New Book, "Cooking To Cure" Highlights Overlooked Connection Between Mental Health and Nutrition

GREAT FALLS, Mont. - April 8, 2015 - PRLog -- A new book discussing the relationship between diet and mental health says that America’s love of junk food and fast food and the high incidence of mental illness compared to other countries may be more than coincidence. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 26 percent of the American population is currently diagnosed with mental illness compared to the global rate of 4 percent.  This could, in part, be due to a lack of nutrients in processed food compared to diets richer in less processed foods in other parts of the world says Angela Dailey, LCSW, a mental health therapist and author of the new book, “Cooking to Cure, A Nutritional Approach to Anxiety and Depression (http://www.amazon.com/Cooking-Cure-nutritional-approach-depression/dp/1508568146)”.

Each year in America an estimated 21 million people are diagnosed with depression (WHO). Nearly twice as many, or 40 million, will be diagnosed with an anxiety disorder.  Nutritional deficiencies are indicated in several mental disorders including anxiety and depression. “We simply cannot continue talking about mental health without talking about nutrition,” Dailey says.  “Diet is one of the overlooked cornerstones of mental health,” says Dr. Henry Emmons, psychiatrist and author of “The Chemistry of Joy” and “The Chemistry of Calm.” “After all, the brain can only function well by getting the right information from food.”

The 266-page quality trade paperback is a comprehensive guide that provides the tools for meeting nutritional needs by eating whole, healthy foods. Based on sound scientific research, this is a back-to-basics approach to healthy eating for optimal mental health.  “Cooking to Cure” focuses on balancing neurochemistry through nutrition and meal preparation.  The book also features a nutrient content table for zeroing in on critical nutrients in hundreds of foods and 45 gluten-free and refined sugar-free recipes for using real food ingredients in everyday meals.

“Cooking to Cure, A Nutritional Approach to Anxiety and Depression” is available now on Amazon.com (http://www.amazon.com/Cooking-Cure-nutritional-approach-d...) and can be ordered from bookstores everywhere. To learn more about eating right for mental health, visit the author’s website at MentalHealthFood.net.