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Last Friday, I saw Kris Carr, author of Crazy Sexy Diet, speak at the Tattered Cover Bookstore in Denver. Carr was diagnosed with epithelioid hemangioendothelioma, an incredibly rare vascular cancer, and has since adapted and promoted a vegan, high-raw lifestyle with a healthy dose of yoga. I've been following Carr since catching her documentary, Crazy Sexy Cancer, on TLC a few years ago, and I found a good deal of solace in her book of the same name when I was dealing with my own cancer diagnosis.
During her talk, Carr commented that physicians should attend to the impact of what we consume on how our bodies are functioning. I agree with this point, and would argue that ignoring this impact seems remiss. As a psychologist-in-training, this got me thinking: Should we be considering what our clients eat?
The training I've received in conducting intake assessments and providing therapy to clients has not included talking with clients about their diet. Given evidence that ways of eating, such as a high intake of trans fat and decreased levels of Vitamin D, are linked to depression, it sometimes feels as though food is the elephant in the room. When sitting with a client who is presenting with low energy, I find myself wanting to disclose the boost in energy I feel after drinking a fresh green juice or green smoothie of spinach, banana, and berries. Promising, of course, that you can't taste the spinach!
Getting into the intricacies of nutrition with clients would certainly be functioning outside of my area of competency, but I do wonder if we, as therapists, are missing something that could be beneficial to our clients.
What are your thoughts about bringing food into the therapy room?
