Lockdown is a challenging time for many people and social isolation can be very detrimental to mental health. We have treatments such as counselling and medications for mood disorders but there are also lifestyle therapies that are effective. In fact, the latest guidelines issued by the NZ College of psychiatry now recommend lifestyle treatment as first line for mood disorders. But what exactly does this mean? Can lifestyle really affect our mood?

In medicine we tend to use psychological treatment or medication in the first instance to help with mental health. But research suggests there is a lot we can do with our nutrition and lifestyle to improve mood and reduce anxiety.

Here are some quick tips to nourish your brain…