Eating well and exercising

During this difficult time, you may not feel like taking care of yourself is a priority. However, what you eat is one factor that can influence your mood and physical wellbeing. It’s important that you nourish your body with good food, so as to provide yourself with the energy you need to get through this time. While the guidelines below are an ideal, during times of heightened stress, any changes which bring you closer to this ideal are great.

Why is diet important for mental health?

• Better quality diets have been linked to lower likelihood of experiencing depression. Whereas lower quality diets have been linked to higher likelihood of depression and anxiety. This is especially important during a time of heightened stress.

• Eating more vegetables day to day can reduce psychological stress.

What can I be doing?

• Try to maintain a healthy weight, be physically active and choose amounts of nutritious food and drinks to meet your energy needs.

• Drink plenty of water. One and a half litres a day can keep you hydrated.

• Limit intake of foods containing saturated fat, added salt and sugars. Avoid adding salt during cooking or at the table.

• During this period of stress, try to avoid alcohol. Alcohol is likely to impair your mood, increase anxiety, and disrupt your sleep. If you do drink, try to drink no more than two standard drinks on any day.

• Limit salty foods like processed meats (for example, salami and bacon) to once a week or less. These foods are classified as high in saturated fat and/or salt. Lean meats are a good source of Vitamin B12.

• Eat more foods that are high in omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, such as fish, chia seeds, sunflower oil and certain nuts.

• Increase intake of vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds, wholegrain cereals, legumes and milk, yoghurts and cheese products

• Include foods from the five food groups every day. This could look like:

Why is it important to exercise?

• Exercise will help improve your mood.

• Getting out and about will help you sleep better at night.

• Some exercise will improve your appetite, and make you hungry!

How can I manage this?

• Any exercise is better than no exercise. A little stroll is fine if that’s all you can manage!

• Try to break up periods of sitting or resting, with a bit of movement in between.

• If you need to pop to the shop for some milk, try a short walk there if it’s close enough. Or, park a little further away, and walk the last little bit.

• You can walk with your partner, family member, or friend for company.

• Try to do a little walk (or more if you feel like it), each day.

• Try some mindfulness exercises as you walk. What can you hear? Smell? See?

• If you usually exercise, try to include some of your usual exercise into your day as you start to feel better physically, and doctors say it’s okay to resume.