Eating a nutritious, healthy diet can help with a service members mental well-being helping to ensure mission readiness. (Photo courtesy of MHS Communication)
Mental well-being is as crucial to a warfighter’s medical readiness as physical fitness. While nutrition is well known for its contributions to physical fitness, it’s often lesser known for its cognitive benefits.
“Overall dietary pattern is more important than any one singular food for mental performance and emotional well-being,” said U.S. Army Lt. Col. Tanisha Currie, associate director of Center for Enabling Capabilities located at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research.
Through psychological, social, nutritional, spiritual, and physical fitness resources, the Consortium for Health and Military Performance at the University of Uniformed Services—otherwise known as CHAMP—has tools to fuel for the fight, guides for optimal nutritional fitness, and a food journal to give you insight into your nutrition intake. The resources also provide advice on what to eat to perform at your best—both in body and mind.
Eating Habits to Support Emotional Well-Being
According to Currie “A strategy that warfighters can incorporate in their day-to-day routine is to “eat the rainbow,” a simple phrase that refers to eating colorful fruits and vegetables which can contribute to your mental well-being.”
CHAMP provides simple guidelines to be mindful of what you eat to meet your mental and physical occupational and training demands, such as:
Eat small, well-rounded meals throughout the day to provide your brain and body with steady energy to avoid hypoglycemia and be prepared to handle stressors.
Follow the anti-inflammatory Mediterranean diet, which is high in unsaturated fats, omega-3 fatty acids, colorful fruits and vegetables, and high-fiber whole grains.
Include prebiotics and probiotics in your day. Prebiotic foods include apples, artichokes, asparagus, bananas, berries, green vegetables, onions, tomatoes and garlic. Sauerkraut, miso, tempeh, pickles, yogurt, milk, kefir, and kombucha are just a few foods that include probiotics.
Choose foods for what they can do for you, rather than how they make you feel. Nutrient-dense foods build stress resilience.
Boost your intake of magnesium to regulate muscle and nerve functions, blood sugar levels, and blood pressure. Foods like legumes, nuts, seeds, whole grains, green leafy vegetables fortified breakfast cereals, milk, and yogurt, are high in magnesium.
Eat plenty of foods high in B vitamins. These nutrients support metabolism, brain development, blood and nerve cell health, DNA production, and the development of serotonin, which affects mood, memory, and emotions. Foods like poultry, fish, potatoes, noncitric fruits, beef, liver, clams, fish, and milk are all high in B vitamins.
Fuel your body consistently. Balance meals and snacks with whole grains, lean protein, fiber, and healthy fats to help keep your blood sugar steady. Avoid skipping meals.
Rethink your meal choices on the night shift. At night, your body’s metabolic processes slow down. Eating at night has been shown to be bad for your health, though the right type and number of foods and beverages can help keep up your blood sugar to stay alert.
Be aware of foods or beverages with stimulants or hidden caffeine sources.
Get a caffeine boost, but not too much. Caffeine improves alertness, vigilance, attention, and reaction time when taken in small to moderate amounts. Caffeine may also help mental performance in sleep-deprived situations.
Drink enough water. Water is the most abundant component of the human body—around 50–70% of your weight—so your body needs fluids regularly to function properly.
Increase Vitamin D in your diet. Foods with naturally occurring vitamin D include fatty fish, fish oils, egg yolks, butter, and liver. You can also get vitamin D from “fortified foods,” which is where vitamins or minerals are added to foods during processing to increase their nutritional value. Vitamin D keeps bones healthy and has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant benefits.
Talk to your doctor about any nutrient deficiencies you may have, as these can affect feelings of stress and mental well-being. Too little energy, carbohydrates, and micronutrients can increase your vulnerability to stress.
Foods to Alleviate Stress
Foods to combat stress include the minerals, zinc and magnesium, and vitamins C, B, and E, according to CHAMP. The B vitamins and magnesium are involved in the production of serotonin, which helps regulate mood and relieve stress. Foods high in these nutrients are the foods of choice.
Also, “foods rich in antioxidants such as fruits, teas, and dark chocolate can help to reduce oxidative stress, provide neuroprotection, and mood regulation,” said Currie. “Particularly, berries offer great sources of vitamin c and potent antioxidants. Bananas, which are rich in vitamin B6, and tryptophan are also known to promote positive mood.”
To alleviate or prevent some of the consequences of chronic stress, CHAMP recommends the following food list to minimize weight gain due to overeating and excess intake of high-fat or high-sugar foods. These foods include:
Almonds
Beets
Blueberries
Broccoli
Cantaloupe and other melons
Carrots
Garlic
Goat cheese
Green and herbal teas
Green beans
Grapes
Kiwi
Lemon water
Peas
Salmon and other cold-water fish
Sushi
Sweet potatoes
Tomatoes
Whey
Whole-grain rice
Zucchini
CHAMP also recommends avoiding the following foods that may add to stress, including:
Caffeine
Hard liquor
Tobacco
Trans-fats from fried foods, red meats, and highly processed foods
“Warfighters can benefit greatly by understanding the basic elements of foods that can bolster their cognitive health and mood. However, they do not have to go at understanding the basics of nutrition alone. There are terrific and credible Department of Defense resources such as CHAMP, Armed Forces Wellness Center, Operation Supplement Safety, and registered dietitians and healthcare providers to assist them navigating their personal well-being journey together.” said Currie.
Additional Resources
For more about optimizing mission performance and health through nutrition, visit the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences Consortium for Health and Military Performance. Here you can explore dozens of nutritional fitness tips, articles, and other references for better nutrition to enhance readiness. To take your nutrition goals to the next level, contact your local military hospital or clinic and request a consultation with a nutritionist or a dietitian.
