Mental Nutrition and Toxins

(updated 21 November 2022)

Just as the body needs good nutrition to sustain its health, so too does the mind need good mental nutrition for its health. This nutrition consists of positive thoughts and feedback from others. Negative thoughts and criticisms from others can be toxic or poisonous and harmful to your mental health.

Questions you may include:

• What is the parallel between the body and the mind?
• How is self-talk feeding your mind?
• What can the input of others do for you?

This lesson will answer those questions. Mental Health Disclaimer

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Parallel between physical and mental

There is a direct parallel between physical and mental nutrition.

Physical nutrition

Your body needs food and nutrients to function properly.

If you don’t eat enough, you can be more susceptible to disease. Nutrients allow the body to grow, heal wounds and be healthy.

If you ingest poisonous foods, you may become ill or even die. Also, outside agents, such as bacteria and viruses can spread toxins in your body.

Body-mind connection

Your brain is the connection between the body and the mind. Since the brain is part of the body, your ability to think is related to the nutrition your body takes in. Your brain controls your mind.

Mental nutrition

Your mind needs information to function and be able to evaluate and make decisions.

Sensory deprivation makes the mind more susceptible to mental disease. The mind need nutritious information to grow, heal mental wounds and be healthy.

Providing yourself with negative information about your abilities and what you do is like taking poison for the mind. But also, outside agents–other people–can criticize and ridicule you, providing your mind with toxic information, thus harming your mental state.

Self-talk

What you say to yourself can be mental nutrition or poisonous to your mental health.

If you praise yourself and are pleased with your performance, your mental health improves or stays at a high level. You can evaluate your talent, achievements and even looks with a positive spin. That doesn’t mean you should be dishonest or unrealistic about things. If you fail in task, you can evaluate what you did wrong and where you need improvement and then tell yourself that you can do better.

Self-criticism, especially calling yourself stupid, ugly, or incompetent is providing your mind with negative and toxic thoughts. Soon you can become depressed, angry, fearful or have some other mental or emotional illness.