Ketogenic Nutritional Therapy
Ketogenic Nutritional Therapy for Mental Health
The brain, like every other organ in our body, requires an ongoing supply of vitamins, minerals, essential healthy fats and amino acids in order to function properly. If we do not consume adequate amounts of these nutrients on an ongoing basis, our brain functioning can be impaired.
Deficiencies in any of these essential nutrients, which include several of the B vitamins, Vitamin A, Vitamin D3, Vitamin K2, Zinc, Iron, Glycine, EPA, and DHA, can cause or exacerbate mental health and neurological problems such as ADHD, depression, anxiety, memory problems, aggression, irrational anger, insomnia, and dementia.
Not only can your brain become malnourished and impaired if you're not eating the right foods, your brain can also suffer from inflammation if you're eating the wrong foods. Unhealthy oils and fats can cause an inflammatory reaction in the body, which can also negatively impact the brain and its ability to function properly.
In addition, insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes, which are often caused by blood sugar dysregulation stemming from the overconsumption of refined carbohydrates and sugar, have been associated with mental health problems such as depression and anxiety. When we eat processed carbohydrates, this causes our blood sugar levels to skyrocket and then crash.
Each time our blood sugar levels crash, our body thinks we are in imminent, life-threatening danger, and our body releases adrenaline and cortisol, the stress hormone, which causes us to go into "fight or flight" mode. For many people, this increases our stress and anxiety levels and can contribute to the development of chronic stress, anxiety, and panic attacks.
While treatments such as psychotherapy and neurofeedback training can be very helpful for overcoming mental health issues and chronic stress, if your brain is malnourished and inflamed, the healing process is likely to be much longer and more difficult than if your brain is receiving all of the nutrients that it needs.
Ketogenic diets, which are high in healthy fats and very low in carbohydrates, have been used for about 100 years to treat neurological and brain disorders such as epilepsy. A number of leading psychiatrists have successfully implemented ketogenic nutritional protocols for their clients, and many people have experienced a significant reduction in or have completely overcome their mental health symptoms by adopting a ketogenic way of eating.
Nutritional therapy consultations are available in person, by phone, or by video chat, so this service is available to you regardless of where you live.
Contact us today if you would like to schedule a free, no-obligation evaluation to answer your questions and discuss whether nutritional therapy might be right for you or someone you care about.