Mental and Metabolic Health Disorders are Bidirectional and Inseparable
Metabolic psychiatry is an exciting and emerging field presently exploring the restorative effects of nutrition in the scope of treatment for serious mental health disorders. The foundation for metabolic psychiatry rests on the past few hundred thousand years of human evolution when significant shifts in nutrition (increased protein and energy dense fat) and food preparation (cooking with fire) allowed for relatively rapid brain growth and development. If we fast-forward through 300,000 years to the past 50 years, we observe a significant reversal in nutrition (increased sugars) as well as food preparation (ultra-processed). It’s not surprising that with this relatively recent reversal, more than half the US adult population are now suffering with metabolic health disorders (resulting in 1400 premature deaths every day). In many cases, these illnesses and premature deaths are both preventable and treatable. Current lifetime statistics project that 50% of the adult population will experience psychological conditions such as anxiety or depression. By 2030, 50% of the US adult population (130 million) will likely meet the criteria for obesity. This is problematic and exponential; mental and metabolic health disorders are bidirectional and inseparable.
Ketogenic and Low Glycemic Eating Styles Support Brain Functioning
There’s no question from gut-brain studies, studies of neurochemistry, dementia and other brain disorders that ketogenic or similar styles of low glycemic eating, as well as supportive lifestyle practices can help restore brain functioning, quality of life, and longevity. The Greeks understood long ago that “healthy mind in a healthy body” was the key for physical and mental health; longevity and contentment. They set the foundation for modern lifestyle medicine with their focus on nutrition, exercise, rest, stress reduction, social connectivity and moderation. Factors we know support brain functioning and mental health wellness. Metabolic disorders share high cross-over rates with mental health disorders and cognitive functioning. Knowing that mental and metabolic health are bi-directional and inseparable, logic would suggest that people suffering with these challenges would be quick to change their ways in support of longevity, but…the data suggest otherwise.
Information Alone Doesn’t Motivate Change
In part it’s because like ourselves, our patients live outside the neat confines of laboratory science; living and experiencing life through unpredictable, or even messy social dynamics that uniquely and deeply influence perception, beliefs, and behaviors. We are seldom motivated to make significant behavioral changes based on information alone. Motivation that inspires consistent lifestyle or behavioral change rests on introspection; the process of evaluating or exploring how new information aligns with our beliefs or values, that in turn drives or guides our behavior. Introspection is the process that ultimately yields actionable insight. Actionable insight can be thought of as the catalyst that informs and inspires our willingness to consistently realign impulsive or past behaviors with our present strengths, values and goals. In time, consistency helps us develop new routines that overcome our brain’s deep-seated resistance to change.
Mental Health Disorders Often Undermine Behavioral Change
Active mental health disorders such as anxiety, depression, trauma, relationship problems, attention deficit disorders, and addiction (to name a few) often undermine an individual’s efforts at implementing sustainable behavioral change. If we’ve learned anything from addiction medicine, it’s that unchecked; past triggers, (emotional or cue-induced) impulsively prompt past behaviors. It’s my humble opinion that for many of our patients, psychological support, guided introspection, as well as retraining the reward center of the brain, will be fundamental to the success of metabolic psychiatry. I’m not entirely alone in this line of thought. With the advent of GLP-1 prescribing for the treatment of obesity, and the rapid weight regain following discontinuation, in its December 2025 guidelines, the World Health Organization (WHO) made the recommendation that weekly counseling sessions with a therapist (one-on-one, or in groups) is an important component of intensive behavioral therapy.
The Patient as Primary Stakeholder
It takes a cross section of providers to satisfy the holistic elements of integrated care. That said, for mental and behavioral health recovery, we support your patients with the mental health support and encouragement to become the primary stakeholder in their own recovery. This transition is achieved through cognitive restructuring and other therapeutic modalities designed to challenge perceptions such as low self-efficacy and self-worth, as well as negative emotions and unhealthy behaviors.
Empower Your Patients
BreakThrough! courses are structured to put the hard work of recovery on the clients and help alleviate provider burn-out. Whether patients use the course workbook (with over 170 topics and 560 introspective exercises) with provider supervision, or our weekly online groups, the client becomes the stakeholder in their recovery! We hope you’ll take a close look at how BreakThrough! and our innovative resources may be integrated into your organization or practice to help your patients achieve sustainable tools for recovery.
Dr. Heather Hamilton
Founder Team BreakThrough!
