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Lifestyle and Nutrition

What is lifestyle and nutrition education?

Lifestyle and nutrition education helps you understand how food affects your health and shows you ways to use that knowledge to your advantage.

Nutrition — the substances you take into your body that ensure it functions properly — forms the foundation for good mental and physical health. You need the right quantity of foods containing protein, carbohydrates, fiber, and fat to give your body energy, promote healing and tissue regeneration, and create hormones, among many other functions.

You also need micronutrients like vitamins and minerals, which have specific purposes ranging from keeping your bones healthy (vitamin D) to supporting your immune system (vitamin C).

In theory, you could get what you need from your diet, providing it was varied and well-balanced. But many people don’t know what they should eat or whether they’re getting all the nutrients they need. If you’re one of them, lifestyle and nutrition education is for you.

What effect does nutrition have on mental health?

Mental health disorders have multiple triggers, from traumatic life experiences to genetics and even your upbringing. In addition, the balance of chemicals called neurotransmitters in the brain is often different in people with conditions like depression and anxiety.

It’s not entirely clear whether the low levels of chemicals like dopamine and serotonin cause mental health problems or develop because of them. Either way, brain function depends heavily on good nutrition. Deficiencies that can affect brain function include:

  • Folate
  • Magnesium
  • Iron
  • Zinc
  • Vitamin B6
  • Vitamin B12
  • Vitamin D

Hydration (having enough fluids in your body) is also vital for a healthy brain.

In many cases, the problem with poor nutrition is that it worsens your mental health. You might be finding comfort in unhealthy sugar, fat, and salt-filled snacks and cakes. Or maybe you’ve lost your appetite and don’t eat enough.

If you’re not taking in all the nutrients you need, your general health declines, and mental health problems get worse. With Empowered Mind-Body Therapy’s lifestyle and nutrition education program, you can make sure you’re getting everything you need for a healthy mind.

What does lifestyle and nutrition education involve?

One aspect of lifestyle and nutrition education is helping you learn about the nutrients you need and how they impact your bodily and mental health. Another is looking at your current diet and determining where you have deficiencies. This might involve a comprehensive medical consultation and blood tests.

Empowered Mind-Body Therapy also uses the Fullscript™ system to provide patients with high-quality supplements, personalized treatment planning, and ongoing wellness education and support.

To benefit from lifestyle and nutrition education for mental health problems, call Empowered Mind-Body Therapy today. You can also book an in-person or telehealth appointment online.