Vicki Steine – Nutrition for Mental Health Certification Course

Outline

THE COMPLEX RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MENTAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH

How Foods Affects Moods

• Carbohydrates – A new way to think about cravings
• Effects protein may have on depression and anxiety
• Fats for mental health (depression, ADHD, bipolar)
• The connection between food, depression, diabetes and obesity
• Physiological causes of fatigue, depression and anxiety
• Vitamins: B-Vitamins, 5-MTHF, Vitamin D
• Minerals: Magnesium, calcium

Nutrition, Diet and Culinary Medicine

• Food as “brain-mind-medicine”
• Fats: Essential fatty acids, toxic fats, fish oil
• Protein: the building blocks of happiness
• Nutrients to improve mental health and cognitive function
• Vitamins, minerals, glandulars, and special nutrients for the non-nutritionist
• Regulate hormonal imbalance
• Balance blood sugar to balance mood
• Cultural and genetic variations
• Enhance digestion for mental health
• Thyroid function and mental health

The Truth About Popular Supplements and Herbal Medicine

• Seven major herbs for PTSD, anxiety, depression, sleep, and cognitive health
• Endocannabinoid deficit theory
• Cannabis and psychedelic medicine
• THC versus CBD
• Evidence for medical cannabis for mental health
• PTSD and chronic pain
• Adaptogens: Ginseng, licorice, ashwaganda
• Melatonin
• Smell, mood, and cognition
• Evidence for essential oils to alter mood and cognition
• Interactions with pharmaceuticals

Physiological Factors of Depression, Anxiety, Bipolar and ADHD

• Transcending mind-body separation: Understanding the complex relationships
• The factors that cause “chemical imbalance”
• Beyond pharmaceutical management
• Balancing circadian rhythm
• Apply breathing exercises for mental health
• Enhance sleep and address insomnia

ASSESSMENTS AND EVIDENCE-BASED RESEARCH

Assessments Using Integrative Approaches

• Conduct a basic nutritional food/mood assessment
• Conduct an adrenal stress and biological rhythm assessment
• Culture and ethnicity assessment and treatment
• The Cultural Formulation Interview and CAM methods
• Basic lab tests for optimal mental health

Simple Screening Tools to Identify Nutritional Deficiencies Contributing to:

• Anxiety and PTSD
• Depression
• ADHD
• Fatigue
• Anger
• Bipolar disorder
• Lack of mental clarity
• Other mental health concerns

Recognizing When “Mental Illness” is Something Else

• Hormonal imbalance
• Anxiety vs. hypoglycemia
• Inflammation
• Digestion
• Depressed, fatigued or malnourished?
• Side effects of medications

Symptoms of Nutritional Deficiencies and Co-Morbid Conditions

• Strategies to reduce inflammation: The major factor in depression, anxiety, bipolar, and ADHD
• Chronic illness, fibromyalgia
• Anxiety and digestion
• The Second brain: Microbiome, probiotics and GABA, and anxiety
• Sleep, adrenal health, and rhythms
• Anger, alcohol abuse and liver health
• Genetics, depression and brain
• PTSD and auto immune, addictions and cognition
• ADHD, ASD, and food sensitivities
• Integrative approach recovery from addictions

CLINICAL APPLICATIONS – NON-PHARMACEUTICAL TREATMENT STRATEGIES

Holistic Treatment Interventions

• Address clients concerns and provide alternatives to psychotropics
• Herbal medicine for mental health
• Strategies for clients who want to stop their medications
• Ayurvedic medicine and mental health
• Exercise: Elevate serotonin and regulate stress hormones
• Sound and music for insomnia, anxiety and anger
• Toning, binaural music

Comprehensive Non-Pharmaceutical Treatment Plans and Protocols for:

• Depression & Seasonal Affect Disorder
• Anxiety, PTSD, and complex trauma
• Bipolar
• ADHD
• Body dysmorphia
• OCD
• Bulimia
• Insomnia
• Addictions
• Obesity
• Psychosomatic symptoms
• Pre-menstrual syndrome and menopausal symptoms

Practical Tools to Accelerate Treatment Results, Improve Energy, and Gain Mental Clarity

• Food: The Good, the Bad, and the Fake
• Sleep: The 4 habits critical to refreshing sleep
• Exercise: Elevate serotonin and regulate stress hormones
• Stress: A Holistic Approach
• Feed your brain

What You Need to Know about Somatic Therapies

• The spectrum of somatic and bodywork therapies
• Acupuncture
• The NADA protocol for addictions
• Cranial electrical stimulation for PTSD, insomnia, and optimal cognition
• When to refer

Unique Issues Across the Lifespan

• Children: Supporting sleep, focus, mood and attention
• Alternatives to psychotropics for ADHD
• Middle life: Peri-menopause, menopause, andropause
• Preventing cognitive decline
• Nutrition and integrative methods to support people with dementia and their caregivers

Apply Techniques Within Your Scope of Practice

• Ethics, law and competency
• Nutritional therapies
• Culinary medicine
• Behavioral medicine
• Nutritional supplementation
• Herbal medicine
• Hydrotherapies for mood management
• Bodywork therapies
• Acupuncture and cranial electrical stimulation
• Sound and music for insomnia and mood
• Stage appropriate yoga for anxiety, pain and PTSD
• Integrative detoxification for addiction

Build an Integrative Health Team

• When and where to refer clients
• How to find the right provider
• Questions to ask before referring
• Develop a niche practice as a certified specialist
• Professional organizations and more training
• Controversies and hot topics