We all know that eating healthy helps us to look and feel our best physical selves, however, what many people don’t know is that good nutrition greatly affects our mental health too. A well balanced diet can help us to think more clearly and feel more awake and alert. It can also help us to improve our concentration and attention. A poor diet can lead to fatigue, impaired decision-making, slow reaction time, stress and depression. Sugar and processed foods can cause inflammation throughout our body and brain, which in turn, can contribute to mood disorders including anxiety and depression. If you’re feeling stressed or depressed, it is common to turn to processed foods as a pick me up, such as drinking coffee when you are stressed about your work or eating ice cream when you are upset. To improve your mental health, try to focus on eating fruits, vegetables, foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids (like salmon), nuts, seeds and legumes (like beans). Keeping in mind how you feel when you eat and what you eat is a good first step in making sure you have a well-balanced diet. Try to steer away from processed or sugar filled snack foods (like potato chips, candy, and soft drinks). Consume healthy fats like olive oil to support your brain function. If you start to get into a routine of only buying healthy foods, the rest will come easy.