Have you ever noticed how what you eat can change how you feel? It’s not in your head, nutrition plays a real role in mental wellness and recovery.

At Camber Mental Health, we understand that what we eat is crucial in how we feel, think and heal. That’s why nutrition is so important to our holistic approach to mental health care.

Whether it’s a teen struggling with mood swings and energy crashes during a stay in our youth program, or an adult experiencing low appetite and emotional exhaustion while in short-term inpatient care, our expert care team thoughtfully designs meals to nourish both the body and mind. Explore how nutrition affects our mental health and wellbeing, the significance of mindful eating and how we approach nutrition at Camber.

How Nutrition Impacts Mental Health and Wellbeing

Nutrition and mental wellbeing are inextricably linked, making it an invaluable part of mental health care. Camber Mental Health’s registered dietician, Kristin Porter, explains that a nutrient-dense diet is vital for mental and emotional health. “Nutrition supports your brain function, mood regulation and mental clarity,” explains Porter.

“So a nutrient-dense diet can reduce inflammation, improve your gut health and cognitive function, which can help with stress management.” — Kristin Porter, Dietitian

Porter compares fueling our bodies with food to the way vehicles are fueled with gas. If you make sure your car is full of high-quality fuel, it will run better! After all, cars can’t run on empty. Similarly, if we provide our bodies with more nutritious foods, we’ll be healthier overall, both physically and mentally.  

Kristin Porter, Camber’s registered dietitian, compares nutrition to fueling a car—better quality fuel leads to better performance. Similarly, if we provide our bodies with more nutritious foods, we’ll be physically and mentally healthier overall.

Key Nutrients for Mental Wellness

Eating the proper nutrients to boost brain health and mental wellness is important! Here are the nine key nutrients that help to regulate mood and improve brain health: 

Feeling overwhelmed? Don’t worry! Nutrition is about progress, not perfection. Nutrition for mental health centers on doing our best each day and eat a more balanced, nutritious diet. No one can hit every nutrient, but when we can aspire to incorporate some foods that help mental health, we’re setting ourselves and our families up for success. 

Mindful Eating and Mental Health 

Mindful eating combines mindfulness with meal and snack time by making eating an intentional part of the day. It involves focusing on what you eat, from the taste in the moment to how it makes your body feel.  

Porter describes mindful eating as “improving emotional regulation by increasing your awareness of triggers and behaviors.” Rather than a diet that focuses on what not to eat or portion control, mindful eating is about letting your body tell you what you need and tuning in to hunger and fullness cues. Mindful eating also shifts the story surrounding “good foods” and “bad foods.” All foods can be good foods in moderation, and mindful eating focuses on providing our bodies with what they need. 

Mindful eating has many health benefits, including: 

• Reducing stress and anxiety 

• Cutting out food noise and guilt around overeating 

• Fostering a positive relationship with food through a more balanced approach 

• Enhancing digestion and gut health 

• Even supporting weight management, as you build greater awareness of hunger and fullness cues 

For parents and caregivers wanting to help their child with mindful eating, starting with a simple conversation can help. While enjoying a meal, talk to your child about the flavors and feelings they’re experiencing with the food they’re eating. For example, how does the crunch of a carrot feel in your mouth when you bite? How does the sweetness of a grape make you feel? Just thinking about and talking about what we’re eating helps us get in tune with what our bodies need! 

What do Patients Eat at Camber?

At Camber, we take a collaborative approach to care. This means all of our mental health professionals, on-site primary care physicians and nutrition staff work together to develop menus and meal plans that further aid in recovery. Porter is a big believer in the power of collaborative care. “It ensures the treatment that we do — whether it’s through medication, advice, therapy or on the food side of things — is a synergy between mind and body,” she says.

Individualized Nutrition Plans That Adapt Over Time

Unlike a typical nutrition plan, a patient’s care team monitors and adjusts the plan on an ongoing basis, taking into account everything from food allergies to likes and dislikes. As Porter reviews patient referrals, she can make adjustments to an individual’s nutrition plan based on feedback from staff so they are continually supported in care.

So, What’s on the Menu?

We’re able to accommodate a wide variety of needs within our nutritious, delicious meal options! As Porter explains, “We deal with a lot of food allergies, we deal with a lot of picky eaters or even health challenges like diabetes and specific nutrition needs. Those all could lead to potential deficiencies if they’re not properly managed.”

Meals vary depending on Camber’s location, always considering the nutritional needs of each patient. Our team works hard to find meals that are a hit with a wide variety of patients! Breakfast generally features milk, juice, cereal, a warm breakfast entree and other choices. Lunch and dinner usually include a protein (like chicken or chicken fingers), a starch (like mashed potatoes or rice), a vegetable, fruit and milk. Plenty of healthy snacks are available between mealtimes too.

Nutrition Needs for Youth vs. Adults 

We serve a variety of patients at Camber, from young children through adults. As a result, the nutritional needs and preferences of our patients differ drastically. Children and teens are experiencing a lot of growth and development, along with hormonal changes. They also tend to have higher activity levels than adults. All of this means they tend to need more calories with their height and weight than adults.  

For children, a healthy diet and eating regular meals are important for blood sugar regulation, as this can directly impact their mood. Several studies have shown a direct link between irregular blood glucose levels and problematic behaviors in children, with behaviors being more frequent in adolescents with higher blood glucose levels. 

Nutrition for Eating Disorder Recovery 

Nutrition is a cornerstone for healing from an eating disorder, since food is directly connected to many triggers and body image struggles faced by adolescents, teens and adults. The right nutrition is essential for restoring the physical, mental and emotional health of these patients. “As their body heals, that improves their psychological wellbeing by restoring hormone balance, energy levels and brain function,” explains Porter.

“If those have all been at a deficit, they’re just not working as well. Proper nutrition is vital for rebuilding a healthy relationship with food.”  

Our goal at Camber is to support long-term recovery, even for patients who are only with us for a short stay. The care team takes the length of stay into consideration and offers appropriate foods with a detailed understanding of the patient’s preferences and triggers. To make eating disorder recovery a safe and supportive experience, the environment surrounding meals needs to be just as safe and supportive.  

Porter uses the analogy of going to a buffet dinner right after recovering from the stomach flu. Your body isn’t used to even seeing so much food, let alone eating more than very small portions. In the same way, it takes time to rebuild portion sizes to a healthy level when recovering from an eating disorder. “We have to nourish the body, but we also have to address that emotional and psychological side of things with eating, because eating is psychological,” says Porter. 

Nutrition and Wellness with Camber 

Whether you have a child with nutritional difficulties connected to a behavioral health challenge or are personally struggling with an eating disorder, Camber provides compassionate care at our inpatient hospitals and residential treatment centers. Our dedicated care team is with you every step of the way, from therapy and physical health to supporting your nutrition with foods you enjoy.  

Learn more about admissions and referrals here or by calling (913) 890-7468.