Your mom’s sayings you should follow

Do you remember your mama told you to eat your vegetables, to go outside and play, and to go to bed on time? These common-sense adages were said for good reason – these three tips can help improve our physical and mental health.

That’s important because a study from the Angus Reid Institute shows Canadians are largely fatigued, frustrated, and anxious – and one-in-three (36%) Canadians say they are struggling with their mental health.

So, take a lesson from your mama. She was right.

1. Eat your vegetables

What we eat is important to our mental health. Healthy diet patterns are associated with decreased risk of depression as well as symptoms of depression and the link between ‘food and mood’ is well documented. You can focus on increasing your daily intake of these foods:

• fruits and vegetables
• wholegrains
• legumes (beans, lentils, chickpeas)
• nuts and seeds

However, it’s not enough to just increase your intake of healthy foods. The benefits are felt when one also actively reduces their intake of unhealthy foods such as sugary drinks and foods high in added sugar, refined cereals, processed meat and highly processed or fried foods or fast food.

2. Go outside and play

Regular exercise is one of the best ways to improve your mental well-being and overall health. This leads to improved self-esteem, stronger levels of resilience, being better able to manage depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder.

There is a wealth of information on the positive link between exercise and improved health. Research continues to show that people who exercise regularly have better emotional well-being and lower rates of mental illness. Health Canada recommends getting 2.5 hours of activity every week. Your brain will thank you for that activity.

3. Get a good night’s sleep

According to the research done by Harvard Medical School in 2021, poor sleep, or sleep deprivation, adversely affects our psychological state. About half of us are kept awake by stress and 1 in 3 people experience insomnia. Seven to nine hours of sleep a night is recommended for optimal health but this isn’t always easy to achieve – with work being the number-one reason people cut back on sleep. Without question, this takes its toll on our mental abilities – our cognitive skills suffer, and processes linked to our decision-making become compromised.

So, are you ready to follow your mama’s advice? Eating right, exercising, and having a good night’s sleep are central for improving our mental and physical health.