Look, we’re not here to be the food police; a little bit of what you fancy does you good, and we’d never try to come between a person and their treats. But what we are here to say is: GET YOUR NUTRIENTS.

As a driver of form, nutrition has few equals. When we’re properly fuelled and adequately nourished we have the energy to exercise, the concentration to crack on with work, and the level-headed patience needed to deal with kids and colleagues alike. We’re also far healthier.

Our diet and levels of nutrition have an enormous impact on how we think, look, and feel. Put the right things into our body, and we have every chance of thriving. Neglect our nutrition, and we risk:

Poor mental health
Reduced cognitive function
Obesity
Heart disease and stroke
High blood pressure
Type 2 diabetes
Some types of cancer
A worsening of chronic health conditions

Little wonder then that poor nutrition has been shown to have a negative impact on our form.

Looking after your gut

Dubbed in some circles as the ‘second brain’, our digestive system is actually responsible for producing 90% of the body’s serotonin (or, the happy hormone). The health of our gut can also impact our immunity, along with how resilient we are to stress – so taking care of it really is a no-brainer.

To keep our gut healthy, our brain functioning, and our wellbeing high, we need a good mix of complex carbohydrates, essential fatty acids, amino acids, vitamins, minerals, and plenty of water. But we also need to watch out for anything in our diet that adversely impacts our physical or mental health.

For example, too much caffeine can make symptoms of anxiety much worse; alcohol can impact our ability to sleep soundly; eating too much junk food can raise our blood pressure, while food that triggers health problems can leave us lacking in energy.

The bottom line? Make efforts to incorporate all of the things you need for physical fuel and cognitive health into your daily diet, and limit anything that makes you feel less than ideal (with some treats thrown in for good measure).