First of all: no to diets, especially when it comes to young developing bodies. It can stunt growth and lead to all kinds of physical issues for a young person. However, in the article I am not talking about fad diets. I am talking about diets that meet the nutritional needs of your teen, and of your family.
We need to dive deeper on the subject because it has come to attention it is not a well-known topic. How can diets be linked to mental health? How do they affect you and your family? How can we, as parents, better understand this issue? There is a social aspect we have to understand when it comes to the “diet” and how it affects mental health.
As adults, being ‘different’ doesn’t hold very much value (at least hopefully not), but as a teen or young adult… the impact of a teen not fitting in with their peers can become detrimental to their mental wellbeing -overall- in a wide range of mynute, yet serious changes to the way a person thinks, feels, or represents themselves. These changes can affect a persons’ grades, family interactions, friendship circles, or worse yet – leaving them feeling vulnerable and easily manipulated. Their self esteem can be affected to very high or very low points, which can lead to negative behaviors towards themselves or others.
Teens, not all, but quite a few, are influenced by their peers more often than not. Teens are so different than they were years ago, and it’s come about because of social understanding. It’s okay to have colored hair, or to be eccentric. Piercings don’t single you out anymore, and being different is totally okay! It’s becoming less and less about being a delinquent, and more about personal preference.
As young adults, teens are still feeling themselves out to find their likes and dislikes. They are still trying to figure out who they are, and this can lead to the people around them influencing their behaviors, lifestyles, and self image. Sometimes this can lead to negative behaviors such as recreational use of drugs, or self harming.
As parents, we need to look out for these signs, because these are the tell-tale signs of mental health gone awry. No one knows your child better than you; if something feels off, please check in with your child.
How does diet tie in with mental health? Unhealthy food, such as overly processed food (pizza rolls, hot pockets, microwave meals in general are examples) can lack vitamins in the daily intake of food and offset the homeostasis of the body (the happy medium your body needs hormonally, chemically, and physically develop properly).
Your teen is constantly growing, and doctors have compared how much they develop to infants in their first stages of life. Organs mature, and puberty sets in. These ongoing processes the body initiates need to have the necessary fuel through the food the body intakes. Food that is of bad quality hinders this process and puts the body under stress, and mental health is compromised. Too much intake of bad foods can lead to becoming overweight, as well as leaving your teen or child with no energy and prone irritability. Then, we add the negative influences we all deal with on a regular basis.
So how can we prevent or minimize some, if not most, of these effects? Oftentimes, parents are not educated about this topic, and in turn teens are not educated.
Covid-19 has made all of us slow down, and it is a great time to educate yourself and your child. With a bit of forethought, and intentional shopping, you can start planning out healthy meals that you and your family will all benefit from. Involve your family and help them to understand the significance with open discussions, and allow everyone to have a voice. Your teen will benefit from feeling important and relevant, which will help with their mental health. Allowing them to help out in discussions will help build their self esteem, as well as help them to understand the need to eat healthy. With the power to choose wellness, and the ability to be active in their environment, you will help them build a healthy future with a greater understanding.
