, trans fats, food additives and preservatives have a negative impact on wellbeing in both the short and long-term affecting mental, physical health and emotional health. What Are We Feeding Our Kids?

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    Download our Eating for Happiness Program for Free

    What you eat can impact your mental health. This program focuses on incorporating foods with feel-good nutrients including magnesium, vitamin B6, iron, fiber, and omega-3 fatty acids.
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    In February 2019, the British Education Secretary, RT Hon Damian Hinds MP, and the Health and Social Care Secretary, the RT Hon Matt Hancock MP, implemented one of the largest mental health trials in the world to boost evidence about what works to support mental health and wellbeing in up to 370 schools.

    Hundreds of children and young people will learn how to use a range of innovative techniques to promote good mental health through one of the largest studies in the world of its kind.

    To mark Children’s Mental Health Week (4-10 February), the Education Secretary Damian Hinds announces that up to 370 schools in England will take part in a series of trials testing different approaches to supporting young people’s mental health.

    Children will benefit from mindfulness exercises, relaxation techniques and breathing exercises to help them regulate their emotions, alongside pupil sessions with mental health experts. The study will run until 2021 and aims to give schools new, robust evidence about what works best for their students’ mental health and wellbeing.
    Source: www.gov.uk

    What is Mental Health

    We all have mental health just as we have physical health. Mental health is a state of wellbeing - our emotional, psychological and social wellbeing. Good mental health is important at every stage of life, from childhood and adolescence through adulthood as it affects how we think, feel and behave. A person who has good mental health is often more confident, at ease, feels empowered and can better:
    • learn and make positive life choices
    • feel, express and manage their emotions
    • form and maintain good relationships with others
    • cope with and manage change, uncertainty and stressful situations

    What are the symptoms of poor mental health?

    Anger
    Anxiety and Panic Attacks
    Bipolar Disorder
    Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD)
    Borderline Personality Disorder ((BPD)
    Depression
    Dissasociation and Disassociative Disorders
    Drug addiction – recreational, pharmaceutical drugs and alcoholism
    Eating disorders
    Hearing voices
    Hoarding
    Hypomania and Mania
    Loneliness
    Neurodevelopment Disorders
    Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
    Paranoia
    Personality Disorders
    Phobias
    Post-natal depression and perinatal mental health
    Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
    Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD)
    Psychosis
    Schizoaffective Disorder
    Schizophrenia
    Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
    Self Esteem 
    Self Harm
    Sleep Problems
    Somatic symptom and related disorders
    Stress Suicidal Feelings
    Tardive Dyskinesia

    Statistics on mental health

    • 676 million people are affected by mental health issues worldwide
    • Poor mental health impacts on individuals and their families, in lost income, lower educational attainment, quality of life and a much shorter life span 
    • 1 in 4 people experience mental health issues each year
    • Mental illnesses are more common, long-lasting and impactful than other health conditions 
    • Mental illness is the largest single source of burden of disease in the UK. 
    • The total cost of mental ill health in England is estimated at £105 billion per year 
    • Half of mental ill health starts by age 15 and 75% develops by age 18 
    • 75% of mental illness (excluding dementia) starts before age 18 
    • In an average classroom, ten children will have witnessed their parents separate, eight will have experienced severe physical violence, sexual abuse or neglect, one will have experienced the death of a parent and seven will have been bullied
    • 12.8% of young people aged 5-19 meet clinical criteria for a mental health disorder
    • About 10% of young people aged 8-15 experience a low sense of wellbeing 
    • About 20% of young people with mental ill health wait more than six months to receive care from a specialist

    How Meditation and Mindfulness can help improve mental health

    Meditation

    Meditation is simply training the mind in awareness. You are observing and understanding your thoughts and feelings. Meditation is not a part of any religion but is a science based on facts learned through experiments and observation. It is practised when you are fully awake and alert. 

    Mindfulness

    Mindfulness is a mental state achieved by focusing one's awareness on the present moment, fully absorbing our experiences in the present using all our senses of touch, sight, sound, smell and taste. Being mindful helps us to be in touch with our feelings and thoughts moment by moment. 

    Kindness is important

    Self-awareness, awareness for others along with self-kindness and kindness for others is vital in a world full of competition, intolerance, hatred, violence and prejudice. We can communicate the message to be kind and have compassion to others as well as reminding ourselves the same enabling us to co-exist and live in a more harmonious, tolerant and peaceful society.

    The benefits

    Meditation and Mindfulness can be practised together or on their own individually and both practices can result in…
    • greater sense of self-awareness, self-compassion and compassion for others
    • reduced anxiety, depression, stress and feelings of being overwhelmed and stressed 
    • helps you maintain a positive outlook of life and encourages feelings of gratitude
    • increased mental clarity and focus
    • better quality of sleep
    • a state of empowerment and the ability to make better choices and confidence increases

    How does good nutrition and lifestyle help?

    A diet that’s good for your physical health is also good for your mental health. A healthy balanced diet includes:
    • a variety of complex carbohydrates such a fruits, vegetables and whole grains

    • a balanced intake of both animal and vegetarian sources of protein

    • a proportionate amount of healthy fats such as oily fish, nuts and seeds

    • good hydration including plenty of water. Try to limit how many high-caffeine or sugary drinks you consume

    • a supporting lifestyle that incorporates relaxing techniques to encourage mindfulness

    • plenty of exercise daily to release feel good hormones

    • eat at least three balanced meals spread out during the day. Skipping meals or eating less than you need can lead to confusion and exhaustion if you do not realize at the time
    Read about 28 celebrities who have opened up their struggles with mental illness:
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