Mental Well Being

“We do not have bodies.

We are bodies,” writes cognitive scientist Guy Claxton in Intelligence in the Flesh. His point is that our minds are not separate from what we consider to be the physiological elements of our being. The way we use and maintain our muscles, organs and digestive systems informs our emotional state.

In a study at Cardiff University, scientists asked test subjects to snack on either crisps and chocolate or fresh fruit. Within 10 days, members of the junk food group were exhibiting greater

symptoms of low mood and anxiety than the fruit eaters. “High-sugar, high-fat foods can cause a flash of hormones in the brain’s pleasure centres, which is followed by a crash,” says Mark Perera, a senior GP at Babylon Health. Perera also points to common deficiencies that can contribute to poor mental health, such as those in vitamins B12, C, D and omega-3, which he calls “the engine oil of the brain”.

Your workouts, meanwhile, will give you both a short-term high and a long-term lift. There’s more at play than just endorphins, too. “Exercise triggers the release of numerous brain-cell mediators, including serotonin, dopamine and noradrenaline, which light up the pleasure and reward centres of the brain,” explains Perera – but this time minus the comedown. In a study published in the American Journal of Psychiatry, those who trained for just two and a half hours each week had a 31% lower risk of depression than those who didn’t. Exercise has been shown to be as effective as medication in reducing symptoms of moderate (though not always severe) depression.

For many struggling with their mental well-being, getting outside and moving for half an hour each day will be easier than a total dietary overhaul. So, exercise edges it here – just.

The Decider Exercise