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Kassi Brummett
Frederic White
CP English 12
11/1/16
Physical and Mental Wellness Senior Project
To know just how tightly related physical and mental wellness are, one needs to know
what kind of diet improves mental and emotional health, if gluten affects mental health, how
exercise eases the symptoms of depression, how to stay motivated to working out, how exercise
eases the symptoms of depression, and what the difference is between toning and losing weight.
In order to build muscle you need the right nutrition. Not just for the body, but the mind
as well. What you eat regulates how you feel. Traditional diets or diets with high amounts of
fruits, vegetables, unprocessed grains, and only modest amounts of meat and dairy showed that
participants were 25% - 35% less likely to develop depression than participants on the western
diet which had refined sugars and foods, and less natural food (Shelhub). A number of other
studies have shown this connection and have suggested that diets that contain fruits, vegetables,
legumes, whole grains, and lean meats allow for the dieter to be happier and prone to better
moods (By Name). Healthy eating in fact contributes to the management and even prevention of
depression, attention deficit disorder, and schizophrenia (Diet).
Gluten has been questioned many times if its consumption causes mental health
problems. A study was done where participants went on a diet that had no refined grains or
sugars, just natural foods and afterwards participants were 25% - 35% less likely to develop
depression than participants that ate refined sugars and foods (Shelhub). However going off of

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gluten can cause depression only due to not getting enough of the other vitamins and nutrients
that are packed in your gluten-laden breads (Gentile).
Exercise eases the symptoms of depression. It allows the body to produce more
endorphins and other feel good hormones, and moves them throughout the body (Miller).
However, the intensity of the workout matters. When the body is participating in low intense
exercises, it does produce hormones, but doing a high intensity workout will produce endorphins
much faster (Radosevich). A study was done where a group of people joined an exercise group
and after sixteen weeks 60%-70% of the participants were no longer diagnosed with major
depression (Miller).
Staying motivated to workout is a struggle for many people. There will always be excuses
to deter one from working out. Anything from I dont have time to I just dont want to today.
These excuses and lethargic feelings could be the result of many different things that have easy
fixes . A lot of people lose sight of what they are trying to accomplish, so its good to set goals
that are reasonable, and also the achievement of these progress markers should be rewarded
(Edwards). Make time for your workout sessions (Johnson). This will discourage the excuse that
you dont have time. Get a workout partner. They will be there to give inspiration, support and a
little bit of competition (Edwards). Then theres the excuse: I dont feel like it. This is the
excuse thats given when you dont have a lot of energy. However working out, even for a mere
30 minutes will give you two more hours of energy (Johnson). Therefore its counterintuitive to
say: I dont have the energy, when after working out you have even more energy going in. Not
having the energy to workout makes a lot of people quit their regimen and in turn they become
emotionally unwell because they arent getting endorphins and they dont look the way they
want to look. These are just a few tricks that will hopefully get you in the mood to go for a run.

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Not many people understand the difference between losing fat and toning. Its a simple
understanding aerobic and anaerobic exercises. Aerobic are low intensity workouts that are done
for longer periods of time (Publications): walking at a comfortable rate where you dont breathe
heavy, or yoga, for example. Anaerobic exercises are high intensity workouts that are done for
shorter periods of time (Publications), like sprinting, or better yet, boxing, something that doesnt
let you breath quite as easily. Aerobic exercises allow for more fat loss while anaerobic
exercises allow for more muscle toning.

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Work Cited Page:

Shelhub MD, Eva. Editor in Chief, Harvard Health Publications, Harvard Health

Publications Editor,Executive Editor Harvard Health Letter, Executive Editor, Harvard

Women's Health Watch, Executive Editor, Harvard Men's Health Watch, and Executive

Editor Harvard Heart Letter. "Nutritional Psychiatry: Your Brain on

Food - Harvard Health Blog." Harvard Health Blog RSS. N.p., 17 Nov. 2015.

Web. 30 Sept. 2016.

http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/nutritional-psychiatry-your-brain-on-food-201

511168626

Gentile, Christine. "Gluten May Cause Depression in People with Non-

Celiac Gluten Sensitivity - Celiac Disease Foundation." Celiac Disease

Foundation. N.p., 17 July 2014. Web. 30 Sept. 2016.

http://www.beyondceliac.org/161/vobid--8458/

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Wax, Emily. "Nutrition and Athletic Performance: MedlinePlus Medical

Encyclopedia." Nutrition and Athletic Performance: MedlinePlus Medical

Encyclopedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Sept. 2016.

https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/002458.htm
Radosevich,, Paul M. "Effects of Low- and High-intensity Exercise on

Plasma and Cerebrospinal Fluid Levels of Ir--endorphin, ACTH, Cortisol,

Norepinephrine and Glucose in the Conscious Dog." PubMed.gov. N.p., 25 Sept.

1989. Web. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2551459

Edwards, Kendra. "EXSS 3880 Personal Fitness Training Blog." EXSS

3880 Personal Fitness Training Blog. N.p., 22 Mar. 2013. Web. 06 Oct. 2016.

http://blogs.uww.edu/warhawkfitness/2013/04/16/staying-motivated/
Johnson, Victoria. "Stay Motivated." Necc.mas.edu. N.p., n.d. Web.

https://www.necc.mass.edu/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/ath-staymotivated.pdf
By Name By Age By Symptom Prevention & Wellness Staying Healthy

Food & Nutrition Exercise & FitnessEmotional Well-beingSex & Birth Control

Men's Health Pregnancy & Newborns Your Body Fetal Health Labor & Childbirth

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Caring for Newborns Kids Parenting Behavior & Emotions F. "Nutrition and

Mental Health." Nutrition and Mental Health. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 Oct. 2016.
"Diet and Mental Health." Home. N.p., 25 Nov. 2015. Web. 06 Oct. 2016

https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/a-to-z/d/diet-and-mental-health
Miller, Micheal. Publications, Harvard Health. "Exercise and Depression -

Harvard Health." Harvard Health. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Oct. 2016.

http://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/exercise-and-depression-report-

excerpt
Radosevich, PM. "Result Filters." National Center for Biotechnology

Information. U.S. National Library of Medicine, n.d. Web. 07 Oct. 2016.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2551459
Publications, Harvard Health. "Glossary of Exercise Terms - Harvard

Health." Harvard Health. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Oct. 2016.

http://www.health.harvard.edu/newsletter_article/Glossary-of-exercise-terms

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