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Optimum Nutrition for the Mind
When I first met Ollie, he wasn’t hearing voices in his head but ethereal music. He had been diagnosed with schizophrenia and regularly consumed alcohol, cigarettes and recreational drugs. Within six months he had weaned himself off stimulants, started eating a nutritious diet and taking basic supplements. At a recent follow-up consultation he told me that he had improved to such an extent that he no longer heard strange music or required medication.
The World Health Organization reports that mental health problems are fast becoming the number-one health problem and that we are becoming more and more mentally ”unhealthy“. In the UK, we consume 532 million tranquillisers, 463 million sleeping pills and 823 million antidepressants every year. The Food and Drug Administration has just approved Prozac for children.
”Optimum Nutrition for the Mind“ by Patrick Holford (published by Piatkus) is an important new book to read if you feel anxious and depressed for no particular reason. It’s essential reading if you fear you might be losing it. Holford is a top nutritionist with a special interest in the biochemistry of mental health problems, ranging from attention deficit disorder to Alzheimer’s and manic depression. He has worked with thousands of people suffering from such problems and his book attempts to unravel the underlying biochemical causes.
Holford says that ”any intelligent person can recognise that our diets have changed radically in the last 100 years, along with our environment. When you consider that the body and brain are entirely made from molecules derived from food, air and water, and that simple molecules like alcohol can fundamentally affect the brain, isn’t it unlikely that changes in diet and the environment have had no effect on our mental health?“ With mental problems rising at such a pace, it may be time to explore a new way of thinking about the state of our minds.
His new book explains how sugar and stimulants can make you stupid and how to improve your IQ, memory and mood. He addresses hot topics like autism, suggests brain-friendly supplements to prevent dementia and demystifies schizophrenia. After 20 years of research and clinical experience, Holford brings a radical new approach to mental health to those who most need it. He also directs the Mental Health Project, which aims to establish out-patient clinics and halfway houses to help in the recovery of people with mental health problems.
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Says Holford ”The definition of insanity is to keep doing the same things and expect different results, and that’s exactly what we are doing with mental health problems. Most can be solved or, at least, considerably relieved with the right nutrition, together with the right psychological support and guidance.“
I suggest you run yelling and screaming wildly to the nearest bookshop. Frankly, you’d be crazy to miss out.
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For further background information and references on this topic, you may be interested in reading :
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Martina is a qualified nutritionist practising at The Dolphin House Clinic, Brighton (Tel: 01273-324790). email: martina@thehealthbank.co.uk
Article first published October 2003, Brighton Argus.
Copyright 2005 Martina Watts All Rights Reserved www.martinawatts.com
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