Posted by Dr. James Bender
, DCoE psychologist
on February 28, 2012
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Army Spc. Logan Burnett picks out eggplant during a recent shopping trip in an effort to follow nutrition advice from his dietitians. (U.S. Army photo by Patricia Deal, CRDAMC Public Affairs)
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Dr. James Bender is a former Army psychologist who deployed to Iraq as the brigade psychologist for the 1st Cavalry Division’s 4th Brigade Combat Team out of Fort Hood, Texas. During his deployment, he traveled through Southern Iraq, from Basra to Baghdad. He writes a monthly post for the DCoE Blog on psychological health concerns related to deployment and being in the military.
Hello. Athletes looking for a performance edge, soldiers wanting to get through combat leadership training, people coping with mental health concerns, and those wanting an energy boost, can all benefit from the same thing: good nutrition.
Nutrition is important for everyone, not just people trying to lose weight. There’s a well-established link between nutrition and mental health. Neurotransmitters, chemicals inside the brain that are crucial for brain functioning, are derived from food. Also, there’s a relationship between nutrition and several psychological conditions like insomnia, depression and anxiety. This does not necessarily mean that poor nutrition causes these problems; it does mean the two are related. For example, while most obese people are not depressed, obesity is associated with higher levels of depression. Therefore, eating well is often a useful adjunct to mental health treatment.