Mental health is an area that is ignored, devalued or taboo in society to talk about. Our bodies are interconnected and there is a huge gut/brain connection that mainstream medicine seems to forget.  What our bodies absorb affects our mental health and not addressing one with the other is bad medicine.  Not only is mental health affected by what we eat or do not eat but also the lack of taking care of our emotional, spiritual, financial, sexual and mental needs affect our physical health.  The brain is the least misunderstood organ in the body and also the one we use the least amount of (10 percent or less). 

"What leads to a broken brain? Most of us never learn how to manage our energy and bodies. Instead, we use drugs like sugar, caffeine, and alcohol to self-medicate and manage our energy and moods. We don’t connect our behaviors and choices with how we feel. The key insight is that your brain is an organ that’s connected to everything else happening in your body. Fixing your brain starts with fixing your body: optimizing all the inputs and taking out the bad influences. The brain is resilient and can recover and heal when given the right conditions.

Many of us get too little good food, nutrients, light, air, water, rest, sleep, rhythm, exercise, community, love, meaning, and purpose. We’re exposed to far too much poor-quality food, stress, toxins, and allergens. We don’t eat enough quality food, like plant foods (which are loaded with dietary fiber and phytonutrients) and healthy fats like avocado and wild-caught salmon." Dr. Mark Hyman

This is why it's so important to meditate, do deep breathing exercises, laugh, cry, write down positive affirmations, practice gratitude and talk to a professional because our mental health needs equal attention in our heath as well.