If you’ve ever reached for a donut to ease your stress after a tough client session or skipped lunch entirely because you were “just too busy,” you’re not alone. As women in helping professions, we’re wired to care for others, but all too often, we forget the most foundational form of self-care: how we fuel our own bodies and minds.
And here’s the truth no one told us in grad school or during those long clinical shifts: your mental health is intimately tied to your metabolic health. That means your cholesterol, blood sugar, and blood pressure aren’t just physical numbers. They are mood metrics too.
Let’s unpack this powerful connection and why the food on your plate may be silently shaping your emotional well-being.
Why Most Women Are Metabolically Off Balance
Did you know fewer than 1 in 8 American adults are metabolically healthy? That means over 85% of us have at least one major risk factor, like high blood sugar, high LDL cholesterol, or elevated blood pressure, without even knowing it.
For many women in helping professions, those metabolic markers might quietly be contributing to:
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Brain fog during sessions
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Low-grade depression that won’t lift
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Emotional fatigue that no amount of sleep seems to cure
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Heightened anxiety around work or relationships
Let’s look at the three biggest culprits and how they sneakily hijack your mood.
1. High Cholesterol = Sluggish Brainpower
That buttery croissant may feel like self-love in the moment but over time, saturated fats from animal products (like cheese, bacon, or butter) raise LDL cholesterol, which clogs arteries and reduces blood flow to your brain.
Why it matters for your mental health: Your brain needs a steady stream of oxygen and nutrients. Poor circulation can mean trouble concentrating, increased risk for stroke, and even links to cognitive decline and depression.
2. Blood Sugar Swings = Mood Swings
Sugar highs and crashes aren’t just for toddlers. As women juggling caregiving roles, client demands, and our own healing, many of us survive on granola bars, coffee, and processed food. But this rollercoaster trains your body to become insulin resistant, meaning your cells stop responding properly to insulin.
The mood connection: Insulin resistance doubles your risk of major depression. It also leads to inflammation in the brain, which research increasingly links to anxiety, low energy, and low motivation.
3. High Blood Pressure = Mental Drain
Processed foods high in sodium (hello takeout) and low in potassium (from fruits and veggies) raise your blood pressure. And that puts pressure, literally, on your brain’s tiny blood vessels.
Impact: Less blood flow to the brain = slower thinking, increased anxiety, and higher risk of vascular dementia over time.
A Word on Keto: Is It a Mental Health Fix or False Hope?
Let’s talk about the keto craze. Yes, the ketogenic diet can offer short-term weight loss and mental clarity. It lowers blood sugar, which can initially improve mood. But for many women, it comes with a hidden cost:
The Risks of Long-Term Keto
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Skyrocketing cholesterol from butter, bacon, and fatty meats
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Increased risk of heart disease and stroke
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Electrolyte imbalances that mess with your mood and energy
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Insulin spikes when healthy whole foods like fruits are reintroduced, undoing the initial benefits
Instead of keto, consider a plant-forward, whole-foods approach that stabilizes blood sugar without depriving your brain of nutrients.
The Good News: Food Can Fuel Your Mood (Without Extremes)
Let’s focus on what you can do, because nourishing your mind and body doesn’t require giving up joy or comfort. The Mediterranean and DASH diets (not “diets” but sustainable eating patterns) are backed by research and loved by women around the world.
The only critique I have of these diets is the inclusion of fish, which is full of toxicity in 2025. Toxicity increases the risk of cognitive decline.
Eat more of this for better mental and metabolic health:
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Colorful fruits and vegetables : For fiber, antioxidants, and mood-regulating minerals
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Whole grains: Stabilize blood sugar and support brain function
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Legumes and plant proteins: Offer fiber + folate, supporting happy neurotransmitters
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Omega-3 fatty acids: Reduce inflammation linked to depression
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Olive oil, nuts, and avocados: Healthy fats that feed your brain and lower cholesterol
One study (the SMILES trial) found that 32% of people with major depression achieved full remission in just 12 weeks on a Mediterranean-style eating plan. Compare that to only 8% in the group that didn’t change their diet. Now imagine if that SMILES trial actually didn’t do Mediterranean but kept everything of the Mediterranean style and eliminated fish. I would bet the results would have been even more impressive.
You Can’t Meditate or Medicate Your Way Out of a Malnourished Brain
Therapy, breathwork, and medication can be life-saving. But if your body is inflamed, your blood sugar is spiking, and your brain is starving for nutrients, you’re swimming upstream.
Here’s how to begin shifting the tide:
3 Steps to Integrate Nutrition Into Your Healing (Without Overwhelm)
1. Start Where You Are
Swap one processed meal for a real-food meal each day. Add a banana to breakfast. Choose water over soda at lunch. Tiny steps matter.
2. Think Addition, Not Restriction
Don’t obsess over cutting everything “bad.” Instead, crowd out unhealthy choices by adding in more nourishing ones. More berries = less room for candy.
3. Check in with your body
Notice how you feel after different meals. Do you feel steady? Cranky? Sleepy? Empower yourself by listening to your body, not social media diet trends.
How to Talk to Your Clients (or Yourself) About Food and Feelings
If you’re a therapist, coach, or healer, you don’t need to be a nutritionist to make a difference. Try this simple reframe in your next session or journal entry:
️ “What did I eat today, and how did it make me feel physically and emotionally?”
That question alone opens the door to self-awareness, compassion, and change.
Final Thoughts: Healing Is a Whole-Person Journey
You’re not broken. If you’ve been struggling with your mood or energy, it might not be “just mental” or “just physical.” It’s all connected. The food you eat every day holds power to heal your mind.
Let’s redefine self-care to include real nourishment.
❤️ Because when your body thrives, your brain thrives. And when your brain thrives, you show up more grounded, more resilient, and more you, both in the mirror and in your mission to serve others.
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