When we talk about the benefits of good nutrition, you probably think of the benefits for your body, mental health effects, or even losing weight. Building your self esteem probably isn’t something that immediately comes to mind. But eating right can actually help give you a self-esteem boost, for a few reasons. In this blog, we’ll explore the connection between these two matters that are seemingly unrelated but in reality have a lot to do with each other!

Knowing you’re doing something good for yourself

Have you ever accomplished a big goal you had? Most of us can probably relate to the feeling of accomplishment and pride you feel after finishing something big on your to-do list. In the same way, eating healthy is like accomplishing a goal. Realizing that we’re doing something good for ourselves, for both our body and our mind, by eating well, can help build our self-esteem. It gives you a sense of accomplishment to know that you’re doing something that helps YOU. We talk a lot about self-care, and we know self-care can help your self-esteem and feelings of confidence in yourself. But self-care is not just limited to taking time for yourself or doing something you love. Self-care is the act of truly caring for yourself, nurturing yourself,  taking time for yourself, and knowing you are worth that effort. Eating well is one of the best forms of self-care! 

Better mental health

We know that eating well can help improve our mental health. For one thing, when you eat clean, you reduce the brain fog that can come along with eating too much sugar, processed foods, and fast foods. And having the right balance of nutrients in the body (which comes along with eating well) promotes good mental health as well. Finally, there are foods that specifically can help improve mental health whether you realize it or not! Some foods help increase the amount of serotonin or dopamine in the body, two neurotransmitters that play a role in mental health. Serotonin helps with the sense of well-being, while dopamine helps with attention and focus. Other foods contain GABA which helps with anxiety, and tryptophan, an amino acid that helps mood and promotes healthy sleep. 

In the end, so many aspects of our lives are interconnected. Good food, fitness, mental health, healthy sleep patterns, productivity, self-esteem, and confidence, and more don’t exist in a vacuum!  The more care and attention you pay to living a healthy lifestyle, the better your overall health and mental, emotional, and physical well-being will be!