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Optimize Your Mental and Emotional Health: A Guide to Food, Lifestyle, and Beyond

Optimize Your Mental and Emotional Health: A Guide to Food, Lifestyle, and Beyond

Disclaimer

This information is intended for educational purposes only and should not be misconstrued as medical advice. Always consult with a qualified healthcare professional before making significant changes to your diet or lifestyle.

Optimize Your Mental and Emotional Health

Feeling mentally and emotionally balanced is essential for living a fulfilling life. This page explores how we can optimize our mental and emotional well-being through the way we nourish our bodies with food, water, light, and more.

The Mind-Body Connection

Research increasingly reveals the detrimental impact of the standard American diet on mental and emotional health. Additionally, our modern indoor lifestyles often leave us feeling drained and disconnected.

For decades, the connection between mind and body was overlooked. However, a new wave of thought is emerging, as championed by Dr. Ian Campbell:

‘Mental health is metabolic health. Metabolic dysfunction and insulin resistance affect every major organ of the body. Why would the brain be isolated from this?’ – @IainCampbellPhD

This shift challenges conventional approaches to mental health. Perhaps there’s another way, alongside therapy and medication.

Therapeutic Nutrition

Therapeutic nutrition (aka Food as Medicine), explores the use of food as medicine.  Researchers such as Dr. Georgia Ede, Dr. Christopher Palmer, and Dr. Ian Campbell have been researching the relationship between nutrition and mental health. Under these doctors guidance, individuals with conditions ranging from anxiety and depression to schizophrenia and bipolar disorder are experiencing significant symptom reduction, sometimes even elimination, through adherence to a ketogenic diet.

Developed in the 1920s for children with seizures, the keto diet has seen a resurgence due to its effectiveness. While medication may offer an easier route, for those struggling with drug resistance or side effects, a medically supervised keto diet can be a game-changer.

While experts have differing opinions on optimal dietary approaches, there’s common ground in eliminating processed foods, sugar, and seed oils, which are known to increase inflammation in the body.
Consider the change in sugar intake over the last two centuries: in 1800 the average person consumed 18 pounds of sugar annually. Currently the average person consumes 120 pounds per year. Since sugar is known to cause inflammation in the body, lowering sugar intake could only be helpful.

Consider eating foods that were commonly consumed in the past when mental illness was far less prevalent.

Nervous System Regulation

Metabolic health also affects the body’s ability to adapt to stressors and return to normal after the stressor has passed. This process, described as Nervous System Regulation, involves a series of physiological responses that can help reduce arousal and increase calmness during times of distress. The nervous system regulates many aspects of the body, including the immune system, emotional and mental state, and other body systems, and connects the body and mind, and allows people to relate to others and experience spirituality.

EMDR, Havening, and Brainspotting have proven effective in helping with nervous system regulation.

The Power of Nature

A recent study echoes practices used in 1990s Europe, where people with depression were prescribed walking groups before medication. This approach combined mild exercise, nature immersion with sunlight, a sense of community, and accountability.

Another study highlights the positive impact of group gardening. Participants not only experienced the benefits mentioned above but also gained a sense of pride and purpose. They noted that connecting with nature directly improved their mental health by offering perspective.

Aligning with Your Natural Rhythm

Circadian rhythm, our natural sleep-wake cycle, significantly impacts mental health. Before the industrial revolution and artificial lighting, our lives were structured by natural light and seasons.

Here are some tips from scientists to combat the effects of our modern, indoor lives:

  • Morning Sunlight: Get daily exposure (without glasses) for 5-20 minutes, outdoors or by a window.
  • Light Breaks: Take frequent breaks throughout the day for natural light exposure.
  • Blue Light Management: Wear blue light blocker glasses before sunrise and after sunset to regulate sleep.
  • Nighttime Routine: Avoid screens before bed to prevent blue light from disrupting sleep cycles (remember, good sleep is vital for good mental health!).

Embrace Movement

Regular physical activity, from gentle walks to more vigorous workouts, is essential for overall well-being. Start small by incorporating a short daily walk into your routine.

More Ideas

Explore the potential benefits of cold and heat for mental health. Research by Susanna Soberg suggests cold exposure can trigger a dopamine high lasting several hours and increase focus, among other benefits. Sauna is known to promote stress release for most people, along with many benefits that increase optimal mental health.

Look into grounding or earthing, which involves connecting with the earth’s electrical energy barefoot or using a grounding mat or shoes. While this may be a new concept to you, the potential results are worth exploring with an open mind.

Consider Medical Support

Consult your doctor to assess any deficiencies and determine if supplementation is necessary. Ideally, seek a holistic or functional medicine doctor who considers your body, mind, spirit, and emotions when diagnosing and treating you.

The Spiritual Dimension

Do not overlook this aspect of your well-being! People who have a solid relationship with God have a foundation that leads to peace.

Consider the spiritual implications of food choices; how processed food dependence and addictions can affect your brain and hinder your ability to connect with God, yourself and others.

A Journey of Exploration

Optimizing mental and emotional health is an ongoing journey. As new research emerges, this page will be updated with the latest insights. Let’s embark on this path to a healthier you, together!

Here are some resources to help you as you reset your daily rhythms and habits:

Books

  • Change your Diet, Change your Mind (book): This recently published book by Harvard-trained psychiatrist Dr. Georgia Ede discusses in depth the connection between what we eat and our mental health.
  • Brain Energy (book): In this book, Harvard psychiatrist Dr. Christopher Palmer argues that mental illness stems from problems with brain energy metabolism and proposes that dietary and metabolic interventions can be a revolutionary treatment approach.
  • The Case Against Sugar (book):  When I’m asked “If I can only do one thing, what would you recommend”, eliminating refined sugar from your diet is at the top of my list.   This book by Gary Taubes traces the contemporary history of refined sugar and high fructose corn syrups, and makes the case that sugar is the tobacco of our generation.  If you are needing motivation to eliminate sugar, this book will help.
  • Why We Get Sick: The Hidden Epidemic at the Root of Most Chronic Disease (book) by Ben Bikman, PHD.

Websites and Blogs

Podcasts and YouTube

  • Huberman Lab (podcast): Neuroscientist Andrew Huberman, PhD explores many of the topics described on this page.
  • Metabolic Mind with Dr. Bret Scher (YouTube Channel): Education about the science of metabolic psychiatry and personal stories to offer education, community and hope to people struggling with mental health challenges and those who care for them.
  • Low Carb MD (podcast):  For information and encouragement on taking charge of your emotional and physical health, I would start with the Low Carb MD podcast because they interview the leading researchers in the “food as medicine” field. You’ll see by listening to their guests that low carb means something different to most everybody, from clean eating to whole foods to keto. I recommend listening to their intro episodes first, and then scroll through the others and see who interests you.

Social Media

Apps

  • Bobby Approved (mobile app): This is a handy free app you can use on your mobile phone to quickly scan a bar code and determine if the food is healthy.  Most of the foods available at Trader Joe’s, Costco, and the major grocery stores are readable, and the app is constantly being updated with new products.

Testimonials

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