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A Healthy Diet and Lifestyle for Mental Balance and Resilience

Avidor Ginsberg, Public Complaints, Information and Regulation ;  Fania Zudikov, Director of the Department of Nutritional Assurance for Special Populations, Nutrition Division, Ministry of Health
16 June 2025

Coping with stress, anxiety and depression may be complicated. Diet and maintaining a healthy lifestyle are effective and simple to perform and can help improve mental and physical health. A healthy diet is strongly linked with a healthy mind. The recommended diet is based on natural, unprocessed or minimally processed food, such as vegetables, fruit, whole grain, legumes, nuts and seeds, dairy products, low fat chicken and fish.

Studies show that people who eat these foods and limit their consumption of foods that are ultra-processed, full of sugar, salt and saturated fat, are both physically and mentally healthier. The reason being is that these foods contain a wealth of nutritional components that contribute to our health: vitamins, minerals, proteins, essential fatty and amino acids, antioxidants as well as other dietary components that positively impact brain function and daily function.

Limiting caffeine intake

Consuming large quantities of coffee, tea, cola, chocolate and any beverage or food that contains caffeine may cause in some people anxiety, headaches and stomachaches, insomnia and inability to fall asleep, irritability, loss of appetite, diarrhea, dizziness, irritability, tremors in the hand, etc. The more caffeine that is consumed - the more severe these events- and accordingly - the greater the damages that may be caused to various systems in the body.

Avoiding alcohol consumption

Consumption of alcohol may cause significant physical and mental damage, even when consumed in small quantities. Although there is no recommendation regarding minimum alcohol consumption, the recommendation is to avoid as much as possible its consumption. Alcohol may cause the onset of depression, anxiety, sleep problems, damage relationships, at work as well as general quality of life, and, of course - alcohol consumption may cause addiction. Populations that are particularly sensitive to alcohol consumption are women, children and youth.

Stress and distractions are an inseparable part of daily life of each and every one of us. Nurturing mental balance is key to general well-being and there is a strong and mutual connection between body and mind. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle and balanced diet can significantly contribute to optimal mental stability while enhancing mental resilience.

Although coping with stress, anxiety and depression may be challenging, there are effective and simple methods that can help improve mental and physical well-being. This article presents various practical recommendations for maintaining a healthy lifestyle to reinforce body and mind. Various daily activity that is regularly performed can help maintain optimal mental health while maintaining normal level of energy and general sense of well-being.

  • Balanced diet
  • food preparation at home
  • avoiding alcohol
  • limiting caffeine

Balanced and healthy diet – key to a healthy mind

A healthy diet is strongly linked with a healthy mind. The recommended diet is based on natural, unprocessed or minimally processed food, such as vegetables, fruit, whole grain, legumes, nuts and seeds, dairy products, low fat chicken and fish. Studies show that people who eat these foods and limit their consumption of foods that are ultra-processed, full of sugar, salt and saturated fat, are both physically and mentally healthier. The reason being is that these foods contain a wealth of nutritional components that contribute to our health: vitamins, minerals, proteins, essential fatty and amino acids, antioxidants as well as other dietary components. All of which positively affect brain function and daily function.

Recommendation: prepare food at home

One of the key characteristics of a healthy diet is preparing food at home from fresh, healthy ingredients with family and friends. This is one of the key features of a Mediterranean diet. The rainbow of food encourages home cooking, joint preparation of food and family meals, which help reinforce the sense of belonging, maintain tradition, independence and confidence. In addition, eating together around a table has been found to help lower violence among children and adolescents as well as a healthier composition of the meal.

Avoiding alcohol consumption

Consumption of alcohol may cause significant physical and mental damage, even when consumed in small quantities. In the immediate term, it affects judgment, coordination and reaction time, which may cause accidents and risky behavior. In the longer term, increased alcohol consumption may seriously damage the liver, the digestive tract, the brain as well as the cardiovascular system. It also increases the risk of various diseases, including cancer. Alcohol consumption during pregnancy, even on rare occasions and in small amounts, may damage the fetus and cause fetal alcohol syndrome. Pregnant women are therefore prohibited from consuming alcohol at all - even sips from the wine for kiddush.

Mentally, alcohol may cause the onset of depression, anxiety, sleep problems, damage relationships, at work as well as general quality of life, and, of course - alcohol consumption may cause addiction. Populations that are particularly sensitive to alcohol consumption are women, children and youth.

Limiting consumption of caffeinated foods and beverages

Caffeine is the overall name of a family of substances found in coffee, tea, soft drinks, particularly cola, in beverages known as energy drinks, in cocoa and in chocolate, in various food additives that contain cola, tea or guarana (tropical plant), as well as in mate, a common beverage among South American citizens.

Negative side effects of caffeine

Consumption of large quantities of caffeine may cause harm and trigger anxiety, headaches and abdominal pain, rapid heart rate, insomnia and inability to fall asleep, irritability, loss of appetite, diarrhea, dizziness, irritation, tremors in the hand, etc. The more caffeine that is consumed - the more severe these events- and accordingly - the greater the damages that may be caused to various systems in the body.

Important to note: In calculating the total caffeine intake, one must take into account consumption of caffeine in all sources: beverages, food, medications and food supplements. In any case, even if you do not surpass the recommended allowance, it is very important to remain aware of the side effects of caffeine and their personal impact on the body.

Maximum daily allowance of caffeine

In calculating the total caffeine intake, one must take into account consumption of caffeine in all sources: beverages, food, medications and food supplements. In any case, even if you do not surpass the recommended allowance, it is very important to remain aware of the side effects of caffeine and their personal impact on the body.

  • Adults

    The recommendation is to not consume more than 200-400 mg.

  • Pregnant women

    The recommendation is to not consume more than 150 mg.

  • Breastfeeding women

    The recommendation is to minimize and avoid consumption to the extent possible, as caffeine passes through breast milk and can affect the infant.

  • Children and adolescents

    (based on average body weight):

    • Ages 4-6 up to 45mg.
    • Ages 7-9 up to 62mg.
    • Ages 10-12 - up to 85 mg.

To make the calculation easier, a table is attached with a breakdown of average caffeine values in various foods and beverages. The quantity is for 100 ml or 100 gr.

A cup of beverage generally contains between 200-240 ml, a big cup (mug) can contain 300-350 ml and the standard cup size for serving espresso can range between 50-150 ml.

Name of the beverage mg in 100 ml
black coffee, boiled, filter 57
Nescafe 34
Espesso 120
Perculator coffee 53
Decaffeinated coffee 2
Black or green tea 23
Tea beverage prepared from a powder 13
Cold tea in a bottle 11
Cold tea in a bottle 2
Regular or diet cola 10
Regular or diet cola 0
Energy drinks 29
Cocoa drinks, such as chocolate milk 2
Carbonated beverages containing guarana 31
Mate beverage 24

Name of food mg in 100 gr
Milk chocolate 21
Dark, bittersweet chocolate for baking 79
Chocolate cake 27
Chocolate desserts 8
Chocolate syrup 14

Additional recommendations for maintaining emotional balance and resilience

Staying in nature and walking in the open air helps reduce stress and anxiety. Taking a brief walk in a public garden, in nature or on the beach can significantly improve one’s mood.Evenregular social activity in the neighborhood garden can help one feel better and reinforce the bond with people who live around us.

Practicing meditation and mindfulness can lower stress levels and improve the ability to cope with negative thoughts. One should spend several minutes per day practicing this and create time in which one can focus on the present and free oneself from disturbing thoughts.

 For expanded reading about mindfulness and meditation and their contribution to mental health

Quality recreation time with friends and family is essential for our mental health and well-being. Meaningful recreation with loved ones helps us build and strengthen emotional relationships that support us in good and bad times. Meetings, such as family meals, with family or close friends is one of the ways to reinforce and establish these ties. Social and family gatherings provide opportunities for sharing experiences, laughing together, consulting and receiving emotional support. They also help reduce the feeling of isolation and stress, and research shows that people with strong social relationships tend to be happier and healthier.

In addition, quality family time helps create joint memories and family traditions, which enrich our lives and grant a sense of belonging and stability. For children, quality time with the family is critical to healthy emotional development and to building self-confidence.

Regular physical activity is key to maintaining optimal health and high quality of life. It strengthens the cardiovascular system, improves bone density and helps maintain normal weight.

Beyond the physical effects, physical activity significantly helps mental health. It increases the level of endorphins in the body - the natural ‘happiness hormone’ reduces stress and anxiety while improving quality of sleep.

Regular exercise also increases the daily energy level, improves concentration and memory, and strengthens the immune system. It also helps prevent many chronic diseases such as diabetes, hypertension and heart diseases, while improving stability and flexibility.

For expanded reading on physical activity and its contribution to mental health

Quality sleep is a critical component of our physical and mental health. During sleep, the body performs essential renewal and recovery processes, including strengthening the immune system, repairing tissue and muscle and regulating important hormones. The brain processes and organizes information that is accumulated during the day, which is vital for memory, learning and ability to focus. A good sleep helps regulate mood while reducing stress and anxiety.

A lack of sleep or poor quality sleep may lead to multiple health problems, including increased risk of heart disease, diabetes, obesity and cognitive disorders. It also negatively impacts our decision-making ability, level of alertness and daily function. A strong correlation was also established between sleep disorders and chronic illness, such as obesity and overweight, as well as derived metabolic diseases - such as diabetes.

Sleep plays a key role in maintaining mental health. Maintaining a regular sleep routine may improve mood and enhance our ability to cope with stress and anxiety. Avoiding screen time (television, computer, cell phones) for at least one hour before bed can help one’s ability to fall asleep as well as improve quality of sleep.

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