Although primary advanced vitamin and mineral deficiencies are rare in the developed world, many common health conditions deplete nutritional status, including sub-optimal dietary intake, frequent alcohol consumption, changes in appetite due to aging, food allergies or sensitivities, special diets, and eating disorders. Covering topics as diverse as aging, the brain, eating habits, genetics, lifestyle, nutrients, and psychology, this book brings together two extremely complex aspects of life—human nutrition and mental health. Organized by mental health concern as well as nutrient group, Nutrition and Mental Health reviews the scientific literature from many fields of science: health, psychology, nutrition, mental well-being, and the interface with chronic disease. It provides a straightforward, readable report of broadly selected scientific research on how various nutrients affect mental health. Professional resources are provided in easy-to-access tables as well as suggested formats for assessing nutritional status and guidelines for interpretation. Chapter summaries, a descriptive table of contents, an index, and glossary assist the reader in finding specific topics of interest. A variety of mental health conditions may affect a person’s ability and interest in getting and eating a well-rounded selection of foods. An examination of the role diet plays in mental health, this book reviews the scientific literature from many fields of science: health, psychology, nutrition, mental well-being, and chronic disease management.

Exploring the connection between nutrition and mental wellness so therapists can provide more effective, integrated treatment. Diet is an essential component of a client’s clinical profile. Few therapists, however, have any nutritional training, and many don’t know where to begin. In Nutrition Essentials for Mental Health, Leslie Korn provides clinicians with a practical guide to the complex relationship between what we eat and the way we think, feel, and interact with the world. Where there is mental illness there is frequently a history of digestive and nutritional problems. Digestive problems in turn exacerbate mental distress, all of which can be improved by nutritional changes. It’s not unusual for a deficit or excess of certain nutrients to disguise itself as a mood disorder. Indeed, nutritional deficiencies factor into most mental illness—from anxiety and depression to schizophrenia and PTSD—and dietary changes can work alongside or even replace medications to alleviate symptoms and support mental wellness. Nutrition Essentials for Mental Health offers the mental health clinician the principles and practices necessary to provide clients with nutritional counseling to improve mood and mental health. Integrating clinical evidence with the author’s extensive clinical experience, it takes clinicians step-by-step through the essentials for integrating nutritional therapies into mental health treatment. Throughout, brief clinical vignettes illustrate commonly encountered obstacles and how to overcome them. Readers will learn: • Why nutrition matters in mental health • The role of various nutrients in nourishing both the brain and the gut, the “second brain” • Typical nutritional culprits that underlie or exacerbate specific mental disorders • Assessment techniques for evaluating a client’s unique nutritional needs, and counseling methods for the challenging but rewarding process of nutritional change. • Leading-edge protocols for the use of various macro- and micronutrients, vitamins, and supplements to improve mental health • Considerations for food allergies, sensitivities, and other special diets • The effects of foods and nutrients on DSM-5 categories of illness, and alternatives to pharmaceuticals for treatment • Comprehensive, stage-based approaches to coaching clients about dietary plans, nutritional supplements, and other resources • Ideas for practical, affordable, and individualized diets, along with optimal cooking methods and recipes • Nutritional strategies to help with withdrawal from drugs, alcohol and pharmaceuticals And much more. With this resource in hand, clinicians can enhance the efficacy of all their methods and be prepared to support clients’ mental health with more effective, integrated treatment.

Interest in the mind-body connection has grown in recent years, with accumulating evidence showing that the gut microbiome can alter behavioral, neural, and psychological outcomes. This publication brings together a group of international experts who are investigating the microbiome and its potential to contribute to the causes and treatment of mental illness. The contributions are not aimed solely at specialists in clinical and experimental neuroscience. They cover a range of key topics, including the role of the microbiome in mental health and specific psychiatric disorders that occur across the lifespan, interactions with the immune system, diet, and pharmacological interventions. Furthermore, the microbial metabolite production and the potential for psychobiotic interventions that target the microbiome to improve mental health outcomes are discussed. This book is unique in its focus on the mechanisms and consequences of the activities of gut microorganisms in mental health and illness, providing expert insight into the current state of the art and important future directions for this emerging area of research. Additionally, it provides an excellent knowledge base for newcomers and a refresher for researchers and clinicians working in the fields of neuroscience, psychology, or psychiatry.

A paradigm-shifting approach to treating mental disorders like anxiety, depression, and ADHD with food and nutrients, by two leading scientists who share their original, groundbreaking research with readers everywhere for the first time.

A revolutionary prescription for healing depression and anxiety and optimizing brain health through the foods we eat, including a six-week plan to help you get started eating for better mental health. Depression and anxiety disorders are rising, affecting more than fifty-eight million people in the United States alone. Many rely on therapy and medications to alleviate symptoms, but often this is not enough. The latest scientific advances in neuroscience and nutrition, along with our understanding of the mind-gut connection, have proven that how and what we eat greatly affects how we feel—physically, cognitively, and emotionally. In this groundbreaking book, Dr. Drew Ramsey helps us forge a path toward greater mental health through food. Eat to Beat Depression and Anxiety breaks down the science of nutritional psychiatry and explains what foods positively affect brain health and improve mental wellness. Dr. Ramsey distills the most cutting-edge research on nutrition and the brain into actionable tips you can start using today to improve brain-cell health and growth, reduce inflammation, and cultivate a healthy microbiome, all of which contribute to our mental well-being. He explores the twelve essential vitamins and minerals most critical to your brain and body and outlines which anti-inflammatory foods feed the gut. He helps readers assess barriers to self-nourishment and offers techniques for enhancing motivation. To help us begin, he provides a kick-starter six-week mental health food plan designed to mitigate depression and anxiety, incorporating key food categories like leafy greens and seafood, along with simple, delicious, brain nutrient–rich recipes. By following the methods Dr. Ramsey uses with his patients, you can confidently choose foods to help you on your journey to full mental health.