Mental Health Healing
A carnivore diet brings about profound improvements in mental health, mood and energy. To understand the mechanisms by which this takes place, you must first understand how the gut and brain are connected. The brain and gastrointestinal system are intimately connected, often referred to as the gut-brain axis. The two organs are connected physically and biochemically in the following ways:
Your gut and brain are connected through chemicals called neurotransmitters, which are produced in the brain and control your feelings and emotions. One of these neurotransmitters is serotonin, which contributes to feelings of happiness and helps to run your body clock. But your brain isn’t the only place that produces neurotransmitters, many are produced in your gut by your gut cells and the microbes that live there. A very large proportion of your serotonin is produced right there in your gut, as well as GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) which helps to control feelings of anxiety and fear.
Neurons are cells that are found in your brain, gut and central nervous system. The 500 million neurons in your gut are connected to your brain via nerves in your nervous system, one of the biggest of which is called your vagus nerve which sends signals in both directions (gut to brain and brain to gut). There have been studies that show that persons with IBS or Crohn’s disease had reduced vagal tone meaning a reduced functioning of the vagus nerve. And many of us know that stress can cause gastrointestinal problems because it inhibits the signals sent via the vagus nerve. Animal studies (as much as these turn our stomachs) have shown that feeding mice a more beneficial gut food reduces the amount of stress hormone in their blood. Yet, when the vagus nerve was severed, it had no effect on their stress hormones in their blood. This shows the critical two-way role that the vagus nerves plays and it is worth noting this animal study because many illnesses (physical and mental) have been traced back to vagal nerve damage (car accidents, falling off a horse or motorbike etc). Once the vagus nerve (and gut-brain, brain-gut messages) are impacted, your health can be severely impacted. Stretching, good posture and the assistance of physiotherapists and osteopaths can help to ensure that the spine is aligned so that the communication flow is open.
Your gut contains trillions of microbes that make other chemicals that affect how your brain works. Brain activity can also be reduced based upon what you eat. Some gut microbes help to form the barrier between the blood and the brain (the blood-brain barrier). Your gut microbes also metabolise amino acids and bile acids to produce chemicals that affect the brain. Stress and social disorders were shown in animal studies to reduce the production of bile acids by gut bacteria and even alter the genes involved in their production.
Your gut-brain axis is connected through your immune system. Your gut plays a significant role in your immune system and inflammation. It controls what goes into your body and what gets passed out as waste. If you have consumed something that has triggered your immune system, and your immune system stays switched on for an extended period, this can lead to inflammation which has been associated with a number of neurological disorders, such as Alzheimer’s and depression. Further, some gut bacteria make inflammatory toxins (such as Lipopolysaccharide), that can pass through a compromised gut barrier into the blood stream and cause inflammation. High levels of Lipopolysaccharide in the blood and inflammation have been linked with many neurological disorders including dementia, schizophrenia and major depression.
So, what is all this telling us? That it would be incredibly challenging to maintain optimal mental health where the gut is compromised. And that it would also be incredibly challenging to maintain gut health and wellness where your mental wellbeing is compromised. It may also sound like a bit of vicious cycle and downward spiral, and it may have even felt that way for you too.
Your brain and your gut are not independent of each other, they cannot exist separately. So, you need to start looking at them like they are a team. By nurturing your gut, you are nurturing your brain. By nurturing your mind, you are nurturing your body. This is the cycle and upwards spiral that we are aiming for.
So, what’s the problem then? …
Only that EVERYTHING you’ve ever been taught about nutrition is wrong! What chance did you, your gut and brain have! They’ve been fighting an uphill battle this whole time.
And this is NOT YOUR FAULT, we were never armed with the correct knowledge or guidance needed to sustain our bodies and brain’s nutrient stores. And the environment we exist in and the lifestyles we lead in current society aren’t supportive of our basic health and wellness needs.
And you are not alone. Mental illnesses have been on the rise for some time and it’s sadly affecting our youth now more than ever. The increase in depression, anxiety, OCD, autism, ADD and ADHD is heart breaking! And evidence that the system is broken!
This is where a carnivore lifestyle can be of so much benefit. The diet itself will nourish and repair your gut, body and brain by restocking your depleted nutrient stores and the lifestyle will support your overall health and wellness. Many hundreds of thousands of people worldwide have had complete reversal of a variety of mental health conditions, including tapering off all medications. The individual stories go beyond mental health healing and yield remarkable improvements in physical health and wellness also. The zero-carb nature to the carnivore diet leads to a zen feeling of improved mood, increased tolerance to stress and general feelings of serenity. The improvements truly are remarkable and difficult to describe, you need to experience it for yourself! And there are several mental health professionals in support of a carnivore lifestyle.
If you’ve made the decision that you are worth it and are all-in for giving it a try we’d love to have you join us on our Facebook page @carni-mumma australia where you can share in our carnivore journey and we can help support yours too. We are extremely compassionate about helping with the practicalities of implementing a carnivore diet and lifestyle to gently and kindly restore your body’s nutrient stores to enable it to heal. We need to end this needless suffering and endless frustrations over inadequate health care. Let us embark on a healing journey together, to strengthen, heal and nourish your mind and body in a supportive environment. We hope that you’ll take that leap of faith, you deserve to be well and happy. We recommend that you aim for an extra slow, gentle and kind transition, with a strong focus on mindset.
In all cases, work with your mental health professional, particularly where tapering off medications is involved. Whilst Carnivore Lifestyle Australia is here to support your journey and are confident that the correct fuel will help to restore your health, we are not mental health professionals. If your life is in any danger please contact 000 immediately. If you are feeling overwhelmed or having difficulty coping, please call:
13 11 14 (Lifeline Australia, 24/7 Crisis Support and Suicide Prevention)
0477 131 114 (Lifeline Text, from 12pm to Midnight AEST)
The following resources are Dr. Georgia Ede, MD – a Harvard-trained, board-certified psychiatrist. Dr. Ede’s focus is nutritional psychiatry, and she speaks out about the strong scientific connection between diet and brain health:
Mood and Memory: How Sugar Affects Brain Chemistry- Georgia Ede, MD
[Mar 2016]
Dr. Georgia Ede – ‘Our Descent into Madness: Modern Diets and the Global Mental Health Crisis’
[Apr 2018]
CarnivoryCon 2019: Georgia Ede, MD – “The Brain Needs Meat: Mental Health Benefits of the Carnivore…”
[Apr 2019]
Dr. Paul Saladino touches on the benefits to mental health and schizophrenia in his video below:
Paul Saladino: Is Nose-to-Tail Carnivore the Optimal Human Diet?
[Jul 2019]
Real stories from real people with real results (anecdotal, but a mass world-wide human experiment):
The Carnivore Diet Healed My Depression
[Jul 2021]
Emily conquers bipolar disorder, depression, and Multiple Sclerosis with a carnivore diet
[Apr 2021]
Carnivore is Best Diet Depression and Anxiety, Says Amber O’Hearn
[Jun 2020]
Healing Mental Health w/ Keto Carnivore Diet – Juilliard Music Student Talks Anxiety & Depression
[Oct 2020]
Meat Healed My Depression ft. Mikhaila Peterson
[Sep 2020]
Sisters Say a Meat-Only Diet Has Made Them Healthy
[Jan 2020]