Nowadays, many teens are being affected by depression and in fact, the problem of teen depression has become a matter of grave concern for many parents. Since there are a number of factors that contribute to this problem, parents may not know the specific reasons for the problem in these teens.
But, researchers have now found that teen depression can be caused due to wrong food habits also. There are a number of “wrong foods” available now and they can cause physical as well as mental troubles. The following tips may help teens choose the right foods so that they can avoid teen depression problem.
What Can You Do About It?
Choose Only Nutritious Foods
Teens should choose only those foods that contain a good amount of nutrients. Adolescents have a lot of growth ahead and unless they get adequate nutrition, their growth may be hampered. Not only that, it has been found that it is during teenage that the neural networks of the human brain get rewired. Good foods can help in this process.
Shun Processed Foods
In most of the processed foods, chemical preservatives are used. These chemicals can harm people physically as well as mentally. These chemicals are found to occupy the fat cells of the humans and therefore, getting rid of them may be a real problem. These chemicals can cause harm to the mental health of people also. Nutrition is largely compromised in processed foods. Not only that, when foods are processed, a lot of life-giving enzymes are eliminated thus depriving people of their immense benefits.
Avoid Consumption of Excessive Sugar
That refined sugar is unhealthy is an indisputable fact. It may not only increase the weight of teens but can harm the brain of everyone,including adolescents. So, this wrong food can trigger teen depression also. Especially, if teens get addicted to sugar consumption, their blood glucose levels may crash if they do not consume the usual quantity. This may make these teens more depressed. So, teens should consume sugary items moderately. They should completely avoid carbonated drinks that contain sugar.
Well-Maintained Food And Mood Journal May Help
Teens can maintain a food and mood journal in which they can jot down the food they consume and the moods these foods trigger. They can modify their food habits based on the inferences they arrive at with the help of this journal.
No Need To Follow Trends
Some people may learn new recipes from different sources and may wish to taste them. Though this is not wrong, teens should understand that there is no need to follow the latest craze in food items. Instead, they should know the foods that suit them and consume only those foods.
Choosing the right food based on one’s own experiences and tastes is very important because by eating wrong food, adolescents may be affected by mental health issues. It is the duty of the parents to educate their children about the importance of consuming only those foods that can help in their mental and physical development. Not only that, right food may mainly ward off the problems of teen depression and teen anxiety.