Best Gut-Healing Foods for Your Gut and Mind

Caring for our overall gut health and nutrition is an integral part of mental health and wellbeing. 

Nutritional Psychiatry is an emerging field in science built on the principles of the “gut-brain” connection. Basically, what you eat and the gut bacteria it feeds have a whole lot to do with how you feel. Packing our diets with gut-healing food an make a huge difference!

Georgia is a self-proclaimed health nut and wellness nerd, not to mention a healthy-food guru who is guided by her drive to create a happy mind. The foody wellness blogger (and founder of Goodness With G) is fascinated by nutritional science and knows how to do some serious research. 

She is joining us today to share the sometimes confusing world of nutrition. We will be covering how nutrient intake impacts mental health, gut-healing foods, energy-draining foods, and some health-promoting recipes to try.

How Nutrient Intake Impacts Mental Health

Georgia believes, “Providing my body with a more intentional array of nutrient-dense foods has not only made me feel better physically but likewise improved my mental health.” 

Though that positive relationship with food and health wasn’t always the case. 

Throughout college, her focus was more on maintaining a certain weight and sense of control through diet and exercise than creating a happy, healthy body and mind. 

A narrow view of healthy being distorted as “thin” resulted in unhealthy behaviors like limiting food intake and overexercising. Actions that resulted in a “healthy” appearance but an overall unhealthy state of wellness.  

Like many of us, Georgia has also struggled with anxiety. (1) Since starting Goodness with G, she began eating more intuitively, thus releasing the stress and anxiety placed on food. 

Georgia reflects, “Health is a dynamic state in which every aspect of our lives, thoughts, emotions and nutrient intake all play key roles.” 

About 95% of serotonin is produced in the gut. (2) Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that helps regulate mood and critically impacts anxiety levels. The production of serotonin is greatly affected by the bacteria that make up your gut. (2)

 Some vitamins to consider when eating for a happy, less-anxious mind include:

Some probiotic foods that build healthy gut bacteria to consider are:

Gut-Healing Foods that Contribute to a Happy Mind

 When contemplating what foods contribute to her happy mind, Georgia replied, “A happy body and mind are based on a diet of real, whole foods. Food is a medicine that heals and nourishes all aspects of who we are.” 

She is mainly plant-based, but there are a variety of diets that can contribute to healthy nutrient intake. Organic vegetables, fruit, and lots of healthy fats line her pantry shelves. 

Georgia says foods high in omega 3 fatty acids like walnuts, salmon, avocado and olive oil are “staples in her kitchen.” 

Omega-3 fatty acids are healthy fats that help improve mood and fight depression. (3) These omega-3’s also are incredibly anti-inflammatory and may lower anxiety, improve memory, and increase cognitive function. 

Inflammation in the gut can irritate the stomach and cause anxiety and other mental health issues. Eating anti-inflammatory foods may help heal the gut and reduce inflammation. 

 More of her favorite brain and mood-boosting foods are all also anti-inflammatory (4) 

Energy Draining Foods to Avoid 

When talking about what foods to avoid Georgia explains, “I tend to stay away from overly processed, preservative- and additive-packed foods that I know don’t serve as the fuel my body and mind need to function properly.”

 Examples of some of these energy-draining foods include unstable oils, refined sugars, dairy, sugary drinks, and foods with preservatives. (5) She always stays away from meat that has been industry raised, filled with antibiotics, hormones, and pesticides. 

 Georgia suggests, “ I learned much more about this from Dr. Hyman, who preaches the importance of purchasing grass-fed, pasture-raised, organic meats for both our bodies and the environment.” (6)

 As for gravitating towards anti-inflammatory foods, it can be beneficial to avoid (or eat in moderation) inflammatory foods such as:

Favorite Go-To Snacks and Meals   

 Yes, finally it’s SNACK TIME! Georgia has some ah-mazing snack and meal recipes to check out that are packed full of nutrients and taste just as good.

You have to click through the link to get the full recipe, but I will give you a little teaser of these delicious treats below. 

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About Georgia

 Georgia is a self-proclaimed health nut, and wellness nerd turned foody-health blogger. She dreamed of having a blog for years before launching Goodness with G, a blog that combines her love for health with her passion for writing. The blog serves as a personal journey of self-exploration through food, cooking, physical, spiritual, mental, and emotional elements of overall wellness. 

She is also Yoga Sculpt certified at Corepower Yoga and teaches several times a week in Austin. You can find her most places – on her blog at Goodness With G, on Instagram @goodness_with_g, on Facebook @goodness_with_g, or email her at goodnesswithg@gmail.com if you have any questions, comments or just want to say Hi!