How Healthy Fats Can Boost Your Mental Health

According to Statistics, around 14 million people in the United States will be infected with Alzheimer’s disease by the year 2050. The dreading number equates to the combined population of Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York City.

More than 40 million Americans both young, and adults have been suffering from anxiety disorders and it’ll only increase if we don’t do anything about it according to Mark Hayman. Fortunately, he recommends eating healthy fats to help boost our mental health. Let us learn how this works.

The Experience

The renowned nutritionist Mark Hyman, MD, shared how he discovered healthy fats to help boost our mental health. About 20 years ago, Hayman shared how he suffered from chronic fatigue syndrome. According to him, it felt like he had ADD, dementia, and depression simultaneously.

He discovered he was suffering from mercury toxicity due to overworking, and his brain health had suffered the most. He experienced a terrible brain fog which forced him to stay unfocused for a longer period of time.

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Alzheimer’s disease becomes the sixth-leading cause of death in the country

Thinking he never wants any of his clients to suffer the same agony, he ventured the world of functional medicine to understand what we do to our bodies and brain. He discovered that fixing our brain health must start with fixing our body and getting rid of bad influences and diet. He also discovered that the increase of Alzheimer’s disease cases in the United States is heavily linked to type two Diabetes. In fact, some health experts already consider Alzheimer’s disease as the new type 3 diabetes.

The Research

The oxidative damage causes cognitive decline and neurodegeneration. Diabesity occurs if a person eats too much sugar, carbs, and less healthy fat. This elevates insulin, which triggers most fat cells to store those as fats instead of burning it, leading to chronic diseases and inflammation.

Hayman also blames the low-fat craze that started in the 1960s as a healthy way to diet. According to him, fats are being replaced with flour and refined sugar which leads to people being fatter and hungrier. Therefore, increasing their risk for type 2 diabetes, stroke, high blood pressure, and death.

How to Boost Your Mental Health

According to Hayman, the simple answer is to eat healthy fats. While he’s aware that many people will freak out since they believe that eating fats can make you fat, but Hayman states that eating the right kinds of fat will not.

Instead, these healthy fats can help boost your health and immune system. Healthy fats like avocado, fatty fish, chia seeds, flax seeds, walnuts, and hummus are rich in omega-3 fatty acids and EPA that regulates your metabolism, normalizes your blood sugar level, help you lose weight, and supports your brain function. Hayman also recommends avoiding oils like canola, corn, grapeseed, corn, soybean, and sunflower as they contribute to inflammation and chronic diseases.

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According to Hayman, people don’t have to eliminate carbs altogether to stay healthy. Instead, he suggests they go low-carb.

Hayman also recommends you to eat low-glycemic plant foods like cauliflower, dark leafy greens, onions, asparagus, celery, blackberries, and blueberries rich in fiber and nutrients. These foods also don’t spike your blood sugar, so you don’t have to worry about acquiring diabetes. Most of all, eating healthy fats help your body to absorb vitamins A, D, E, K and nutrients faster.

Hayman’s Healthy Fat Diet

Hayman also shares his diet and how his diet looks like. He incorporates brain-boosting fats like avocado and coconut milk in creating his Green Machine smoothie for breakfast. He also adds spinach, matcha green tea, and hemp seeds to supply his body with nutrients as he starts his day.

For lunch, he often makes a big-fat salad made of salmon, walnuts, cucumbers, fennel, olive oil, arugula, and balsamic and a savory and fulfilling green salad. He usually has a large food prepared for dinner, with non-starchy veggies, sweet potatoes or squash, and some animal protein like roasted chicken or turkey meatballs.