Nutrition, Behavior Health, and Behavior Change: Rethinking the Current Model of HealthPRESENTATION BY: LUKE MEIER MA, PLMHP, C.S.N.

My Philosophy

“The doctor of the future will no longer treat the human frame with drugs, but rather will cure and prevent disease with nutrition”- Thomas Edison

Nutrition Defined

Nutrition refers to the process of providing or obtaining the food necessary for health and growth.

Overall, Nourishment

What does nutrition have to do with behavior health?

- The body runs on the nutrients we consume.

- The bioavailability of nutrients is based on the quality of food.

- Essential Nutrients are needed to maintain life.

- The brain is only as good as the food consumed.

- Malnutrition also affects mental health.

- Proper nourishment as well as lack of proper nourishment affects the workings of the brain.

Where do we get this nourishment?

- Three main sources of nourishment aka energy

Carbohydrates

Fats Proteins

Carbohydrates

- A main energy source for the body. - Converts to glucose, then stored in the muscle and liver tissue as glycogen- Able to penetrate blood-brain barrier to provide energy to the brain.- Different types convert differently and affect the brain

- Simple carbohydrates- One or two sugars Converts to blood sugar easier

- Complex carbohydrates- Three or more sugars Takes longer to convert to blood sugar

Processed Carbohydrates

- Too much sugar or refined carbohydrates at one time can actually deprive the brain of glucose

- Refined carbohydrates lacks basic nutrients needed for digestion

- Cause insulin release=hormone dysregulation= potential mood disorder

- Refined, processed, cheap, stimulating

Much like something else

Fats

A slow digesting energy source converted to free fatty acids that the body and mind can use once glycogen stores begin to run low. - Saturated- Unsaturated- Trans-fat

Saturated and Unsaturated

- Mental and physical health

- Necessary for production of myelin

- Sustained source of energy

- Helps maintain hormone homeostasis

- Needed for absorption of essential vitamins and minerals

- Satisfying, reduces cravings for nutrient deprived foods

Trans Fats, Flours, Sugars, Various Chemicals

- Packaged food items

- Fast food items

- Candy, soda, sugary drinks of any type, fruit juices, fruit snacks, etc.

- Margarine and hydrogenated oils

- High Fructose Corn Syrup (worse than sugar)

- Take place of nutrient dense food

- Anti-nutrients, free radicals, inflammation

Proteins

- This food substance is used by the entire body and mind at the cellular level. - Amino Acids - Sustain blood sugars- Nitrogen balance- Neurotransmitters

Neurotransmitters

- Serotonin (tryptophan)

- Contentment, satisfaction, overall definition of happiness, engaged interests

- Norepinephrine (Tyrosine)

- Stress hormone, attention and responding actions, fight-or-flight response, directly increasing heart rate, reduce neuroinflammation

- Dopamine (Tyrosine or phenylalanine)

- Helps control the brain's reward and pleasure centers, helps regulate movement and emotional responses, people with low dopamine activity may be more prone to addiction

Eating for Success

- More attentive

- Improved retention

- Increase positive outlook

- Feel better/look better

- Increased Self esteem

- Less stress on the body

- Processed food not a necessity

- Less medication, better absorption Just a day at the park!

Body in Balance

- Homeostasis, body runs more efficiently

- All nutrients utilized in efficient system

- Vitamins and minerals utilized in balance with each other

- The brain burns most of our daily caloric intake

- The regulation of bodily functions

- metabolism and sustaining life uses almost all energy consumed

- Too much of any one nutrient can disrupt the delicate balance of the body

Supplements, too much of a good thing

- Imbalances aren’t just a deficiency

- Too much of any single nutrient can be problematic

- Certain nutrients balance each other:

- When one goes up, other needs to go up as well

- Nutrients regulate each other

- Liver and kidneys struggle

- Difficult to know contents

- Difficult to absorb

- Can be ineffective versus whole food sources

Easy Right?

Proper nutrients are needed for each and every cell!

Out of Whack aka Substance Abuse

-What does happen when the body is out of whack?

- Deficiencies/toxicities occur

- Body unable to perform daily functions properly

- Illnesses, inflammation, psychosis, increased rate of neural degeneration

- Body corrodes

- Chronic fatigue/pain

- Medication induced deficiency

- CRAVINGS!!!

- Substance Induced Mental Health Symptoms

Mental Health Symptoms in Treatment

- Schizophrenia

- Depression

- Anxiety

- Bipolar Disorder

- Eating disorders

- PTSD

- Personality Disorders

- Others?

Addiction

- What causes someone to use in the first place?- Escape- Others?

- Why continued use?- Physiological need

- Once craving substance, best method to help quit?- Coping skills, new behaviors- brain and body health needed!

Why the body craves?

Think of a pizza

Kind of like this!

Pizza vs. Drug Use

- Stimulation

- Rewarding to my brain

- Relaxing (emotional)

- Nostalgic

- Hunger?

- Continued use

- Trouble stopping

- Hunger hormones

Triggered?

Pizza vs. Drug Use

- Rewarding

- Stimulating

- Pleasurable

- Relaxing

- Bringing back old memories

- Emotions (positive and negative)

- Withdrawal

Difference?

Mental Health and Substance Use

- Chicken or the egg

- Self-medication

- Maladaptive coping skill

- Symptom management

- Justifying

- Drug use imbalance vs natural imbalance by brain with mental health symptoms vs nutrient deficiencies

- Difference?

How Nutrition Can Help

- Fulfill deficiencies/prevent toxicities

- Fulfill cravings, increased life satisfaction

- Sustain homeostasis

- Whole food sources are rich in necessary nutrients for the body to recover from day to day breakdown

- Improved cognitive ability (Maslow’s Hierarchy)

- Increased self esteem (knowledge, control, body)

- Assist in digestion and absorption of medication

Treatment with Nutrition*

- Axis I (Proper nutrition can assist treatment of symptoms of major mental health as well as aid in medication absorption or possibly eradicate altogether)

- Axis II (Proper nutrition can aid in emotional regulation)

- Axis III (Physiologically the body can recover more efficiently with nutrient needs met)

- Axis IV (Many of these problems can be alleviated with preventative health measures or while in treatment help the person better handle stress)

- Axis V (GAF score increases significantly as mind and body feel better)

*Note here that side effects are minimal utilizing nutrition in treatment

Give me a few reasons why not?

- MONEY!

Other Side of the Coin

- Counselors

- Staff

- Directors

- CFOs

- Psychiatrist

- Psychologist

- MDs/GPs

- Peers

Behavior Change Needed

- Counseling techniques to enforce belief in nutritional therapy

- Nutritional Therapist with own treatment plan

- Learning and applying CBT/DBT skills

- Positive reinforcement

- Nutrition education

- Less treatment interference

- Physical and mental

- Increased structure

From A to B

Reinforce the Facts

- Body needs balance

- Nutrients run the body as efficiently as possible

- Proper nutrition accounts for any deficiencies in body and mind

- Proper nutrition encourages structural health of brain

- Alleviate MH symptoms, increase likelihood of staying sober, Improve quality of life

- Assist with medication effectiveness

- Increase self esteem

- Education is empowering

- DOES NO HARM!!

Conclusion

- Food is needed to live!

- Further research is needed on effects of nutrition and mental health

- Belief that this current model of treatment can change

- Better budget analysis needed to determine higher cost of food vs detrimental effects of poor eating/med management/low self esteem/medical issues

- Disease/mental health symptoms can be prevented/treated

- Processed food can kill more people than any drug, what we choose to eat as either clinicians or clients has a direct effect on this

- The brain is built on what we consume. No essential nutrients= No essential functions= no......

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When we are no longer able to change a situation we are challenged to change ourselves

VIKTOR E. FRANKL

Thank You