How to eat well and exercise with hindered mental health...

Although the symptoms of hindered mental health may stem from the mind, the toxic thoughts that they trigger can manipulate more than just our sanity.

 In order to ensure that your mental health doesn't hinder your physical health, we're sharing our top tips for how to combat three of the most common mental health conditions that are renowned for reinforcing unhealthy eating and exercise habits...

 1. Depression.
Although the psychological symptoms that stem from clinical depression can suppress appetite, a chronically low mood and lack of motivation can also leave sufferers struggling to sustain healthier eating (and exercise) habits as a result of developing an emotional attachment to energy dense foods during episodes of depression - this is commonly seen in sufferers who use calories as a form of comfort and companionship during times of social isolation and/or emotional insecurity.

 Create change by: finding a focus.
Depression may be a debilitating condition that diminishes the desire to participate in pleasurable and positive pastimes, but these are exactly what we need when times get tough. By finding a focus i.e.exercise and/or creating healthier food from scratch, we'll not only reduce our risk of hitting rock bottom (a common consequence of having too much time to overthink and focus on our 'failures'), but create a healthy distraction (that aids our weight and well-being) during difficult days.

 2. Binge eating disorder.
Despite sharing the same concerning characteristics as emotional eating (sufferers experience exaggerated emotions of guilt, shame and shattered self-esteem after a binge eating episode), binge eating disorder is a demoralising mental health condition that's commonly associated with anxiety, depression and low self-esteem. Due to the restrictive dieting that frequently follows a frantic binge (sufferers often experience a loss of control and frantically over consume a colossal amount of calories irrespective of the presence of physical hunger), food is not only seen as a form of psychological distraction during times of emotional distress, but as an edible enemy that's feared and forbidden when weight increases.

 Create change by: finding an alternative.
Aside from digging deep to determine the root reason/s behind our bingeing behaviour (an action that's paramount for positive change to commence), creating healthier versions of our favoured (binge) foods and/or finding the psychological strength to temporarily remove ourselves from the environment that encourages a binge eating episode, can leave us less likely to trigger the toxic cycle (bingeing/dieting) that stems from feeling guilty after demolishing a feast of unhealthy food.

 3. Agoraphobia.
Renowned for forcing sufferers to lead a restricted and reclusive lifestyle, agoraphobia can not only minimise movement by ousting the opportunity to exercise - sufferers can struggle to find a suitable and sustainable form of fitness and/or avoid participating in physical activity due to environmental distractions - but increase the incidence of unhealthy eating habits as a result of having to rely on external support - agoraphobics may lack the skills to independently prepare healthier snacks and meals without the aid of additional assistance (which may be inconsistent) and/or struggle to source sensible food sources due to being house bound.

 Create change by: using time to our advantage.
Although agoraphobia can drive us to the point of psychological destruction - particularly when we're house bound for a prolonged period/s - using our unlimited free time to learn how to cook, shopping for healthier foods online and investing in basic exercise equipment can all ensure that we continue to aid our weight and well-being when the thought of stepping outside of our safe surroundings is too much to take.

 Final thought: just because we have a 'mental health' condition/s doesn't mean that we are any less capable of leading a happy and healthy lifestyle. If anything, we're far stronger (and mentally focused) than those who don't fight an invisible illness - remember that when times get tough.

 www.twitter.com/celerylips

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