Nourishing the Nervous System:

How Food and DBT Skills Work Together to Calm the Mind

We can all feel stressed at times. Life demands us to juggle, school/work, social and daily problems that leave us feeling “on edge”. Yet, the way we eat and respond to our emotions can teach our bodies and brain how to manage stress. Using Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) tools with mindful food choices can help us nourish both body and mind.

Understanding the Nervous System and Stress and Mindfulness

When the body notices stress, it turns on a part of our nervous system, preparing our “fight, flight, or freeze” response. Long-term stress can lead to feeling tired, worried, and drained. Linehan (2015) emphasizes observing our emotions without judgment. This same principle can be applied to food choices: pause, notice hunger cues, and choose foods that comfort and sustain, rather than numb. (Linehan, 2015)

Feeding Calm: Stress-Reducing Foods

The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (EatRight.org), shares with us some foods that can reduce stress and support moods:

• Omega-3 fatty acids (found in salmon, chia seeds, and walnuts) support your brain function appropriately and have fewer explosive emotions.
• Magnesium-rich foods such as leafy greens and avocados help the body relax.
• Fermented foods such as yogurt and kimchi promote gut health, which influences serotonin production (the happy hormone).
• Complex carbohydrates (quinoa, oats, and sweet potatoes) help keep energy steady throughout the day.

These foods are not about dieting, they’re about nourishing the nervous system so you can think clearly and feel more balanced. (Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, n.d.)

Eat the Rainbow

EatRight.org encourages us to “eat the rainbow”. That means filling our plates with colorful fruits and vegetables (Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, n.d.):

• Red foods (tomatoes, strawberries): heart and energy health
• Orange/yellow foods (carrots, oranges): immune and skin support
• Green foods (spinach, broccoli): stress reduction
• Blue/purple foods (blueberries, eggplant): brain and memory health

When we fill our plates with color, we also nourish our mood.

Rejecting Diet Culture: Intuitive Eating and DBT’s Radical Acceptance

The Intuitive Eating Bookby Tribole and Resch (2020) encourages rejecting diet culture and embracing the body’s natural cues for hunger, fullness, and satisfaction, helps us build a better relationship with food. DBT’s principle of radical acceptance aligns perfectly with this idea: we can’t change what we don’t first accept. (Linehan, 2015) (Tribole & Resch, 2020)

References

Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. (n.d.). Eat the rainbow: Why you should eat a variety of fruits and vegetables. Retrieved from EatRight.org: https://www.eatright.org

Linehan, M. (2015). DBT Skill Taining Manual. The Guilford Press.

Tribole, E., & Resch, E. (2020). Intuitive eating: A revolutionary anti-diet approach (4th ed.). St. Martin Griffin.