Dietitian and Nutritionist For Depression

A registered dietitian and nutritionist can implement numerous interventions to help manage depression. Here’s how:

• Have your current diet assessed by a nutritionist and dietitian who works with clients who suffer from depression.
• Work with a mental health dietitian for a dietary assessment for missing key nutrients that support mood and mental health.
• Discuss the essential role, but also limitations, diet can play in depression (depression nutrition 101).
• Review and discuss the importance of adequate overall intake of food energy.
• Provide healthful meal and snack combinations requiring minimal effort and preparation for low mood days.
• Work to add nutrient-dense foods to the diet such as vegetables, fruit, whole grains, legumes, nuts, seeds, lean proteins.
• Explore potential for choosing a dietary pattern that is anti-inflammatory, such as the Mediterranean diet.
• Build appropriate supplement protocol to meet nutritional deficiencies based on past and present eating (ideally complete nutrient profile blood work is provided–optional, and as needed only).
• Assess and correct eating behaviours that can contribute to worsening of symptoms (including, but not limited to, eating out, cravings, stress eating).
• Lead a discussion around additional herbal supplements that have strong clinical evidence.
• Support nutritional intervention with lifestyle factors, like exercise, stress management and seeking adequate supports.
• Learn how to regulate blood sugar levels to prevent common mental health concerns, such as irritability, brain fog, “hanger”, anxiety and excessive worrying.
• Promote the health of your digestive system (also referred to as the “second brain”) through optimal fibre intake and essential nutrients such as B vitamins, probiotics, fluids, and omega-3 fatty acids.
• Increase your intake of plant compounds, such as polyphenols and antioxidants, as needed to enhance brain function.
• Have a personalized meal plan for depression created.
• Work with an eating disorder dietitian to help manage disordered eating patterns, such as stress and emotional eating, if needed.
• In addition to working with a dietitian and nutritionist for depression, conduct sessions with a gut health dietitian and learn about the connection between the gut and the brain (and microbiota).
• Take advantage of our weight loss service to help you achieve a healthy weight, if desired.
• Work with a sports nutrition dietitian to help ensure you are fuelled for physical activity, which can help alleviate depression symptoms.
• Enlist the help of our practitioners for women’s health such as PCOS dietitian.
• You can also engage the services of a child dietitian, or a nutritionist for teenagers, as well as a family nutritionist.
• Address other conditions.
• Provide follow-up sessions to monitor progress, address additional concerns, answer questions and adjust the plan, if necessary.
• And more.