Using A Nutritionist To Impact Your Mental Health

SHARE

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
A VPN is an essential component of IT security, whether you’re just starting a business or are already up and running. Most business interactions and transactions happen online and VPN

When a patient is referred to me by their psychotherapist, my job is to determine whether “FIGS” contribute to your mental health symptoms.

Let me explain. Rather than searching for the psychosocial reasons you are experiencing mental health symptoms like your therapist does, I, as a licensed nutritionist, look for the biological culprits. Many conditions or diseases impact mental health, but generally speaking, the three categories or factors that I see the most are food, inflammation, gut, or stress hormones – the FIGS.

Food: Did you know you can make someone depressed or anxious in half a week by taking out certain components found in protein? Foods are the building blocks of neurotransmitters like serotonin, dopamine, and GABA – neurotransmitters that help to support mood. Part of assessing the “F” in FIGS is determining whether you have the raw materials (protein, vitamins and minerals) to make the neurotransmitters your body needs, as well as support your mitochondria to make energy. Here’s a link to my all time favorite chicken soup recipe – full of protein, but also full of vitamins and minerals to help make neurotransmitters to feel good.

Inflammation: Inflammation sometimes gets a bad rap. Our body needs to produce inflammation to help us fight infections and heal. However, when there is systemic inflammation present throughout the body, over time mood can suffer. Systemic inflammation can interfere with your brain’s ability to act normally – and it can even interfere with the creation of neurochemicals like serotonin. Finding ways to lessen inflammation such as mindfulness, gentle movement and nutrition and supplements can bolster mood as well as physical health. Lately, I’ve been experimenting with drinking tart cherry juice daily. I know that the name may throw you off (it isn’t that tart), but I find it tastes like cherry pie! Tart cherry juice has been shown to decrease levels of CRP, a marker of inflammation in the body.

Gut: What happens in the gut does NOT stay in the gut – meaning, there is a robust, well-researched connection between the gut and the brain called the gut-brain axis. This connection means that I frequently see people with mental health symptoms ALSO have gut conditions like IBS, diarrhea, IBD, GERD, or celiac disease. Through the careful selection of supplements, foods, and biofeedback we can harness the gut brain connection to send different signals from the gut to the brain, improving mood. Have you ever tried a probiotic for your anxiety? Certain strains have been shown in lab studies to lessen the perception of anxiety – a big win in this challenging time.

Stress hormones: If you are like a lot of my clients, the stress has been absolutely LEGEND since the beginning of the pandemic. Guess what – that type of chronic stress eventually affects your stress hormones, and your body’s ability to navigate challenging situations. Thankfully, there are ways that we can intervene to help support your stress response. Adaptogens are a category of herbs that is commonly used with stress hormones. You can try adding lemon balm tea to your routine – it is available at nearly every grocery store. Be cautious, though, when taking supplemental versions of adaptogens such as ashwaghanda, rhodiola, and holy basil – often, these have interactions with medications commonly prescribed for mood symptoms.

 

How do I figure out what FIGS might be affecting my clients? Often, I will utilize lab testing (blood, stool, urine, saliva), while other times a detailed look at a client’s medical history as well as their presenting symptoms will indicate clues.

Ultimately, finding the biological contributing factors behind mental health symptoms allows me to understand your story – a holistic view of the biological, psychological, and social aspects that make up your experience.  This way, a nutritionist supplements your mental health treatment, helping to heal you from the inside out; mind, body and soul!

Meg Bowman MS CNS LDN is a licensed dietitian nutritionist who specializes in mental health and GI conditions. Meg is the owner of Nutrition Hive, a private functional medicine nutrition practice in Skokie. For more information, visit www.nutritionhive.health.

 

Meg Bowman

Meg Bowman

Leave a Replay

Recent Posts

Follow Us