Depression and Nutritional Psychiatry
As a life coach and executive coach, individuals contact me to help them with many things, from work to relationships to personal growth. Often the most significant obstacle keeping them from taking that first step is not feelings of overwhelm or fear of failure, but the lethargy of depression. Interestingly, some of these people are already on some kind of medication, typically an SSRI. And although medication is helping, it has not rid them of their symptoms.
While discussing this issue with a colleague, she referred me to the SMILES trial, which was done in 2017 and was the first randomized trial using a dietary intervention to treat depression. In brief, the SMILES trial was a 12-week trial with 67 patients, 2/3s of whom were already in therapy and on an SSRI. The trial simply gave these participants 7 sessions with a health coach over 12 weeks to discuss the Mediterranean diet (a diet that encourages a variety of nutrient-dense foods, including fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, whole grains, and heart-healthy fats.)
The trial results showed that when the Mediterranean diet was added to psychotherapy and medication, 33% of patients went into complete remission.
I found a training program in Nutritional Psychiatry with Dr. Drew Ramsey of Columbia University. He is a psychiatrist, farmer, and a leading proponent of using nutritional interventions. He is also the author of Eat to Beat Depression and Anxiety. (Harper Collins 2021)
So, what is Nutritional Psychiatry? As Dr. Ramsey puts it, “The use of nutrition to optimize brain health and to treat and prevent mental conditions.”
Many people rely on therapy and medications to alleviate symptoms of depression, but in some cases, it’s just not enough. With the latest scientific advances in neuroscience, nutrition, and the mind-gut connection, we have discovered that what we eat impacts how we feel physically, cognitively, and emotionally.
I recently completed my training with Dr. Ramsey and feel much more optimistic about our ability to optimize medication and make choices daily to increase our brain health at any age.
