Food and Nutrition

You might be surprised as to which mental illness has has the highest mortality rate. Depression is often linked to suicide, but isn’t always the cause of it. Substance use disorders like various drug addictions have soared in fatal overdose deaths, outnumbering car accidents and gun violence. Alcoholism can cause serious health complications and lead to alcohol influenced injuries. One of the most severe and deadly mental illnesses is anorexia nervosa. What Is Anorexia Nervosa? Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder in which someone heavily restricts their diet to the point of starvation. An unhealthy preoccupation with weight and body image leads to extreme dieting and exercise. According to the National Eating Disorder Association, “Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder characterized by weight loss...difficulties maintaining an appropriate body weight for height, age, and stature; and in many individuals, distorted body image.” Common behaviors of anorexia nervosa include:

In 2015, a study published in Brain and Cognition examined the reaction of the brain to images of food on social media platforms like Instagram. 63% of the news feeds scrolled through by devoted users of social media are filled with images of food. Today’s food snapshots aren’t just a quick pic of what you’re eating. There’s an entire culture behind photographing food that makes magazines look like amateurs. People go out of their way to bring their sweet and savory creations or dining options to life, evoking envy- and apparently a significant amount of brain activity, in everyone who merely gets to look. According to Fox, “the brain undergoes dramatic neurophysiological changes in response to food images that exacerbate physiological hunger.” In layman's terms, when you’ve just eaten and are scrolling through your social media news feed as you digest, seeing pictures of taste-bud tantalizing food can cause you to feel hungry. For some people, this can be problematic. Those with a tendency toward weight issues, like those who might be clinically obese, were more responsive to pictures of food after eating than those at a healthy weight. Your physical health, specifically your weight, might be directly correlated by how severely you react to pictures of food, despite having food in your stomach. Images alone are not the only problem. For many years researchers have investigated the growing amount of hours spent on social media which can lead to many physical health problems. First of all, technology addiction can lead to a decreased amount of exercise and poor eating choices. Second of all, overuse of social media has been linked to poor body image and the development of eating disorders. Getting Away From Social Media Munchies Have you found yourself raiding the pantry after scrolling through social media? Here are some tips for maintaining a balanced recovery lifestyle when it comes to social media

Diet and nutrition should be a focus in anybody’s plan for recovery when they are living with an anxiety disorder. Foods To Eat For Anxiety Eating foods which reduce energy and create more calm in the mind are helpful for living with anxiety.

Food can make or break your mood. We can see how food changes the way our mind and body chemistry works through some simple examples. Coffee, which is caffeine, a stimulant, revs our engine, bringing excitement to our mind and our body. Sugar, another stimulant, does the same. We become hyper, aroused, highly sensitive. Both substances can lead to a crash, a difficulty staying awake, feeling extra exhausted, and sometimes being particularly emotionally erratic. Another example is water. Without water we become dehydrated, which slows our cognitive functioning, brings our energy level down, and causes us to get cranky. No example is more evident than the phenomenon of “hanger” when someone gets so hungry their mood changes and they become very angry. Our brains rely on the fuel and energy food gives us. In fact, there are essential amino acids which the brain can only receive from food that it absolutely needs to function. Feelings, mood, and emotion all live in the brain, yet we feel it in our stomachs and control it from our stomachs. Multitudes of new research is being devoted to investigating the mind-stomach relationship and how certain bacteria, called “gut bacteria” created in the stomach as the result of eating certain foods affects the brain and how it works. For recovery from mental health disorders like depression, anxiety, and substance use disorders like addiction and alcoholism, eating a mood-focused diet is an important tool. The right food can help you manage your emotions, reduce your stress, Here are the most influential foods you can eat to boost your mood, brain activity, energy, and wellbeing: Salmon Salmon has all the omega-3 fatty acids and B12 vitamins your brain and body needs to optimum functioning. Avocado Put salmon and avocado together for a delicious treat. Avocado is a healthy fat, which the brain needs, as well as the bones in the body. Avocado also has high amounts of omega-3 acids. Green Vegetables Leafy greens and many other green vegetables have high levels of magnesium which the brain needs for managing serotonin and the body needs for relaxing the muscles. Berries Berries are packed with vitamins and nutrients. Eating a lot of fruit and berries helps train your body to appreciate a different kind of sugar outside of processed or refined sugar. Craving a strawberry over an ice cream will help the body and brain recover in a healthy way. Avalon By The Sea seeks to heal mind, body, and spirit. Each of our clients works with a nutrition specialist to create a specific diet plan. OUr residential programs include a private gourmet chef serving organic meals designed for encouraging recovery. For a confidential assessment and more information on our programs, call us today at 1 888-958-7511.

Obsession with idealized perceptions of perfectionism and body image are not taboo in today’s world. For decades, there has been an emphasis through the media on looking “perfect”. The age of digital alteration has made some of these goals and standards unattainable in reality. In the delusions of eating disorders, which alter the way people see themselves and perceive they are being seen by others, these “goals” really are attainable. Since someone with an eating disorder is convinced that they can achieve the perfect look, the perfect size, the perfect weight, and the perfect acceptance, they go to great lengths to achieve it. Should they fall short in any way, it results in deep emotional pain, self-punishment, and other repercussions. This is not a lifestyle choice. Nobody chooses the daily pain of having to loathe one’s appearance to the point of binging and purging and going to extreme lengths to maintain control over body image. Eating disorders like bulimia nervosa are diagnosable mental illnesses. Answering the question, “Is Bulimia Considered A Mental Illness?” LCSW and eating disorder specialist Gretta Gleissner responds for Huffington Post. Mental illness is defined as “a condition that affects a person’s thinking, feeling, or mood. Such conditions may affect someone’s ability to relate to others and function each day,” according to The National Alliance on Mental Illness. Gleissner explains, “Because the symptoms and causes of bulimia are rooted in genetic and environmental factors which can affect a person’s mental, emotional, and physical state, bulimia is considered a mental illness.”  Should bulimia nervosa go untreated, it can become “an extremely debilitating disorder”. The National Eating Disorder Association writes that bulimia nervosa “is a serious, potentially life-threatening eating disorder characterized by a cycle of bingeing and compensatory behaviors such as self-induced vomiting designed to undo or compensate for the effects of binge eating.” Symptoms can include:

Eating disorders are misunderstood to be extreme displays of a blatant refusal not to eat, obvious purging, and obvious bingeing. With eating disorders, there is always more than meets the eye.

Heart damage is a little known side effect of eating disorders. After years of binging, purging, and restricting cycles, the physiological effect of eating disorders takes a toll on the heart. When someone who has lived with ongoing eating disorder issues suddenly dies of a heart attack or heart failure, their cause of death is rarely labeled with their eating disorder. As a result, heart problems remain a hidden and deadly secret for eating disorder recovery. Anorexia Nervosa Anorexia is an eating disorder with the typical traits of starvation, restriction, and extreme compensation for food. Malnutrition and the actual physical state of starvation is common for those struggling with anorexia. The heart slows down during phases of starvation and restriction to create a condition called “bradycardia”. Heart failure is a high risk for severe cases of anorexia. Bulimia Nervosa Bulimia nervosa does not rely on restriction as much as it relies on purging. Someone with bulimia will not necessarily binge. When they do, they turn to purging to relieve themselves. Through dehydrating diuretics, or exhausting vomiting, people with bulimia can turn to extreme exercise and putting stress on the heart. “Tachycardia” is a condition where fluid loss makes the heart beat faster, causing someone to faint or have heart problems. For people whose bulimia includes purging and extreme exercise, they are in a constant state of dehydration, lacking in electrolytes which can cause arrhythmia. Arrhythmia can cause cardiac arrest. Binge Eating Disorder People with poor eating habits are aware of the damage they can cause their hearts. Cholesterol problems, clogged arteries, heart stress, blood pressure, and more can result from a poor diet like binge eating disorder. Constant changes in metabolism can make the way the heart functions change, causing a heart attack. EDNOS Eating Disorders Not Otherwise Specified can also have an effect on the heart. Any extreme changes in dieting, exercise, and food consumption will affect the strength and integrity of the heart. Staying Heart Healthy Treatment programs for eating disorders are placed under careful medical care. Doctors, cardiologists, and dieticians are always on hand to help restore the body and heart to a natural state. Avalon Malibu provides primary residential treatment for eating disorder recovery. Our private chefs help create heart-healthy meals according to each client's needs, determined by their work with dieticians and nutritionists. For a confidential assessment and more information on our programs, call 1 888-958-7511.

Eating disorders are complex and complicated mental health issues which can become life threatening without treatment. Supporting a loved one who has an issue with one of life’s necessities, food, can be challenging. Help Them Stop Talking About Weight Since weight and body image has been such a hyper-focus for so long, it might feel like a natural area of conversation to bring up when your loved one is in treatment and recovery for an eating disorder. Learning not to focus on weight and body image is something they are working very hard at. Even if they had reached dangerously low weights through anorexia nervosa and you want to comment they are looking healthier as they gain some weight- try to avoid these comments in the beginning. On the other hand, if someone had gained a dangerously high weight through an eating disorder like binge eating disorder, try not to comment on how thin they are looking. Underneath the surface of obsession regarding weight and body image are serious psychological issues they are working hard to sort out. For now, encourage them to keep working so hard in treatment. Leave The Guidance To The Therapists Getting a call from a loved one in treatment is a special yet also a frightening moment. You want to support them and help them in every way you can. Making sure those ways you chose are healthy is important. Remember, that though you are a parent, a spouse, or a dear friend, you are not a licensed professional certified in treating eating disorders. What you can do is:

Nutritional psychiatry is the term used to describe a new movement being taken on by mental health practitioners prescribing diet changes to their patients. Antidepressants, mood stabilizers, and other prescription medications, in addition to therapy and self-care have been a common prescription for many years. Doctors are always recommending a good balance of diet and exercise, as exercise has been relentlessly proven to decrease symptoms of mental health disorders like depression. With nutritional psychiatry, doctors are emphasizing the diet part of the program. Increasing research has found that there is an important connection between the stomach and the brain. For those in recovery, this is no more obvious than the experience of HALT- the way one’s mood can take a quick, steep turn south when someone gets too hungry. The science behind the connection goes deeper than being hungry or not. Gut bacteria is being proven to have an influence on mood, inflammation, and more. Different foods create different gut bacteria. Holding true to the theory, different foods can create different moods. Nutritional psychiatry argues that following a gut-bacteria and mood-specific diet could be helpful in treating depression. Creating a mood-enhancing specific diet could radically alter the holistic approach of mind, body, and spirit, when it comes to treating depression. According to The Big Think, “95% of your body’s serotonin is made in your gastrointestinal tract.” Serotonin is a critical neurotransmitter helpful in regulating and stabilizing mood. Often, depression is described as a chemical imbalance of serotonin and dopamine.

Sex is a physical act as much as it is an act of emotion, psyche, and spiritual connection. Engaging in physical, sexual intimacy is a physical closeness that makes many people uncomfortable. Low self-esteem, insecurity, vulnerability, and even trauma regarding sexual intimacy is not reserved for those who might struggle with a mental illness. However, it can be a particularly complicated area for those living with and recovering from eating disorders. Eating disorders are usually talked about with a focus on food, control, perfectionism, weight, and body image. These factors can contribute to difficulty in sexual intimacy. Because sex is so physically close, if someone is at odds with their physical appearance, sex can be triggering. Furthermore, if that physical appearance is still toxically connected to how one perceives themselves (i.e. “today I feel fat, so today I have low self-esteem”), it can cause a deep level of discomfort. The effects of eating disorder on one’s sex life can range from preventing intimacy due to insecurity. Eating disorder behaviors like restriction, starvation, and purging, can deplete the body’s natural energy as well as throw off normal hormonal balance. Finding a desire for sexual interaction can be challenging when there is hardly a desire to eat. The Double Edge Sword Of Eating Disorder Recovery And Sex Recovery from eating disorders is usually successful as a patient starts to normalize their weight, working through underlying issues contributing to the eating disorder, and learn to be more body positive. Working on raising levels of confidence and body acceptance leads to tremendous shifts in perception and sexual desire. Unfortunately, there is still the old programming regarding weight, body image, and being wanted. As sexual desire increases with weight gain, there could be a newfound insecurity in the body. Though the individual has learned to accept and embrace themselves, they are still aware of the shame, stigma, and stereotype which gets applied to the physical form and what is defined as sexually desirable. True Self-Intimacy Before getting intimate with others, recovery demands that we become most intimate with ourselves, in mind, body, and spirit. Eating disorders separate us from ourselves. Through recovery, we learn how to be close with ourselves, our bodies, and our minds, creating a holistic whole self once more. Avalon By The Sea provides primary mental health care for men and women needing to recover from eating disorders. Call us today for a confidential assessment and more information on our residential treatment programs at 1 888-958-7511.

Eating disorders can be life threatening and cause ongoing health complications without recovery. Recovering from an eating disorder is tedious because it involves something that every human needs to survive- food. Most of the world struggles with insecurities about food and body image. It is easy to project that onto someone who is struggling with an eating disorder. Here is a quick guide of what not to say, even when you might be thinking it:

Eating disorders are finally being given the attention they deserve in the media for both men and women. Once reserved for the deathly ill, eating disorder treatment has broadened its horizon. Most treatment centers offer treatment services for eating disorders as co-occurring disorders with substance use disorders or other mental health disorders. Binge eating disorder has become a nationally known eating disorder as research, celebrities, and treatment centers have come forward about its presence. Recently, Harvard University Medical School conducted what is being called the first national census of eating disorders. The survey found that binge eating disorder is the leading eating disorder compared to anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa.