“Nutrition is not low fat. It’s not low calories. It’s nourishing your body with real, wholesome food so that you are consistently satisfied and energized to live life to the fullest.” ~ Anonymous
Nutritionists, naturopaths, and holistic healers have been helping people heal illness for a very long time through food and supplementation. However, its only in the last decade or so that the role of diet in mental health has become more recognized. Nutritional psychiatry is an emerging field, which focuses on looking at how diet can improve mental health.
This field has divergent beliefs on what food plan is beneficial for mental health but generally this research supports the idea that the traditional Western Diet, with processed foods and sugars, has a negative impact on mental health, as well as physical health. An article by Jill Donela, “How Diet Impacts Mental Health: Insights from Nutritional Psychiatry,” says that certain food categories can make mental health worse, specifically processed foods (high sugars and fats), sugary drinks, and trans fat and hydrogenated oils (risk for depression) (2024).
According to the Centre for Mental Health and Addictions Research, scientists are looking at three ways food and mood are connected: “The first is delving into specific dietary patterns of eating that can impact mental health. The second is researching specific nutrients on a biochemical level and how specific foods can alter brain chemistry. And the third area of research is the link between gut and brain health (CAMH, 2018).
There is research connecting specific food plans and mental health. According to an article, “Nutritional Psychiatry: Your Brain on Food,” “Studies have compared “traditional” diets, like the Mediterranean Diet and the traditional Japanese Diet, to a typical Western Diet and have shown that the risk of depression is 25% to 35% lower in those who eat a traditional diet” (Selhub, 2022). This is attributed to more fruits and vegetable, more fish, less meat, and the presence of more probiotic foods (Selhub, 2022).
Currently, I am taking part in a food study from University of California’s Calm Program on the effects of the Mediterranean Diet on bipolar disorder. This study tracks sleep and mood markers. I have noticed positive changes in both areas. My body feels better when I eat very little processed sugar or carbohydrates. I eat fish, fruit and vegetables, occasional chicken, nuts and seeds, and unprocessed carbohydrates such as oats, quinoa, and brown and wild rice.
However, there is a whole other movement in mental health, spearheaded by Dr. Chris Palmer (Harvard Psychiatrist and author), who supports a dietary interventional called the Medical Ketogenic Diet. Studies are coming out that say a high fat, moderate protein, and very low carbohydrates (under 20 net carbs) can shift the body to burning fats, mimicking a fasting state, which greatly improves gut health, as well as health of mitochondria and their functioning in the body. People on this diet report huge positive changes to their mental health over time, allowing them to decrease their psychiatric medications. The diet has supporters and skeptics. Skeptics worry about the long-term health effects of such a restrictive diet and as well as the fact that not everyone gets better with this intervention.
One thing I know is that you need close medical supervision, and the assistance of a trained keto coach. You monitor ketones with a continuous ketone monitor or ketosis tracking device, like the Keto Mojo. Because this diet changes the way you metabolize psychiatric medication, you need close medical monitoring. Often you feel worse before you feel better as you experience what is called the keto flu.
I tried it on my own and was hit with the unpleasant symptoms of the keto flu, specifically insomnia, constipation, and extreme fatigue. I do know that you typically feel worse before you feel better, but the side effects made me feel awful. If I try this again, I will need more support. Part of the issue for me is I have resistance to a diet high in animal fats, red meat, and dairy. It doesn’t fit with how I like to eat. But there are some amazing success stories with this diet.
If you are interested in learning more about the Medical Ketogenic Diet, this link is a good place to start: THINK + SMART
Also, Canadian Lauren Kennedy West’s YouTube journey of mental health remission with metabolic therapies is one of the best resources for seeing how this treatment works step by step. You can find her at Lauren Kennedy West – YouTube
It is also important to note that metabolic therapies also include sleep regulation, exercise, supplementation, and counselling. It is meant to be a holistic approach with the diet being the main focal point.
Looking at the relationship between supplementation and mental health is also important. Often our food doesn’t have the nutrients we need, the body is not properly absorbing vitamins or minerals, or we have a deficiency in nutrients impacting our mental health.
In the article, “Diet, Nutrition, and Mental Health,” “…a poorly functioning nervous system could lead to or worsen mental health conditions such as anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, among others….omega-3 fatty acids can reduce inflammation in the nervous system and are used therapeutically to help manage many neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. Omega-3s are found in fatty fish, like salmon and sardines, as well as plant sources like walnuts, chia, and flax” (McLean Hospital, 2024).
There have been several movements to explore the role of nutrient deficiencies and mental illness. You can read about the Truehope Foundation (found in Alberta) and the journey of Autumn Stringham on their website. One important thing know is that their supplements are meant to not be taken with medication at all. It is a risk to try this approach if you are on medications that are helping your mental health because going off them may contribute to an episode. This is why I haven’t tried it. However, people have gotten better and there is some research behind this done by a researcher in Calgary, Bonnie Kaplan. You can find more information at http://www.truehope.com
There is also a movement called Orthomolecular Psychiatry. One of the main practitioners, was psychiatrist Dr Abraham Hoffer (now deseased), who had a practice here in Victoria, BC. He used large doses of vitamins to treat patients with mental illness. Here is a bit of his work regarding psychosis:
“Dr Hoffer found a link between adrenalin metabolism and psychosis. Vitamin B3 and Vitamin C can moderate adrenalin and Vitamin C could prevent the oxidation of adrenalin to adrenochrome and adrenolutin. Hoffer and Osmond reported that optimal doses of vitamins B3 and C could help 75% of psychotic patients to recover. Their evidenced-based double-blind placebo-controlled research was published in medical journals but was widely ignored by mainstream psychiatrists who relied on antipsychotic medications that dampened symptoms but caused troublesome side effects” (Sealey et al., 2019).
My psychosis stemmed from long stretches of anxiety, panic attacks, and insomnia, which would flood my system with high levels of adrenalin. So perhaps Dr. Hoffer’s early research is spot on in one significant biological contributor to mental illness, specifically psychosis. Although I don’t take Hoffer’s full vitamin regiment, I do take large doses of Naicin (non-flushing), Omega 3, Vitamin D, and Vitamin C. I have found it safe to take higher doses of vitamins. As I reduce medications because of side effects, I do believe this supplementation is helpful for brain and nervous system functioning. This is one of my tools in my toolbox to address biological causes of mental illness.
I visited Dr. Hoffer in 2019. Unfortunately, I was in a deep psychosis, and I didn’t like swallowing all the medications. We also didn’t live in the same town as Dr. Hoffer which made regular doctor visits difficult. Although, his approach has many skeptics, there has been evidenced-based research from case studies of people who have got well. He has some great books outlining his research and methods, such as Putting It All Together: The New Orthomolecular Nutrition.
Gut health has gotten a lot more press recently. 95% of Serotonin, an important mental health neurotransmitter, is made in the gut (Selhub, 2022). This production depends on healthy gut bacteria which rely on healthy eating, the gut microbiome helps with inflammation and toxins. Healing the gut means also healing the brain. Since I have had problems with my gut, typical IBS symptoms, I have a feeling that struggles with my gut microbiome contribute to my mental health, in particular inflammation. I am currently using fermented food to add probiotics to my diet and am making sure I am eating prebiotics, which contribute to healthy gut flora.
There is a 2020 article in the British Medical Journal which show a relationship between three health variables (McLean Hospital, 2024):
Good quality diet – nutrition, limiting fast food, etc.
Physical health – good insulin sensitivity, healthy cardiovascular system, healthy weight, etc.
Mental health – better mood, less stress, lower risk of getting sick, increased cognitive function, etc.
I think it is important when you reflect on what you eat and how it might be impacting your mental health to develop some understanding of what you are eating and drinking and how this might be making your body feel. Its important to see what foods your body gravitates toward.
In some ways, finding what food feels good for your body is a creative process. It requires trying different things and noticing how your body responds. It is trial and error and a process of attention and revision.
Anyone who has disorder eating or an eating disorder needs to check in whether this process of food reflection is triggering or not. This is about intuitively finding food that feels good rather than controlling calories and restricting. While I may be trying a food study that cuts out processed food and sugar, I make sure that I am getting very balanced meals. I don’t go to bed hungry and feed myself when I need to. I don’t focus on portion sizes but rather making sure I have healthy fats, carbs, proteins and lots of diversity in vegetables. The goal of this post is not about losing weight or finding an ideal body shape. It is about addressing real health issues that can addressed by nutrition, positively impacting mental health.
Okay, are you ready to dive into making some art?🎨
Therapeutic Arts Activity
I am interested in helping you reflect on intuitive eating. Here is an article of intuitive eating guidelines: 10 principles of Intuitive Eating – Nutritionist Resource (Hoare, 2024).
Here is the image associated with the article:
Instructions
Pick one or two of the 10 principles of intuitive eating and do some writing reflecting on this question: What does healthy eating mean to you? You can write this as a paragraph or you can get creative and write a poem or phrase.
Materials Needed
- Journal
- Pen
Once you’ve completed this activity, here are some questions as guidelines for your personal explorations:
1. How do you currently feel about what you eat?
2. Do you notice any connections between your mental health and your food choices?
3. Are their any changes you wish to make around eating?
4. How did it feel writing about this? Did you have any emotions surfacing?
For myself, I choose the “honour your hunger” and “challenge the ‘food police.” I really make sure to eat every couple hours and not let myself feet overly hungry. When I am overly hungry, I don’t feel good, and it is likely then that I eat too fast and quickly when I do eat. I am also making sure that my fridge and cupboards have a good amount of food because I used to let me fridge and pantry get so very low by the end of the week and then I didn’t have enough food.
I also try not to think of individual food as bad (because if I think this way a lot of food seems bad) but rather that some food just doesn’t feel good in my body and that some food needs to be in small doses.
Anxiety around food and food control can have a negative effect on your health. If food is a stress, it likely increases cortisol in your body. My takeaway is to enjoy food, as well as learning about how food can be medicine for your mental illness.
❤️❤️❤️ With care and kindness, Meegan
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Sources:
Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. Hilary Caton, Communications Coordinator. August 30th, 2018. The emerging link between food and mental health | CAMH
Hoare, Katie. (December 12th, 2024). 10 Principles of Intuitive Eating. 10 principles of Intuitive Eating – Nutritionist Resource
McLean Hospital (May 24th, 2024). Diet and Mental Health: How Nutrition Shapes Your Well-Being. Diet, Nutrition & Mental Health | McLean Hospital
PsychHub Jill Donelan, PsyD. (October 14th, 2024). How Diet Impacts Mental Health: Insights from Nutritional Psychiatry
Sealey, R. et al. (2019). Abram Hoffer’s 60 Years of research and Discovery of Orthomolecular Approach to Psychiatry. Orthomolecular News Service.Selhub, Eva. (September 18th, 2022). Nutritional psychiatry: Your brain on food. Nutritional psychiatry: Your brain on food – Harvard Health
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