
Let me start by apologizing for my leave of absence. It was never my intention to leave you hanging or let you think that I forgot about you. Quite the opposite. I’ve been thinking about how I can offer more to help you and anybody else that comes across my little corner of the internet.
Life has been crazy and full of changes since my last post, even before the pandemic started. We had losses and challenges, but also a lot to be grateful for. The beginning of the school year was extra exciting this year because not only did my daughter start kindergarten and my son 1st grade, I also started back at school! I spend the last half of 2019 completing a certificate in Nutritional Psychology through JFK University. As soon as I finished that, I started working on a Master’s degree in Nutrition at the University of Bridgeport.
Why am I going back to school at 36 years old? Over the past year, I had an epiphany about what I want to do “when I grow up”. Building Taste Abounds has been a wonderful experience. I enjoy developing recipes and learning food photography has been a blast! But I miss the work I did as a nutritionist before my kids were born.
As often happens when you’re “meant” to do something, a series of events made my path clear. The time has come for me to step out of my comfort zone, to share more about my personal journey and jump into a gritty conversation that is just starting to gain traction – the conversation about mental health. It’s scary to think of sharing so much, but I’m going to take a leap of faith and join the conversation. As part of it, I’ll be rebranding my blog.
Taste Abounds will soon be Neurons and Nourishment
You’ll still find the same great recipes that are low carb, keto, paleo and/or whole30 and always gluten-free because eating nutritious food is critical for mental health. More on that in a minute. If you’re here for the recipes, I want you to know that I’ll still share recipes! But I’ll be adding information and articles on nutrition for mental health, as well.
Why nutrition for mental health? Because in addition to the isolation of social distancing, a staggering and rapidly growing number of Americans are struggling with mental illnesses like depression and anxiety, and our children are being diagnosed with ADHD and autism at an alarming rate. Mental illness is painful and debilitating, but unlike most other chronic illnesses, it carries a stigma that prevents too many people from getting the help they so desperately need. But research is showing that relief may be as simple as a diet change. Tragically, most doctors and therapists receive little to no training about the crucial role nutrition plays in mental health. The result is that the world doesn’t know and those who are suffering don’t get the information they need to feel better.
It both breaks my heart and lights a fire under my ass at the same time. I want to help everyone struggling with depression or anxiety or has a child with ADHD or autism. It’s why I've spent the past eight months back in school, completing a certificate in Nutritional Psychology and starting a Masters in Nutrition that I'll be working on for the next couple of years. I want to be an influential voice in the conversation.
While the science behind the impact of diet on mental health fascinates me, I have to admit that my passion for this subject involves far more than that. The truth is, I have struggled with depression and anxiety my whole life. I know how crazy it can make you feel and how debilitating it can be.
My Journey through Depression and Anxiety
My battle with depression and anxiety began when I was a young. I can remember feeling hopelessly depressed and anxious when I was as young as 10 years old. I began self-medicating as a teenager and young adult. I managed to get good grades, hold a job and maintain a guise of success, but meanwhile I was numbing myself with whatever I could get my hands on. After years of living like this and trying to find a better way by myself, I decided that I needed help.
Eleven years ago, I started my own personal adventure of finding a treatment for my depression and anxiety. Life since then has been a rollercoaster. Five years of regular therapy and a radical diet and lifestyle change helped a lot for a while, but then postpartum depression hit and wow, it hit hard. Really hard. I did everything I could to work through it myself, but nothing touched it. I finally accepted that I couldn’t fix it myself and saw my doctor. He was shocked at the state I was in and recommended that I start on medication. I probably wouldn’t be here today if he hadn’t.
Digging myself out of such a deep, dark hole wasn’t as easy as just taking a pill. It took three different medications over the years, a lot of therapy, a lot of doctor visits and a lot of tests. All of that effort has paid off, though, because I finally have some answers.
It turns out that not only was my body totally depleted after making two small humans, my genes made it difficult for my body to recover. It explained why nutrition and lifestyle alone didn’t work for me. Armed with this knowledge, I now know how I have to eat and the supplements that I have to take. That, along with counseling and neurotherapy, has made a huge difference. I actually feel like a happy, functioning human being!
But I’ve been at the end of that dark, suffocating tunnel. I know how awful it is. Now that I’ve come out the other side, I want to help others find their way through. My sincere hope is that by sharing my personal story, all that I have done, what worked and all that I’ve learned along the way, I can offer some hope to others out there struggling with mental illness. I’ve made it through depression and anxiety and feel a million times better. So can you!
What to Expect
Recipes
By now, you have probably guessed that I’m going to tell you that a big part of keeping that brain of yours happy is eating a nutritious diet. You guessed right! But as a fellow foodie, I know how important it is to not only be nourished by your food, but also to enjoy eating it. Taste will still abound! I’ll transfer all of my recipes from Taste Abounds to Neurons and Nourishment and continue to share new recipes. Curious how I eat or what I feed my family? I’ll share my meal plans, which will include my recipes and recipes from others, in my newsletters to subscribers. If you need information on nutrition for mental health or help planning nutritious meals for you or your family, sign up below!
Information
In addition to recipes, I’ll share research, resources, and more details about everything I’ve tried over the last 11 years. At the end of my masters degree, I plan to put all that information together into classes that I will offer online and in person. I also plan to offer nutrition consulting both in-person and online. All of that is a little ways away, but of course I’ll post updates! In the meantime, you’ll be able to find plenty of information and inspiration on my new blog, Neurons and Nourishment.
So there you have it – my plans for my blog and the next few years of my life. I bet you didn’t expect all of that when you started reading this! But in all seriousness, I can’t wait to see where this road goes, and I hope you’ll join me. I have a lot more recipes and tons of helpful information to share. I hope it helps you find the relief that I’ve found, and I hope that together, we can change the way people think about diet and mental health.
XOXO,
Laura
I wish you well in everything you do. I, too, struggle with depression, but I can say that I am successfully medicated, unlike my poor mother who never got treatment for it. And, I am from Connecticut originally and lived there again for 5 years in Easton, CT! And my daughter's favorite nanny was a student at the University of Bridgeport! Small world, right? Stay safe during this trying time, and happy!
Alene, Thanks for your comment and for sharing that you are from CT near the University of Bridgeport. It is such a small world!
I'm glad that you have found relief for your depression. Sometimes diet changes are all that is needed to feel better, but sometimes medication is necessary. If you mother does not want to take medication, I hope she can find some relief from diet and supplements. Julia Ross, author of the Mood Cure, and James Greenblatt, MD, an Integrative Psychiatrist in the D.C. area, have both put a lot of great information out there. I hope it can help her!
I hope you stay safe and happy during these crazy times, too!
Laura
https://waterfallmagazine.com
Great site. A lot of helpful information here. I am sending it to some friends ans additionally sharing in delicious.
And naturally, thank you on your effort!
Thank you for the comment and for sharing! 🙂
Your story sounds so similar to mine!! I've struggled with anxiety and depression since I was a kid and never really made any friends throughout my school years because I was just too down. I covered it up pretty well throughout my 20's and 30's and really didn't realize I was truly depressed until a couple of years ago when I sustained a running injury (overuse of body) and my only coping mechanism (exercise) was stalled. The depression flooded over me and my body went haywire, muscle fasiculations non-stop, crying 24/7, no motivation or desire for anything. I tried ALL the diets, Keto sent my body into a deeper depression (further lack of seretonin via carbs which is produced by the gut) and I couldn't sleep more than 20 minutes at a time for a total of about 2 hours a day. Once I started taking an antidepressent things evened out but it did take some time. I've been able to really bolster my mental health again with plenty of probiotics, other forms of exercise, the right AMOUNT of healthy carbs, PLANT FOOD, and ..... freezing cold showers ... lol!!! I'm intrigued by the ability of cold water to reduce depression symptoms. If you read all of this, THANK you and also THANK you for taking an interest in the field of nutritions effect on mental health. I can't wait to see what the next 20 years brings in the health field in regards to what effect food has on our mental health. Exciting that you are studying it! I hope you share tidbits!
Misty
Thank you for sharing your story, Misty!
Everyone is so different. We all have different experiences and different genes, and as a result, different things will work for each of us. I'm glad you figured out what works for you and that you're feeling better!
I also can't wait to see what the next 20 years brings in the field of nutrition for mental health. A lot of research was done on the topic decades ago, but it pretty much stopped when pharmaceutical drugs were introduced as a widespread solution to psychiatric disorders. There are some brilliant nutritionists, psychiatrists and doctors that are pioneering a renewed interest in nutrition for mental health, and I hope it takes the world by storm!
BTW, I'm not surprised to hear that cold water helps. My therapist recommended cold water to stop a panic attack awhile back, and it worked! So simple, yet so effective. It's great to find solutions like that!
I'm definitely planning to share what I learn as fast as I can. I hope you'll stay tuned and share your thoughts again!
XOXO,
Laura
I'm still learning from you, while I'm trying to reach my goals. I definitely love reading everything that is written on your blog.Keep the posts coming. I liked it!
Thanks for your comment. I'm glad you enjoy my blog!
I抳e recently started a blog, the information you provide on this site has helped me tremendously. Thanks for all of your time & work.