Mental Health From a Holistic Perspective with Guest Erin Kerry
I recently had the privilege of having Erin Kerry, Integrative Nutrition Health Coach to discuss the different factors that influence our mental health. It was such a RICH conversation so make sure you go take a listen to that episode here.
When we are talking about mental health, you may instantly have an internal recoil to those words. Maybe you’ve experienced mental health issues. Maybe you’ve been stigmatized for struggling with depression or anxiety, or some other emotional or behavioral struggle and didn’t get the care that you needed.
Or maybe you feel an element of shame around your experience.
Erin and I are both firm believers that there is rarely JUST one reason why someone struggles. There are emotional, physiological, and even spiritual reasons we struggle.
Erin states “I believe that while not everyone will be diagnosed with a mental illness, I think everybody is going to suffer from mental health issues at some point in their lifetime. And that could be related to trauma, grief, job changes, moves, etc… but any of those real life things that we encounter, but then we also have a portion or a percentage of the people (and that percentage is growing) that will actually be diagnosed with mental illnesses.”
It’s important, I think, to recognize that while everyone experiences periods where they have mental health struggles like transient anxiety, depression related to a loss or major change, how the body, mind and spirit adapt to those changes can often be a determining factor as to whether someone will go on to develop a mental illness.
Mental illness is NOT just an issue with the brain or our neurotransmitters even. Our mental health can be impacted by the food we eat, how much we exercise, our genetics, and that should stir up a lot of hope because there is more and more research coming out now that is showing that there is so much we can do to change how we feel, and how our body responds.
How nutrition impacts our mental health
Nutrients absolutely have an impact on our mental health because they are the essential building blocks of neurotransmitters. And as Erin explains in the episode, how healthy our gut is will impact how well we are absorbing those nutrients that we desperately need for optimal brain function.
How we digest, if we are stressed and our vagus nerve is in a constant state of fight or flight will not only prevent us from absorbing those essential nutrients, but it will also cause us to use up all of the nutrients and not have much left over for neurotransmitter production.
So number 1, we need to optimize our gut brain connection by:
Reducing stress- I know. It sounds so cliche. As a mother of a child with a chronic illness and significant special needs, I can’t eliminate that stress from my life. But I can create space and access resources that help me to manage it better. My current favorite activities for reducing stress are turning off my phone, going for a walk, and doing deep belly breathing exercises.
Eat while looking at your food and smelling your food. Pay attention to how the food feels in your mouth. Relax your shoulders while you’re eating. Eat until you’re full!
Focus on adding 1 fruit or 1 vegetable PER meal to start. It can feel entirely overwhelming to do anything more when you’re starting to make changes. Erin recommends adding cruciferous vegetables (Brussel sprouts, broccoli, kale, cabbage).
If you are a female, aim for 20-30 grams of nutrient dense protein per meal. You cannot make neurotransmitters without the amino acids found in protein. Since I can’t enjoy eggs, I often use Perfect Supplements Collagen Peptides as a protein source.
Do medications play a role in treating mental illness?
Absolutely! We cannot ignore the scientific research that shows how helpful they can be and even how essential they might be especially if someone is in crisis. Stabilization must be our goal. Once a patient is stabilized, then we can start digging into some deeper root causes like
Methylation status
Mitochondria function
Other metabolic disorders that affect mental state like copper toxicity, pyroluria, zinc deficiency or thyroid disorders
GI infections
Strep, Lyme or EBV and other inflammatory illnesses have been well documented to impact our neurological function and must be ruled out.
Take a listen to the whole episode here, make sure you give Erin a follow on Instagram at @sparkingwholeness
If you’re looking for a practitioner who can help you navigate balancing your mood, energy and mental health, then schedule a discovery call here and we will get you set up with a plan that works for you.
To your wellness,
Andrea Jones
P.S. Need help finding targeted nutrition to improve your mood? Check out our Mood-Balancing Meal Guide for Women.
