What If the Missing Piece in Your Mental Health Journey Is Your Nutrition?
Mental Health Awareness Month invites us to look inward. To explore the emotional patterns, traumas, and beliefs that shape our lives. But there’s a crucial part of this conversation that often gets left out.
What we put in our bodies.
Yes, therapy matters. Yes, men’s groups matter. But if you’re still battling brain fog, low energy, or emotional instability… it might not be all in your head.
It might be in your gut.
Eating 30+ different kinds of plants improves your gut and mind health significantly.
When Food Became My Medicine
There was a stretch in my life—six years, to be exact—when I took omeprazole every single morning without fail. It was as much a part of my routine as brushing my teeth. At first, it seemed harmless. Just a little pill to manage the acid reflux that started after one reckless night of drinking too much vodka.
That night left me with a stomach ulcer that changed the way I ate, the way I moved, even the way I felt in my body. The reflux came on strong—hot, relentless, unforgiving. If I missed a dose, it felt like fire rising through my chest, sometimes triggering headaches so sharp I’d have to sit down and breathe through the pain.
Over time, something else started to shift.
I wasn’t just dealing with reflux—I was dealing with emotional volatility I couldn’t explain. I felt more anxious. More irritable. Like my ability to regulate was slipping away, and I didn’t know why.
Coffee? Gone. Spicy food? Off limits. Anything acidic? A gamble.
I started to feel like I was living in a body I couldn’t trust. A body that was working against me.
And then—almost quietly—I began to change the way I ate.
It wasn’t some grand overhaul. I just started adding more vegetables. I brought in fermented foods. I got curious about what my gut actually needed instead of what I was craving to numb or escape.
Slowly, the symptoms faded. I stopped needing the pill. I stopped bracing for the pain. I started to feel clearer. Lighter. More myself.
That’s when I realized: healing doesn’t just happen in therapy or in men’s groups. It happens at the table. On our plates. In the quiet choices we make every day about how we care for this body we live in.
Gut Health = Mental Health
Science backs it up: Over 90% of serotonin—a neurotransmitter that stabilizes mood, happiness, and well-being—is produced in the gut. Your gut isn’t just digesting food. It’s a major player in your nervous system and immune function. It’s part of what helps you stay calm, focused, and energized.
When your gut is inflamed or imbalanced, it doesn’t just affect digestion. You might feel:
Anxious or on edge
Depressed or low energy
Easily overwhelmed or unfocused
Irritable or emotionally flat
If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone—and it’s not “just in your head.”
What’s Fueling You… or Failing You?
Most of us were never taught how to eat in a way that supports our mental health. We were taught how to eat quickly, how to eat for performance, or how to eat for survival.
But food is foundational. And it’s either feeding your resilience… or feeding your dysregulation.
The Basics: A Grounded Approach to Nutrition & Mood
You don’t need to do a 30-day cleanse or eliminate everything you love. Start here:
Eat more whole, unprocessed foods. Your gut loves variety and color.
Add in fermented foods. Kimchi, kefir, sauerkraut, and miso can rebuild your microbiome.
Cut back on processed sugar and seed oils. These spike inflammation and lead to crashes.
Support your digestion with hydration and fiber.
Notice your energy, focus, and mood after meals. Food is feedback.
Food as Nervous System Support
Eating lots of plants and fibers healed my gut.
When you eat in a way that supports your gut, you’re not just feeding your body—you’re feeding your capacity to heal. A nourished nervous system can stay present. A balanced gut can help stabilize your mood. And that’s when the real emotional work can begin.
Let’s Go Deeper Together
This Mental Health Awareness Month, I want you to remember something simple but profound:
You are not broken—you might just be undernourished.
If you're curious about how your gut health and nutrition are shaping your emotional regulation, let’s talk. We’ll take a full-body approach to healing.
Book a free consultation with me.
Or come join the SHIFT Men’s Retreat, where we bring together breathwork, somatic healing, emotional intelligence, and—yes—foundational physical wellness.
👉🏾 Check out my article: The Body Knows: 20 No-Cost Ways to Boost Your Mental Health Today
