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My Capstone Project

The document discusses the results of a capstone project on how fitness and healthy eating affects mental health. The project found that 228 people found working out improved their mental health by releasing happy chemicals and giving benefits like more energy and better sleep. Eating healthy with foods like green vegetables, fish and berries was also found to improve mental health by stabilizing sugar levels and aiding brain growth. However, 125 people reported they do not have healthy eating habits. The top mental illnesses people struggled with were depression, anxiety, ADHD, PTSD and OCD. The document concludes by listing foods and lifestyle habits that can improve mental and physical health.

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234 views

My Capstone Project

The document discusses the results of a capstone project on how fitness and healthy eating affects mental health. The project found that 228 people found working out improved their mental health by releasing happy chemicals and giving benefits like more energy and better sleep. Eating healthy with foods like green vegetables, fish and berries was also found to improve mental health by stabilizing sugar levels and aiding brain growth. However, 125 people reported they do not have healthy eating habits. The top mental illnesses people struggled with were depression, anxiety, ADHD, PTSD and OCD. The document concludes by listing foods and lifestyle habits that can improve mental and physical health.

Uploaded by

api-542755009
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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MY CAPSTONE PROJECT

HOW DOES FITNESS AND EATING HEALTHY


AFFECT YOUR MENTAL HEALTH?
WHY’D I CHOSE THIS
QUESTION TO RESEARCH?

I’ve struggled with my mental health for a while


and I know how much eating healthy and working
out has helped me and I wanted to know the
background of why it makes me feel better and
how I can help other people who struggle with
their mental health.
WHAT IS MENTAL ILLNESS?

Mental illnesses are health conditions involving


changes in emotion, thinking or behavior (or a
combination of both of these). Mental illness are
associated with distress or problems functioning in
social, work or family activities.
HOW DOES MENTAL ILLNESS
HAPPEN?

Mental illness itself occurs from the interaction or


multiple genes and other factors such as stress, abuse
or a traumatic event which can influence or trigger
an illness in a person who has an inherited
susceptibility to it.
W H AT H AP P E N S I N T H E
B R A I N D U R I N G M E N TA L
ILLNESS?

During mental illnesses connections


between nerve cells along certain
pathways or circuits in the brain can
lead to problems with how the brain
processes information and may result
in abnormal mood, thinking,
perception or behavior.
HOW MANY
PEOPLE
STRUGGLE
WITH THEIR
MENTAL
HEALTH?
WHAT KIND OF MENTAL ILLNESS DO PEOPLE
STRUGGLE WITH?
DEPRESSION

215 people said they struggle with depression


Depression is a constant feeling of sadness and loss
of interest which stops you from doing your normal
day to day activities. There are many types of
depression with symptoms ranging from minor to
severe.
ANXIETY

214 people struggle with anxiety


Anxiety is an emotion characterized by feelings or
tension, worried thoughts and pressure. People
with anxiety disorders usually have recurring and
intrusive thoughts or concerns. They may have to
avoid certain situations out of worry.
ADHD

17 people struggle with ADHD


ADHD stands for attention deficit hyperactivity
disorder. A person with ADHD has differences in
brain development and brain activity that affects
attention and the ability to sit and self control.
PTSD

9 people struggle with PTSD


PTSD stands for post traumatic stress disorder. It is
a psychiatric disorder that may occur in people
who have experienced or witnessed a traumatic
event.
OCD

13 people struggle with OCD


OCD stands for obsessive compulsive disorder.
Which people have un wanted thoughts, ideas or
obsessions that make them feel driven to do
something repetitively.
BIPOLAR DISORDER

7 people struggle with bipolar disorder


Bipolar disorder is a brain disorder that causes
changes in a persons mood, energy and ability to
function. People with bipolar disorder experience
intense emotional states that typically occur during
distinct periods of days to weeks called mood
episodes.
HOW DOES FITNESS AFFECT
YOUR MENTAL HEALTH?

• Provides an excellent environment for growth of


brain cells
• Promotes brain plasticity by stimulating growth
of new connections between cells in many
improvement cortical areas of the brain
• Your body releases chemicals that make you feel
happy
Question: Have you tried working
out/sports to improve your mental
HOW DOES health?
FITNESS HELP Yes:228 people
OTHER PEOPLE
No:130 people
Yes but it didn’t work:35 people
BENEFITS OF WORKING OUT

• Improves your memory


• Gives you more energy
• You can sleep better at night
• Helps with your self esteem
WAYS YOU CAN WORKOUT

• Playing a sport
• Going for a walk
• Going for a run
• Working out
• Yoga
HOW DOES EATING HEALTHY
IMPROVE YOUR MENTAL HEALTH?

• Keeps your sugar levels steady


• Growth in your brain cells
WHAT DOES EATING BAD DO
TO YOUR BRAIN?

• Sugar and processed food can lead to


inflammation throughout the body and brain
which can contribute to mood disorders like
depression and anxiety
• People with depression tend to either eat too
much or too little
HOW DOES EATING HEALTHY AFFECT
OTHER PEOPLE

Question: Do you have healthy eating habits?


Yes:51
No:125
Sometimes:205
Has eating healthy helped you?
No:45
FOODS THAT ARE GOOD FOR YOU

• Green Vegetables
• Fish
• Berries
• Walnuts
WAYS YOU CAN IMPROVE
YOUR EATING HABITS

• Cooking at home rather then eating out


• Eating less sugar
• Eating less processed foods
• Trying to eat a least 3 meals a day
BIBLIOGRAPHY

Pendick, Daniel. “Foods linked to better brain power”. Harvard Health, May 2017,
www.health.Harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/foods-linked-to-better-brainpower.
Goldberg, Joseph. “Mental health: The brain and mental illness.” WebMD, WebMD, 6 Apr.2019 www.webmd.com
/mental-health/brain-mental-illness
Gomsym, Alice. “Foods & your mood: How Food Affects Mental Health- Aetna: Foods That Help Your Brain Health.” Aetna,
26 Mar.2020, www.aetna.com|health-guide/food-affects-mental-health.html
Jennings, Kerri-Ann. “11 Best Foods to Boost Your Brain and Memory.” Health Line, 9 May 2017, www.healthline.com
/nutrition/11-brain-foods.
Robinson, Lawrence. “The Mental Health Benefits of Exercise.” HelpGuide.org,12AD, www.helpguide.org/articles/healthy-
living/the-mental-health-benefits-of-exercise.htm.
Weir, Kirsten “The Roots of Mental Illness.” Moniter on psychology, American Psychological Association, June 2020,
www.apa.org/monitor|/2012/06/roofs
Van Nie, Frank. “Understanding Mental Illness.” CMHA Toronto, 16 Mar.2017, https://Toronto.cmha.ca/understanding-
mental-illness/.
THANK YOU FOR LISTENING!

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