How Nutrition Rewires the Brain for Mental Health

Eat to Feel: Why Nutrition Is Mental Health Care

by Elizabeth Winings, DNP, APRN, PMHNP-BC—A summary of a talk given at PLANTSTRONG Retreats. 

We don’t just “feel” with our hearts—we feel with our gut, our brain, and our cells. In her inspiring talk, Mind–Mood–Food Connection, Dr. Elizabeth Winings reminds us that nutrition is the original mental health intervention. Here’s why it belongs in every care plan.

1. Your Brain is Powered by What You Eat

The human brain runs on glucose, electrolytes, and amino acids. Without consistent, high-quality nutrition, our neurons can’t function—and neither can our mood, memory, or emotional regulation. Because neurons can’t store nutrients, we rely on frequent, balanced meals to maintain brain energy. A single day of undernourishment can affect attention span, decision-making, and stress tolerance.

2. Serotonin Starts in the Gut

Most serotonin—the neurotransmitter responsible for mood stability—resides in the gut, not the brain. That means digestive health is mental health. A healthy gut microbiome helps regulate inflammation, hormone balance, and neural communication. Fiber from plant foods feeds good bacteria, which in turn help produce and regulate neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine.

3. Neurotransmitters Are Built From Plants

Serotonin, dopamine, norepinephrine, and GABA all start as amino acids, with certain components, which we must get from our food. Dr. Winings highlighted foods rich in these precursors:

• Tryptophan (for serotonin): Potatoes, leafy greens, legumes

• Tyrosine & phenylalanine (for dopamine): Bananas, avocados, spinach

• Glutamine (for GABA & glutamate): Mushrooms, miso, seaweed

• Choline (for acetylcholine): Squash, eggplant, peas, radish

A plant-based diet offers these essential nutrients without the added cholesterol, saturated fat, and inflammation-inducing compounds often found in animal products. It’s not just what you eat—it’s what your food builds.

4. Behavior Change = Repetition

Our brain forms pathways based on experience. The more we act on a new thought or choice—like swapping cupcakes for breakfast cookies—the more likely it becomes automatic. Repetition forges new neural trails, and research shows it takes about 40 conscious reps to change a single thought-response pattern. Like a trail in a grassy field, the more you walk it, the clearer it becomes.

5. Medications Don’t Create Neurotransmitters—Food Does

While medications help neurotransmitters work better, they can’t create them. That’s where whole, unprocessed plant foods come in—supplying the raw materials for long-term resilience. In some cases, improved nutrition can support lower medication doses under professional supervision. Food isn’t an alternative to therapy or medication—it’s a powerful partner.

6. Sleep and Hydration Seal the Deal

Without 7+ hours of nightly sleep, the brain can’t consolidate new memories or reinforce new thought patterns. Dehydration can mimic mental health symptoms like fatigue, brain fog, and irritability. Optimal brain health depends on daily habits: drink water consistently, aim for regular sleep, and fuel with plants throughout the day. These habits provide the biological environment needed for emotional regulation.

7. Let’s Talk About It

Mental health conditions are medical. They’re treatable. And we need to normalize discussing them. Depression is not a moral failure—it’s a nervous system issue that can improve with evidence-based care and support. Opening up engages the cognitive brain and empowers people to seek help, practice self-awareness, and make choices rooted in hope.

Take Action Today:

• Add a leafy green to your next meal.

• Sleep 7+ hours tonight.

• Check in on a friend.

• Save the 988 Lifeline to your phone.

Because food isn’t just fuel—it’s the foundation of how you think, feel, and show up in the world.

 

Want to learn more about nutrition's impact on mental health? Attend a PLANTSTRONG Retreats and spend a week with our team of experts while immersing yourself in learning, daily movement, connection, and endless buffets of whole, plant foods.