‘Now food is for more than consoling myself’: cooking for mental health

It’s not so much “you are what you eat”, but it’s now acknowledged that choosing the right kinds of foods can inspire a positive change in mental health. It is thought that 20% of the brain consists of naturally fatty acids such as omega-3 and omega-6, for instance. Blood sugar levels and caffeine intake have long since been known to affect mood, while low levels of B vitamins have been found to exacerbate the symptoms of schizophrenia.