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The COVID-19 pandemic has altered our lives in countless ways, reshaping our daily routines, social interactions, and especially our overall health and wellness.
As the dust settles, it is becoming increasingly clear that while North Americans had suboptimal physical and mental health conditions pre-pandemic, both have certainly worsened since.
Research shows that across the board, negative mood states have skyrocketed and positive mood states have declined, highlighting the urgent need for a holistic approach to health that includes not only the body but also the mind.
Even before the pandemic, the health and wellness industry was awash with widespread issues, primarily focused on weight loss. As a society, we are indisputably the heaviest and most unhealthy we've ever been. Yet the calls to turn this around are driven not by health, but by social pressure, social media influence, and the lucrative diet industry.
This focus distracts from addressing all aspects of true health, including mental health. A casual conversation with anyone reveals the great need for it. Many people find themselves trapped in a vicious cycle of “yo-yo” dieting, chronic stress, and unhealthy mental health.
The pandemic has exacerbated these issues and brought about the worst of health challenges: lockdowns, social distancing, and the constant threat of disease have created unprecedented levels of stress, anxiety and depression.
The World Health Organization reported a 25% increase in the prevalence of anxiety and depression worldwide during the first year of the pandemic, highlighting a mental health crisis. Negative mood states such as fear, anger and sadness became more prevalent, while positive mood states such as happiness, contentment and hope declined significantly.
As weight gain and lack of exercise replace anxiety, stress, and depression as top concerns in the corporate world, employers are also realizing the importance of supporting their employees' mental health. Many companies are expanding their employee assistance programs to include mental health resources, mindfulness training, stress management workshops, and more.
The rise in remote working has led companies to recognise that mental health is vital to productivity and overall job satisfaction, and to seek new ways to foster a healthy work-life balance.
The fitness industry is also undergoing a transformation. While physical exercise remains important, the focus has shifted from just losing weight to promoting overall health. Fitness apps and online platforms offer classes that integrate mindfulness and mental health, such as yoga, meditation and breathwork. This holistic approach recognizes that physical activity not only improves appearance, but also increases mental clarity, reduces stress and improves mood.
While these changes and adaptations are good, one of the most effective yet often overlooked aspects of addressing the root causes of mental health is gut health. The gut-brain connection is a well-established concept in medicine, highlighting the link between the digestive system and mental health.
Gut health plays a key role in regulating mood, and studies have shown that a healthy gut microbiome can help reduce anxiety and depression. Probiotic-rich foods such as yogurt, kefir and fermented vegetables, combined with a fiber-rich diet, can support gut health, which in turn improves physical and mental health.
With increasing emphasis on the relationship between diet and mental health, the growing popularity of “mood foods” – foods known to enhance mental health – reflects the recognition that nutrition plays an important role in maintaining mental health. Foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants and vitamins have been noted to be effective in reducing anxiety and depression. This approach goes beyond calorie counting and weight management to encourage a balanced, nutritious diet that supports both the body and mind.
Improving the quality of the foods you eat is always a good starting point. Depending on the state of your microbiome, food alone may not be enough to help. Supplementing with the right prebiotics, probiotics, and phytobiotics, which are particularly effective at supporting the bacteria that boost mood, anxiety, sleep, and focus, can definitely help you see noticeable improvements.
The shift from weight to mental health marks a huge shift and shows the impact that mental health and gut health can have on our overall health and wellbeing.
This isn't a head issue, this is a gut issue: Repairing your gut flora, feeding the good bacteria and starving the bad bacteria, actually supports an increase in positive mood states while simultaneously decreasing negative mood states.
Anxiety, stress and depression are reduced and vitality, energy, resilience and an overall sense of well-being are restored.
By continuing to prioritize our mental health and gut health, we can build a healthier, more resilient self, which will lead to a healthier, more resilient community and beyond.
To learn more ways to optimize your health, check out Tania's website.
This article was written by or on behalf of an external columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.
