What strikes me is that mental healthcare is completely separate from general healthcare, nutrition, and exercise. The first thing psychologists should ask is whether you exercise and eat well because if you don’t, therapy alone won’t help you release the appropriate hormones to be healthy and happy. If you are depressed it is, of course, harder to get the motivation to exercise and eat well but you might also feel depressed because you don’t get your basic needs met. Neural/hormonal communication in our body affects our mental health and everyday behaviours.
Let’s discuss important hormones and how they affect you:
Norepinephrine: Motivation, mood, emotion, cognitive functions, anxiety, interest, energy, etc. Eggs, beans, fish, and poultry in combination with exercise help rise this hormone.
Serotonin: Obsessive-compulsive symptoms, depression, craving, impulse, sex, appetite, aggression, anxiety, mood, emotion, cognitive functions, etc. If you eat dairy products, meat, soy, grains, nuts, fruits, and vegetables, it will help produce more serotonin. Consistent exercise also plays a big role in serotonin release.
Dopamine: Parkinson’s symptoms, depression, craving, drive, motivation, mood, emotion, cognitive functions, sex, appetite, aggression, etc. Nuts, chocolate, Omega-3 and vitamin E-rich foods, unprocessed meat, healthy fats and protein such as avocado and olive oil help raise dopamine.
Русский 
English