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Nutrition and Mental Health by Mary Rondeau, ND


Looking at a wide variety of population studies it has been seen that traditional diets which is mostly wholefoods based seem to reduce depression and anxiety.

Dr. Mary Rondeau discusses how balanced and proper diet aids in bettering sleep and a person’s over all mental health.

Looking at experimental sleep restrictions and physiological hormonal behavioral changes often times shows an increase in food intake, decrease in physical activity which ultimately leads to weight gain.

Processed food makes up 61% of what an average American eats, which equates in thousands of calories per day.

Many vitamins and minerals are essential for neurotransmitter synthesis and neuronal function which help regulate membrane function.

FULL TRANSCRIPT:

We look at a wide variety of population studies, we see that traditional diets which mean Whole Foods based for whatever culture the study was done in seemed to reduce depression, bipolar, and anxiety.

Traditional diets are often high in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and fish or meat depending on where the culture is, As said, with Sea Culture versus an inland based culture.

We look at just sleep and the effect that diet has on sleep, and we know the connection that sleep has on our mental health. The connection is quite clear. High fat diets and carbohydrate diets negatively affect sleep quality, diets that are high in fiber are associated with more sleep restoration. When looking at experimental sleep restrictions, these lead to physiological, hormonal, and food behavior changes. If we are not sleeping very well, oftentimes another meal is added. So, if somebody has insomnia and they’re staying up really late at night, usually that person is going to eat another meal if not a snack. And so, we see a increase in food intake, we see a decrease in physical activity. As people are up at odd hours of the night, they’re usually not doing something active and that really affects the whole system. More which leads to weight gain.

As a whole the vitamins and minerals are needed for neurotransmitter synthesis and neuronal function. Our membranes help regulate membrane function. Think about calcium channels, Lithium has one of the longest traditions in psychiatry and we’ll talk about it in its relationship to magnesium.

How bad are diets? Processed food makes up 61% of the foods that Americans eat. That’s basically means that the portion of your cart at the grocery store, only the place where your purse or where your kids sit, is the healthy foods everything else is going to be packaged. This equates to about 1000 calories per day that Americans eat that is grain like based products, sugary drinks, chips and desserts.

So, what foods have histamine in them? Alcohol leftovers, anything leftover is going to have high histamine in it.  Citrus foods are really high anything with yeast in it. Tea because tea leaves are dried fermented so they’re going to have histamine in them as well as vinegar-based things.