3 Surprising Things Impacting Mental health

If there’s one thing we can all agree on, it’s that mental illness is on the rise and that we could be doing so much more to support those affected by it. Let’s face it, most doctors are quick to prescribe drugs and that’s that. This is post is in no way intended to shame anyone who chooses medication. Sometimes medication is necessary but I think it’s important to address root causes, look to natural alternatives, and get therapy first. If medication ends up being the right course of action after other methods then there’s no shame in that. And believe with me, as someone who personally struggled with severe postpartum depression and anxiety for 5 years, it is possible to heal without medication. I think it’s important to discuss these 3 surprising things impacting mental health because they’re not really being talked about enough.

A Quick Disclaimer

This post is not intended as medical advice and you should consult your health care practitioner before stopping or starting any regimen or protocol. I am simply sharing my personal experiences and alternative options when it comes to addressing mental health. Everyone should do their own research and seek out a holistic practitioner to find the right protocol for their needs.

Ok now that that pesky disclaimer is out of the way let’s dive into the 3 surprising things impacting mental health.

Gut Health

Gut health has the single biggest impact on our health and more and more doctors are learning just how important gut health is. Yet, when it comes to mental health many turn a blind eye. 75-80% of our serotonin is produced in the gut and despite knowing this doctors continue to over prescribe antibiotics and other gut damaging medications. They continue to say diet doesn’t matter and watch as people eat pseudo food that wreak havock on our guts. They scoff at those of us who would choose natural alternatives and strive to maintain optimal gut health. But! If our gut is responsible for the vast majority of our serotonin production, which impacts our dopamine and melatonin levels, then it’s high time we make gut health a priority.

Additionally there is a direct connection between our brains and our guts via the vagus nerve. This connection is also known as the gut brain axis.

Have you ever had butterflies in your stomach when nervous or been sick to your stomach by an unpleasant thought? This is the gut brain axis at work. But this axis is a 2 way street, meaning poor gut health can undoubtedly impact our mental health.

These effects can include

Mood swings
Brain fog
Poor memory
Difficulty concentrating
Depression and anxiety
Behavioral concerns

Read more about gut health here and check out my gut health reset protocol.

Mineral Depletion

Minerals play an important role in our body’s ability to function and unfortunately many people are not living at an optimal level of one or more of these crucial minerals. Minerals are equally important for our brains ability to function.

Magnesium alone is responsible for over 300 bodily functions. One very important role that magnesium plays when it comes to mental health is relaying signals from the brain to the body. The role magnesium plays on our central nervous system is quite clear and there is growing evidence that “alterations of brain function are linked to local magnesium concentration”

In other words the amount of magnesium in our system can effect brain function.

Iron is another very important mineral. It’s primary function is carrying oxygen to our muscles and organs, this includes our brains. A lack of oxygen to our brains from iron deficiency can have numerous effects on our mental health. Iron deficiency has been linked to cognitive impairment, changes in behavior, and changes in sensory perception.

Zinc is the last mineral I will be discussing but the reality is, all minerals can impact our mental health to some degree. Zinc deficiencies have been linked to cognitive decline and degeneration. Zinc is an important mineral for cell regeneration and proliferation. Meaning that without it our cells, brain cells included, won’t regenerate efficiently. There’s additional evidence that lack of zinc weakens the blood brain barrier, so a deficiency in zinc can leave our brains more susceptible to damage from toxins.

Ensuring you’re getting optimal levels of all minerals is extremely important to your health in general and the impact they can have on your mental health is not something that should be ignored. I highly encourage everyone get regular labs drawn and address all deficiencies with whole food supplements.

When I was struggling with postpartum depression it turns out I was severely deficient in several minerals. Addressing these deficiencies made a world of difference and was the most impactful part of my journey to recovering. Listen to my full story on my podcast.

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Here’s a list of supplements that I take daily, my brand partners page for exclusive discounts for my readers.

Adrenal Health

Our adrenal glands are primarily known for their job of stress management and producing cortisol and adrenaline. These 2 hormones are extremely important but they are far from the only thing our adrenal glands do. Infact they are responsible for several other hormones including androgens, estrogens, aldosterone, epinephrine and norepinephrine. These hormones help regulate our salt intake, our metabolism, our circadian rhythm our blood sugar, our fight or flight reflex, and so much more! Additionally, all hormones work together, so if we are experiencing poor adrenal health and they are not functioning optimally our other hormones can easily be pulled out of balance. This can effect our thyriod hormones, sex hormones, our pituitary gland (our master hormone regulator), and our hypothalamus (our master hormone producer). Which then leads to a cascade of effects on our entire body.

When we fully understand all that our adrenal glands do it’s easy to see how they might impact our mental health. When our adrenals are in poor health we can become

Anxious
Irritable
Moody
Brain foggy
Easily agitated
On edge
Fatigued

If left unchecked this can easily turn into depression, anxiety, or other mental health conditions. Supporting good adrenal health is one way we can support good mental health. An adrenal cocktail is one simple way to support your adrenal health, find my recipe here.

Did any of these 3 surprising things impacting mental health surprise you?

Final Thoughts

If you are struggling with mental health of any kind I highly encourage you to give these 3 surprising things impacting mental health some thought. Dive into the research and partner with a holistic practitioner to find the right protocol for you and your needs.