Nutrition Coaching:
Have you ever heard someone say “your stomach is your second brain?”
Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that helps regulate sleep and appetite, mediate moods, and inhibit pain. Did you know, that approximately 95% of your serotonin is produced in your gastrointestinal tract, and your gastrointestinal tract is lined with a hundred million nerve cells, or neurons? Respectively, this means your digestive system not only helps you digest food, but also guides your overall emotions.
Scientists have found that traditional diets high in vegetables, fruits, unprocessed grains, and fish and seafood, and modest amounts of lean meats and dairy, provide a 25% to 35% lower risk of depression, then those eating processed foods. At Integrative Psychiatry, we acknowledge the importance of obtaining a healthy diet in achieving your overall mental health goals. Matt Jackson, our nutritional expert, provides supplemental nutrition coaching to aid in optimal benefits of a client’s emotional state and overall mental health progress.
For more information on the observational data regarding the association between diet quality and mental health across countries, cultures and age groups – depression in particular, here are links to some systematic reviews and meta-analyses:
http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/99/1/181.long
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23720230
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4167107/
