top of page

A Quick Intro to Nutrition and Mental Health

Writer's picture: Emma DonovanEmma Donovan

You can improve your mental, emotional, and physical health through holistic nutrition.


Why Nourishing Food is Important

Nourishing food is vitally important not just for optimal physical wellness, but also for mental and emotional wellness. This is because nutrition provides the fundamental building blocks of micro and macronutrients that our bodies need in order to function optimally on every level, even down to the chemical and cellular level, according to the NTA.

 

Thus, abundant health depends on high-quality nourishment. Nourishing food helps make our bodies and minds more resilient to the challenges we will inevitably face in life, and nutrition has been linked to a good quality of life

I am a Functional Nutritionist and Nutritional Therapy Practitioner. I help people to support holistic health using nourishing food and lifestyle interventions. I also support individual bodily health and collective communal health by providing education and individualized guidance on nutrient-rich, properly prepared, and whole-food diets. I have gained my knowledge from the vast body of wisdom that comes from ancestral diets, modern scientific research, and experiential practice.


I Work With Nutrition Clients By...

  • Listening to your personal concerns, goals, life circumstances, and aspirations

  • Working alongside you to create an action plan customized specifically for you that you feel confident sticking to

  • Providing nutrition and lifestyle recommendations tailor-made specifically for your bio-individual needs so you can reach your personal goals, instead of providing one-size-fits-all recommendations

  • Empowering you to understand your own body, take ownership of your health, and take excellent care of your body for years to come


Why This Matters

You may wonder, “What does nutrition have to do with mental health?” Every single cell in our body is built from the food we eat. Nutrition deeply impacts our health, not just on a physical level, but on a mental and emotional level as well. Research shows that poor-quality diets are linked to impaired brain function whereas positive nutrition interventions have the potential to be psycho-protective. 

The fast pace of modern life has substantially changed our relationship with food over the past few centuries. Many of us have forgotten how to listen to our bodies, understand their signals, and nourish them properly. Many people don't feel well and want to reach greater wellness, but are lost and confused about how to do it.

 

Restoring a personal relationship with food, cooking, the earth, local farmers, and the wider community can yield tremendous benefits. These benefits counterbalance the stress, isolation, and lack of meaning that contribute to mental dis-ease and that plague not only my clients but many others as well.

 

While functional nutrition itself is not meant to diagnose, treat, or cure any disease, it can provide a powerful adjunct to the mental health therapy care you seek with me because nutrition empowers you to become more healthy and resilient on a physical, mental, and emotional level. 


If you're interested in learning more about functional nutrition, you can do so here.

Comments


Contact Me
Got a question? Want to connect professionally? Reach me here. 

Thanks for submitting!

Email: alternativetherapystl (at) gmail.com

If you are experiencing a crisis, for a mental health emergency, please contact St. Louis Behavioral Health Response at 314-469-4908 or the national suicide and crisis hotline at 988. Both numbers offer 24/7 support.

Subscribe To My Newsletter!
Learn more about my practice, receive important updates, and access free and helpful resources. Also, receive a free workbook about how to have helpful therapy sessions!

Thanks for subscribing!

© 2020-2025 by Emma Donovan, MA, LPC, LCPC and Alternative Therapy STL, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

NPI Number: 1093354979

bottom of page