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Health benefits of self-confidence and positive self-esteem. Learn about foods that can increase your confidence and boost your self-esteem.

Self-confidence and positive self-esteem is an optimistic belief in your personal worth. Optimism protects the mind against depression and reduces stress. In general, optimistic people are more satisfied and more successful than those who are pessimistic.

We all know how to stay healthy: Eat your veggies, exercise regularly, wear sunscreen and … be confident?

The last one may surprise you, but recent studies show people who exhibit self-confidence are generally healthier and tend to live longer. That's because confidence is a positive emotion (as are joy, gratitude and hope), and positive emotions have countless health benefits for your mind, body and spirit.

Self-confidence and positive self-esteem is an optimistic belief in your personal worth. Optimism protects the mind against depression and reduces stress. In general, optimistic people are more satisfied and more successful than those who are pessimistic.

The link between health and confidence also may be related to the ability of positive emotions to boost foods that can increase your confidence our brain's power to hold attention, be aware and remember things. We are better able to learn, build new skills and relate with others when we are feeling optimistic. Think about it - when you’re feeling physically and mentally well, chances are you feel better about yourself generally. What we eat and our relationship with food plays a big role in this.

Having positive self-esteem and feeling confident isn't always easy – all people experience low levels of self-confidence in some areas and at some stages of their lives. Self-confidence is the result of a number of factors, such as: experiences in childhood to societal expectations of success and beauty. They can lead to stress, depression, and general wear and tear on our health and longevity. Worry and fear are two very large contributors to stress, which is a leading cause of insomnia, muscle tension, gastrointestinal problems, headaches, poor eating habits, alcohol or tobacco use, prescription drug usage, and a variety of other physical ailments.

What is self-esteem and self-confidence?

Having positive self-esteem means, in essence, that you like and accept yourself. If you have low self-esteem you may think you aren't 'good enough', that people don't like you or that you need to change yourself. Feeling like this can affect the way you live your life and hinder you from reaching your full potential.

Confidence is having the belief in yourself that you can accomplish things and not worrying what others think of you. Being confident helps you to make the right choices for your health and wellbeing. People who believe in themselves tend to have less sickness and better mental health. When you don’t feel confident, you may shy away from certain situations or people, which again can hold you back.

Nature or nurture?

Are confident people born that way or have they learned things along the way that improve their confidence?

“Confidence is more a product of what we have learned and the influences around us rather than the individual characteristics we were born with. We can all increase our self-confidence in areas of our lives that we feel less confident about.“

What does confidence look like?

Your level of confidence is driven by your beliefs and can show in many ways: behaviour, body language, how you speak, the volume of your voice, the level of assertiveness you show and what you say. All of these convey to others your level of confidence.

Confident people seem to have something very appealing about them. Research shows that people with high levels of self-confidence know what they’re good at; they know the value they provide, and act in a way that shows this. Confidence is dynamic and changes across the day, across your various roles and your lifetime. The important thing to know is that you can influence your level of confidence in the areas of your life where it may be lacking.

Confident people tend to share a set of beliefs such as: “I have a right to do what I believe in, even if I am criticised for it” or “I am willing to take risks and do what I have to do for what I believe”.

People who lack self-confidence may have thoughts such as: “If I take that path I will be criticised, so I’ll do what others want me to do” or “It is easier to stay with what I know and stay safe from the negative judgments from others”.

If you are less confident, you may avoid taking risks and stretching yourself and you might not try. This can lead to resentment and lower levels of self-confidence. It’s important to embrace opportunities to practise being more confident, as avoidance can result in feelings of anxiety.

Increase Your Confidence to Improve Your Health

People who are confident are more inclined to take risks, and are often better equipped to handle challenges. Confident people are likely to try something new because they have the belief that they can use their current skills and abilities and apply them to new areas, making the most of new situations and experiences.

People with confidence are also likely to be people who plan for the future; who think ahead, make small steps necessary to reaching final goals, and who don’t overlook the details of large or long-term objectives. All these attributes together mean that confident people have cultivated methods of focusing their mental energy toward whatever their goal is.

In many cases, when a confident person chooses to make their physical health a priority, there is nothing to stop them from succeeding.

Confidence and health go hand in hand. They perpetuate one another, and one leads to the other. The problem can be where to start. It’s easy to say “If my health was better I’d feel better about myself,” but that is a backwards fallacy. The truth is, if you feel good about yourself and have confidence in your own abilities, you will find it easier to set realistic physical goals, and stick with them. In turn, recognizing your achievements along the way will increase your energy level, and your confidence at being able to meet your next goal.

Confidence and Mental Health

The truth is that confident people don’t get caught up in some of the mundane details that people with certain insecurities seem to focus on. This is true for a number of reasons, but mostly it is about directing mental energy into positive channels to receive the best outcomes. A foundational belief in yourself can make a world of difference to your perspective.

Although we all have insecurities of some form or another, people with confidence in their ability to handle challenges and maintain certain standards of performance can overcome obstacles and difficulty. When you know that you can do anything you set your mind to, and you continue to push through obstacles with determination, you will discover that your mental and physical well being will contribute to one another and overall you will be happier, healthier, and better off.

When you are confident in your abilities you tend to worry less about things you can’t control. If you know that you can handle anything that comes up, you will be less likely to be nervous or anxious – waiting (as they say) for the bottom to “drop out.”

When you’re less stressed you sleep better, can focus more on projects that require your full attention, can enjoy activities with friends and family more, and may even be more likely to take on new challenges that can result in increasing your confidence and reinforcing your motivation. Doesn’t everyone want to feel better about themselves while simultaneously helping their body to support them in doing what is good for them?

Confidence and Physical Fitness

Once your mental energies have been dedicated to a physical task and you can see yourself as confident at taking on a new physical challenge, you can use that focus to set yourself a tangible goal. Because confident people are always pushing themselves to achieve new things, challenging yourself to try something new becomes a matter of setting the goal, working toward it, and improving your health along the way.

For example, if someone decides they want to try rock climbing, they need to have the confidence in themselves to reach that goal. They need to know what it will take in order to become a rock climber, but they already know they can do it no matter what it takes. A confident person may choose to take lessons, ask a friend who is already a rock climber, or begin going to their local gym to try out the rock wall. They will find a way to make it happen.

Someone who is shy or uncertain of themselves may not have the perseverance to stick with it and may give up after a few attempts – or even no attempts at all! It takes confidence and dedication to make the activity and exercise changes necessary to try a new sport or hobby (like rock climbing), but along the way you can find you’ve honed your physical body into doing what you need of it.

Everyone knows that in order to lose weight and be in the best physical shape you need to exercise and eat healthy foods – people usually just don’t want to hear it or put in the work that it takes. However, eating a healthy diet is not overwhelming, and if you’re confident in your ability to overcome anything you will be able to make the small changes necessary and reap the benefits right away.

Body confidence is another aspect to keep in mind - having a poor body image can affect your confidence in other areas. This is an area where diet can play an important role; eating intuitively and developing a healthy relationship with food can really help improve body confidence.

Trying new foods and building confidence in the kitchen can also help to rekindle a love for food. The aim here is for you to see eating as a joyful thing, not something that triggers stress and anxiety. Understanding how different foods affect your body and mind will help hugely with this.

I take joy in food and note how the foods I eat make me feel. If I feel bloated, in pain or lethargic after a meal, I remember to avoid (or reduce my portions) next time. If a particular snack boosts my energy – I’ll keep it in mind for the future. This way of eating, with its distinct lack of restrictions, rules or calorie counting, is called intuitive eating.

When we are eating out of synchronisation with our bodies, some people find that feelings of guilt and shame follow and this self-judgement cycle can lead to food restriction, overeating or yo-yo dieting which have shown to have a negative impact on well-being and health outcomes.

Research has even show that there are foods that can increase your confidence!

Whether you want to worry less and sleep better, be more physically fit, eat a more balanced diet, or try something new and challenging, knowing that you can achieve your goals is the best way to get started improving your health. Investing in yourself is always an investment that pays off. Using your existing confidence to help boost your mental and physical activity will inevitably pay off by helping you be healthier, and therefore, happier.

Could your self-confidence use a boost? Practicing positivity can help. Start with these tips:

Smile. It's as simple as that. Smile at yourself in the mirror and keep your head up and smile at others in passing, and you will feel happier and more confident.

Come to terms with your negative thoughts. Accept them and move forward or find healthy ways to overcome them.

Surround yourself with a positive support system. Positive people spread positivity to others.

Remember, building self-confidence takes time and practice. Just like getting in shape or losing weight, keep working at it and the health rewards will come.

Here we'll look at this concept in more detail, exploring how a balanced diet rich in nutritious, mood-boosting foods can contribute to improved self-confidence and help with self-esteem.

How does food affect your confidence?

Researchers have found some fascinating links between what we eat and mental health. When it comes to confidence and self-esteem, considering your diet and making necessary changes can help reduce stress and anxiety, boost your mood and in turn help you feel more confident.

Improving your relationship with food and your relationship with your body can make a big difference too and this is where working with a nutritionist can be beneficial. Let’s start by looking at mood-boosting foods.

Mood-boosting foods

Ensuring your diet includes nutritious foods with vitamins, minerals and fats is the best way to help you boost your mood and feel more confident in yourself. In addition to this, there are certain types of foods known for their mood-boosting qualities, including:

Carbohydrates and protein – These are broken down into glucose which is essential to supply the brain and muscles with energy. Too little and irregular intake of carbohydrate foods can leave you feeling tired and lacking concentration. Eating plenty of unrefined carbohydrates, for example, whole grains, vegetables and fruit, can help sustain your energy levels for longer.

Carbohydrate-rich foods may also help the brain receive more serotonin. Serotonin is made using tryptophan, which can be found in protein. Therefore, it’s important to enjoy a variety of protein sources, such as low-fat cheeses, pulses etc., which also contains other essential nutrients.

Foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids - Studies suggest that omega-3 fatty acids can help to prevent low mood as they affect the neurotransmitter pathways in the brain.

Foods rich in vitamin D - This vitamin is thought to increase levels of serotonin in the brain, so aim to include foods in your diet that contain vitamin D such as yoghurt, fortified cereals etc.

Foods rich in vitamin B - Another key vitamin for energy production, low levels of vitamin B have been noted in those with depression. Foods like spinach, broccoli, dairy etc. are great sources of B vitamins.

Foods rich in selenium - Studies have shown a link between low selenium levels and poor mood, so try to include foods like whole grains, brazil nuts, oats, beans/legumes, nuts and seeds.

Foods to limit

As well as including all the right mood-boosting foods, you may find reducing your intake of certain foods can help with self-esteem too. Take a look below for some foods to limit:

Sugar - If you're not feeling good about yourself you may instinctively reach for a sugary snack to perk yourself up. This may work in the short-term, however, the spikes and falls in blood sugar levels will disrupt your mood and leave you feeling drawn out and lethargic in the long run. Try to replace sugary snacks for a piece of fruit, nuts or seeds instead.

Caffeine - Drinks like coffee and caffeinated soft drinks can cause mild dehydration if too much is consumed and may lead to withdrawal headaches. Similarly to sugar, if too much caffeine is consumed it can disrupt your energy levels and cause mood swings, which over time can affect your confidence. Try to reduce the amount of caffeine you consume and up your intake of caffeine-free herbal teas and water.

Alcohol - Drinking alcohol may give your confidence a brief lift but, as too much alcohol can be both a stimulant and depressant, you are likely to feel irritable and anxious the following day. Avoid drinking over the recommended guidelines and have at least two alcohol-free days a week - your body and mind will thank you for it.

Improving your relationship with food and your body

When you have a poor relationship with food and your body, it can have a big impact on daily life. When it consumes your thoughts it can make you feel low and, at its worst, even contribute to depression and eating disorders.

Building a healthy and nurturing relationship with yourself is key. This can take time, work and a whole lot of compassion, but the results are worth it. Learning more about body neutrality may be a helpful first step for you. Many people find it both helpful and necessary to work with professionals.

You may want to look into counselling to see if a therapist can help you understand why your relationship with food and your body is the way it is and how to take those first steps to self-acceptance. To complement this work, a nutritionist can help you honour your hunger, eat more intuitively and reach any health goals you set.

How can a nutritionist help with self-esteem and confidence?

When you look at improving self-confidence and making lasting changes, it’s important to take a holistic approach. This means looking at your lifestyle as a whole to consider what may be affecting your confidence. As we have discussed, a key factor here is diet and your relationship with food. A nutritionist will work with you to analyse your typical day-to-day diet and determine what changes you could make to help with self-esteem and confidence.

This tailored eating plan is an ideal complement to other changes to your lifestyle, supporting you as you build up your confidence.

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Ishan Jain

Author & Editor

An opportunity to work is good luck for me. I put my soul into it. Each such opportunity opens the gates for the next one.

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