How can I be more healthy?

This sounds random but, I want advice on how to improve my health.
I’m 16 and really struggling with my mental health (depression and anxiety). And, I’m hoping that being healthier could help reduce these feelings, specifically my health anxiety. The healthier I am, the more reassurance I can give myself that I’m less likely to get certain illnesses.
Things I think I’m good at:
- I eat breakfast, lunch and dinner. They usually have a mixture of all food groups.
- I try to make the effort to eat fruits and vegetables 5 times a day.
- I drink at least two bottles of water a day.
- walking to school keeps me active everyday.
- I do not smoke and drink, and for the most part don’t plan to unless it’s like one drink with friend on special occasions. However, I’ve done this in the past and it made me feel every uncomfortable, so I doubt I will in the future.
Things I think I could improve on:
- I’d like to be more active. I love running, walking and playing sports with my friends. But, my doesn’t really have many extracurriculars and I don’t know any local clubs. Should I make the effort to walk everyday?
- I have a habit of eating unhealthy snacks (crisps, sweets and chocolate) after school and on weekends. Lately I’ve been doing this less and trying to eat better snacks (fruit, cheese, breadsticks etc-) but, I still feel I can improve.
- I drink a lot of caffeine (tea and coffee) which makes me feel good but also does make my anxiety worse.
I’d love to hear more suggestions though!

Leave the coffee completely. Do not be afraid of some unhealthy snacks here and there if you regularly exercise. You do not need to walk more than 3-4 times a week, but make it a good walk, to get tired and sweaty. Drive a bicycle in a summer! A lot!

Leave the coffee completely. Do not be afraid of some unhealthy snacks here and there if you regularly exercise. You do not need to walk more than 3-4 times a week, but make it a good walk, to get tired and sweaty. Drive a bicycle in a summer! A lot!

This sounds random but, I want advice on how to improve my health.
I’m 16 and really struggling with my mental health (depression and anxiety). And, I’m hoping that being healthier could help reduce these feelings, specifically my health anxiety. The healthier I am, the more reassurance I can give myself that I’m less likely to get certain illnesses.
Things I think I’m good at:
- I eat breakfast, lunch and dinner. They usually have a mixture of all food groups.
- I try to make the effort to eat fruits and vegetables 5 times a day.
- I drink at least two bottles of water a day.
- walking to school keeps me active everyday.
- I do not smoke and drink, and for the most part don’t plan to unless it’s like one drink with friend on special occasions. However, I’ve done this in the past and it made me feel every uncomfortable, so I doubt I will in the future.
Things I think I could improve on:
- I’d like to be more active. I love running, walking and playing sports with my friends. But, my doesn’t really have many extracurriculars and I don’t know any local clubs. Should I make the effort to walk everyday?
- I have a habit of eating unhealthy snacks (crisps, sweets and chocolate) after school and on weekends. Lately I’ve been doing this less and trying to eat better snacks (fruit, cheese, breadsticks etc-) but, I still feel I can improve.
- I drink a lot of caffeine (tea and coffee) which makes me feel good but also does make my anxiety worse.
I’d love to hear more suggestions though!

None of the following should constitute medical or health advice. You should really speak to a medical and health professional about it.
really struggling with my mental health (depression and anxiety)
See a counsellor or therapist. It's the first thing that you should do.
I’m hoping that being healthier could help reduce these feelings, specifically my health anxiety.
Improving your health can help. It's mostly said to be through exercise though, but what you eat can help.
- I eat breakfast, lunch and dinner. They usually have a mixture of all food groups.
Sounds good. I would probably hold back on certain carbs, but that's me. Dairy can be skipped.
- I try to make the effort to eat fruits and vegetables 5 times a day.
Sounds good. More veg than fruit generally. Certain veg can help more than others.
See the following for example:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/articles/good_mood_food
https://zoe.com/learn/good-mood-food
https://aeryliving.com/blogs/wellbeing-journal/from-junk-food-to-good-mood-7-foods-that-boost-your-mental-health
There are others, but you have to google for them and you would need to check to see if they come from a reputable source e.g. advice from nutritionists or doctors.
- I drink at least two bottles of water a day.
It doesn't need to be from bottles.
- walking to school keeps me active everyday.
I would say it helps because you're outside more e.g. light exposure, exposure to nature. Walking isn't particularly "active", but it generally helps circulation.
- I do not smoke and drink, and for the most part don’t plan to unless it’s like one drink with friend on special occasions.
And neither should you. Drinking and smoking can shorten your life and severely affect your mood. The drink on the special occasion is fine.
- I’d like to be more active. I love running, walking and playing sports with my friends. But, my doesn’t really have many extracurriculars and I don’t know any local clubs. Should I make the effort to walk everyday?
I would recommend resistance training. Although you're probably too young to lift weights, so I would recommend resistance bands and bodyweight exercises. Sports is also fun.
I very much doubt that you can't find a local sports club or sports centre suited for 16 year olds. Try looking them up on google. Unless you are based in the middle of a desert, you are bound to find a local sports club.
- I have a habit of eating unhealthy snacks (crisps, sweets and chocolate) after school and on weekends. Lately I’ve been doing this less and trying to eat better snacks (fruit, cheese, breadsticks etc-) but, I still feel I can improve.
Yeah, lay off the sugar and junk food. They would really affect your mood.
Eating better is nice, but even then you're picking cheese and breadsticks. I would even prefer to have fruit after a meal as opposed to snacking between meals, but that's just me - fruit despite being high in fibre still consist of a lot of sugar (fructose). Probably the worst thing you can do to fruit is to blend it; then you won't have any of the fibre and have all the sugar as it is.
- I drink a lot of caffeine (tea and coffee) which makes me feel good but also does make my anxiety worse.
Yep, probably found the major factor to your anxiety (although it's too soon for me to say it's the only thing). Caffeine stimulates your heart to beat faster, which bumps up your anxiety. If you limit your caffeine intake, you should see the symptoms go down.
Caffeine should also be consumed on occasion. Too much of it can age you as well as give you a number of health issues. It's OK in appropriate amounts for workouts and study, but I would refrain from using it for other purposes.
Caffeine and alcohol as a combination is terrible, albeit a delicious combination. Espresso martinis is a very unhealthy drink for example, as well as anything involving coke, lemonade, etc..
The standard advice for caffeine is not to drink something with caffeine after 2pm to get a proper night sleep and not to drink more than 2 cups of coffee/tea a day (and if you're 16, you should be limiting yourself to 1 cup max).
Other things you can do:

Who are you following for health advice by the way?

None of the following should constitute medical or health advice. You should really speak to a medical and health professional about it.
really struggling with my mental health (depression and anxiety)
See a counsellor or therapist. It's the first thing that you should do.
I’m hoping that being healthier could help reduce these feelings, specifically my health anxiety.
Improving your health can help. It's mostly said to be through exercise though, but what you eat can help.
- I eat breakfast, lunch and dinner. They usually have a mixture of all food groups.
Sounds good. I would probably hold back on certain carbs, but that's me. Dairy can be skipped.
- I try to make the effort to eat fruits and vegetables 5 times a day.
Sounds good. More veg than fruit generally. Certain veg can help more than others.
See the following for example:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/articles/good_mood_food
https://zoe.com/learn/good-mood-food
https://aeryliving.com/blogs/wellbeing-journal/from-junk-food-to-good-mood-7-foods-that-boost-your-mental-health
There are others, but you have to google for them and you would need to check to see if they come from a reputable source e.g. advice from nutritionists or doctors.
- I drink at least two bottles of water a day.
It doesn't need to be from bottles.
- walking to school keeps me active everyday.
I would say it helps because you're outside more e.g. light exposure, exposure to nature. Walking isn't particularly "active", but it generally helps circulation.
- I do not smoke and drink, and for the most part don’t plan to unless it’s like one drink with friend on special occasions.
And neither should you. Drinking and smoking can shorten your life and severely affect your mood. The drink on the special occasion is fine.
- I’d like to be more active. I love running, walking and playing sports with my friends. But, my doesn’t really have many extracurriculars and I don’t know any local clubs. Should I make the effort to walk everyday?
I would recommend resistance training. Although you're probably too young to lift weights, so I would recommend resistance bands and bodyweight exercises. Sports is also fun.
I very much doubt that you can't find a local sports club or sports centre suited for 16 year olds. Try looking them up on google. Unless you are based in the middle of a desert, you are bound to find a local sports club.
- I have a habit of eating unhealthy snacks (crisps, sweets and chocolate) after school and on weekends. Lately I’ve been doing this less and trying to eat better snacks (fruit, cheese, breadsticks etc-) but, I still feel I can improve.
Yeah, lay off the sugar and junk food. They would really affect your mood.
Eating better is nice, but even then you're picking cheese and breadsticks. I would even prefer to have fruit after a meal as opposed to snacking between meals, but that's just me - fruit despite being high in fibre still consist of a lot of sugar (fructose). Probably the worst thing you can do to fruit is to blend it; then you won't have any of the fibre and have all the sugar as it is.
- I drink a lot of caffeine (tea and coffee) which makes me feel good but also does make my anxiety worse.
Yep, probably found the major factor to your anxiety (although it's too soon for me to say it's the only thing). Caffeine stimulates your heart to beat faster, which bumps up your anxiety. If you limit your caffeine intake, you should see the symptoms go down.
Caffeine should also be consumed on occasion. Too much of it can age you as well as give you a number of health issues. It's OK in appropriate amounts for workouts and study, but I would refrain from using it for other purposes.
Caffeine and alcohol as a combination is terrible, albeit a delicious combination. Espresso martinis is a very unhealthy drink for example, as well as anything involving coke, lemonade, etc..
The standard advice for caffeine is not to drink something with caffeine after 2pm to get a proper night sleep and not to drink more than 2 cups of coffee/tea a day (and if you're 16, you should be limiting yourself to 1 cup max).
Other things you can do:

Who are you following for health advice by the way?

Also, just to add because I thought of it, I really like dark chocolate, so maybe I should try to replace some if not all the chocolate I eat with that?

Thanks for the advice! I've already been seeing my schools counsellor, so that not a problem.
I'll defiantly try to look for more sport/running clubs, and cut down on caffeine. But, I wouldn't say caffeine is the main factor of my anxiety, its 100% much more than that as I have seen when speaking with my counsellor.
The issue is that when I get home from school I'm often hungry, and I won't be eating dinner for a few hours. So, I don't want to study on an empty stomach, but I'm not sure what would be the best thing to have that would keep me full but also not spoil my dinner.
Also, concerning people I'm following for health advice, I'm honestly not sure where to start. Would you have any recommendations?