Full Course Description

Fundamentals of Food and Assessment Tools

Program Information

Objectives

Analyze nutrition-based physiological contributors to fatigue, depression, and anxiety to improve treatment outcomes.
Evaluate the connection between inconsistent eating patterns, the sympathetic nervous system, and emotional dysregulation.
Differentiate between mental illness versus nutritional and hormonal imbalances in clinical practice.
Construct a food diary to assist with treatment planning.
Provide psychoeducation regarding the impact of meal and sleep patterns on mental health via cortisol levels.
Appraise food choices that will improve energy and mental clarity.

Outline

Nutrition and Mental Health
The Body as Power Source

The 4 main body-based sources of energy
What do anatomy and physiology have to do with mental health?
What you need to know about the messenger system between the body and brain
How the skeletal and nervous systems interact
Impact of cortisol dysregulation on mood
Poor glucose regulation can present as or contribute to neuropsychiatric symptoms
Why routines of diet, sleep, breathing, and exercise are so important to mental health
The physiology of breathing and anxiety tolerance
Polyvagal theory and the trauma response
Potential problems with fad diets and lifestyle eating – fasting, keto, vegan, and more

Fundamentals of Food
Help Clients Understand How What They Eat Makes Them Feel

What is a healthy meal?
The 10 emotional food groups for stabilizing mental health
Meal composition and timing determines whether clients respond or react to stress
Protein, carbohydrates, and fats – the building blocks of nutrition
Diverse consumption of vegetables to support the gut biome and nervous system
The true impact of processed food on mental health
High-quality meals for anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, and ADHD
The relationships of acute and chronic emotional dysregulation with food
Lizard brain treats and meals to regulate mood, foster energy, and mental clarity
Food insecurity, food quality, and how to put an affordable meal together

Assessments for Nutrition and Mental Health
How to Get the Information You Need

Important body-based questions to ask with dysregulated clients
Pros and cons of the 24-hour food recall
Best practices for gathering and using a 3-day food diary
Well-validated tools to measure depression, anxiety, fatigue, and more
How therapists can use the review of medical symptoms
Steps to evaluating a food label and why it matters

Target Audience

Counselors
Case Managers
Social Workers
Marriage & Family Therapists
Psychologists
Addiction Counselors
Physicians
Nurses
Dietitians and Dietician Assistants
Occupational Therapists and Occupational Therapist Assistants

Copyright : 09/29/2022

Clinical Applications of the Mind-Body Connection

Program Information

Objectives

Differentiate common vitamins and nutrients involved in the formation of neurotransmitters.
Evaluate reasons why the gastrointestinal tract is considered the “second brain.”
Investigate the role of nutrition and gastrointestinal dysfunction in conditions that impact mental health.
Appraise the role of the immune system in mental health conditions.
Conduct three natural interventions to enhance vagal tone.
Construct an integrative care plan including lifestyle and nutrition changes.

Outline

Nutritional Psychology
Apply the Science of the Mind-Body Connection

The link between neurotransmitters and emotions
How nutrient deficiencies lead to neurotransmitter dysfunction
The role of inflammation and serotonin in autism, addiction, and more
Dopamine and dysbiosis – impact on mood
Norepinephrine, blood sugar dysregulation, anxiety, and PTSD
Schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and oxidative stress
Endocrine imbalances and psychiatric manifestations
How psychosocial interventions may help improve immune biomarkers
The gut as the second brain – basic understanding of the digestive system
Mindful eating practices to aid digestion and absorption
Impact of stress on the gut-brain axis
Dysbiosis and increased intestinal permeability in severe mental health conditions
Enhance vagal tone through natural interventions to reduce digestive disorders

Clinical Applications
How to Create a Healthy Lifestyle Plan for Your Client

Understand and harness the power of physiological rhythms
Circadian synchrony – nutrition, physical activity, and sleep
Stress, depression, and more symptoms of rhythm dysregulation
Chrononutrition – how the timing of meals matters
Why exposure therapy for PTSD might be more effective in the morning
Spotlight on Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
Cortisol, thyroid hormones, and PMS/PMDD
Rituals and lifestyle interventions for restoring circadian rhythms
Creating a healthy connection with self – promote rest and recovery
How to overcome negative self-worth that is an obstacle to new behaviors
Motivational Interviewing to resolve ambivalence about healthy habit change
Essential routine and recovery practices – breathing, movement, and more
Not just at bedtime – daytime sleep hygiene practices to get better rest
Co-regulation and social support networks
Adding novel stimuli to enhance neurogenesis and cognitive flexibility

Target Audience

Counselors
Case Managers
Social Workers
Marriage & Family Therapists
Psychologists
Addiction Counselors
Physicians
Nurses
Dietitians and Dietician Assistants
Occupational Therapists and Occupational Therapy Assistants

Copyright : 10/20/2022

Dietary-Related Mental Health Symptoms and Interventions, and Scope of Practice Issues

Program Information

Objectives

Investigate nutritional factors that may underlie mental health symptoms.
Analyze the potential usefulness of functional testing, elimination diets, and labs in treatment planning.
Describe the impact of the gut-brain connection on mental health.
Evaluate the role of inflammation in brain health.
Plan for ethical, safe, and legal use of nutritional psychology in clinical practice.
Develop an integrative care team and system for referrals.

Outline

Food as Medicine
Dietary-Related Mental Health Symptoms

Potential nutritional contributors to ADHD
Supplements for use in treatment of bipolar disorder
Deficiencies and excesses – anxiety and depression
Nutritional and herbal supplements in the treatment of OCD
“Fake” foods that might influence behavior
Food as information, energy, and connection
Sugar, artificial sweeteners, and mental health

Test, Don’t Guess
Functional testing, Elimination Diets, and Labs

Nuts and bolts to ordering tests
Understand the difference between “normal” and “optimal” results
When to choose an elimination diet
Potential risks and benefits of gluten free, paleo, keto, and more
Rotation diet and intermittent fasting
Organic or not organic – is it worth the price?
Helpful tips for buying organic foods
Best practices for collaborating with other professionals

The Gut as the Second Brain
Keys to Understanding the Digestive System

Your client’s unique microbiome and where it comes from
The balance of healthy and unhealthy gut bacteria
Interactions with diet, medication, and the environment
Probiotics and prebiotics
Nutritional and lifestyle strategies to reduce inflammation and its effects
Running on empty or an overfull tank – adrenal fatigue, dysregulation, and the HPA axis
Adrenal support 101 – nutrition, sleep, and stress management
Herbs and vitamins to improve mental health

Scope of Practice
Ethically, Safely, and Legally Use Nutritional Psychology

The importance of your client’s regular medical care
Address clients’ desire to stay on or stop medications
Nutritional therapies, culinary medicine, and more – who can practice, who needs to refer
How to build an integrative care team
What is functional medicine?
Developing a niche practice as a certified specialist
Limitations of the research and potential risks

Target Audience

Counselors
Case Managers
Social Workers
Marriage & Family Therapists
Psychologists
Addiction Counselors
Physicians
Nurses
Dietitians and Dietician Assistants
Occupational Therapists and Occupational Therapy Assistants