Nutrition and Mental Health: a Handbook: An Essential Guide to the Relationship Between Diet and Mental Health

This handbook explains the science behind nutrition and its effects on mental health.

by Martina Watts

The role of nutrition is fundamental to human health and well-being. It is, however, often overlooked when treating people with mental health problems.

Nutrition and Mental Health: a handbook explains the science behind nutrition and its effects on mental health in a clear, accessible way. It helps readers to think about the complex and dynamic relationship between mental health, diet and nutrition. It explores how mental health and mental illness related factors, dietary factors and other social, biological and environmental factors interact to affect mental well-being.

About the Author

Martina Watts is a British Association of Nutritional Therapists and Complementary and Natural Healthcare Council registered nutritional therapist with a special interest in digestive, behavioural and immune conditions.

She is a member of the Professional Advisory Board at FAB Research and a committee member of the McCarrison Society for Nutrition and Health. She also works as an independent nutrition consultant providing training sessions for the private and third sectors on improving personal and organisational resilience and performance with nutrition science, most recently for the award-winning Fareshare Community Food network.

Martina has worked with Brighton and Hove Council to improve school meals, and with staff at a secure unit for young offenders in Greater Manchester to implement a cost-effective and successful healthy eating project.