CCC 28-4_LR

CLINICAL PRACTICE

NUTRIENT-DENSE DIETARY PATTERNS, SUCH AS THE MEDITERRANEAN DIET, HAVE BEEN SHOWN TO REDUCE THE RISK OF DEVELOPING MDD.

true words of God.” The promise of perfect inner peace and mental health is clear and expressed in the form of a feast, thus eating a meal at the table of Christ. Food is a major component in the image of being nourished physically, mentally, and spiritually. The phrase takes on a literal meaning in the recent trend in psychology on the connection between nutrition and mental health (Marx et al., 2023). Clinical guidelines for lifestyle-based mental healthcare include diet as one of the eight core recommendations for Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). The recommendations include physical activities, smoking cessation, work-directed interventions, mindfulness-based and stress management therapies, sleep, diet, loneliness and social support therapies, and green space interaction (Marx et al., 2023). Assessing and intervening in these lifestyle determi nants of mental health is essential in the prevention and recovery of mental disorders. The lifestyle-based ap proaches could supplement other frameworks of ther apy and be used for early detection and intervention of emerging lifestyle targets of loneliness and social support, such as adults with MDD or the elderly. Marx et al. (2023) asserted that lifestyle-based approaches would enable the integration of biological science information. They recommended that lifestyle-based approaches form a core component of mental healthcare and that the benefits of allied professionals’ input be fully acknowledged (Marx et al., 2023, p. 2). Adults with MDD are less likely than the general popu lation to reach a minimum of 150 minutes of moderate ac tivity per week. In the same vein, inactive adults are more likely to become depressed. Evidence supporting dietary intervention for adults with MDD has grown in recent years. Nutrient-dense dietary patterns, such as the Medi terranean diet, have been shown to reduce the risk of de veloping MDD. On the other hand, diets high in ultra-pro cessed food are associated with a higher risk for depressive symptoms (Marx et al., 2023). The evidence does not claim that the Mediterranean diet is superior, but rather that any dietary pattern high in nutrient-dense, unprocessed foods may reduce depressive symptoms. Dietary advice should be personalized and aligned with ethical preferences and requirements for religious or spiritual beliefs. The evi dence is a guideline for creating a nutrient-dense diet in collaboration with the client, tailored to cultural and reli gious beliefs, but it is aimed at reducing the risk of MDD or improving symptoms. Food and eating matter to God. Ecclesiastes 9:7 (CSB) states: “Go, eat your bread with pleasure, and drink your wine with a cheerful heart, for God has already accepted your works.” “Food is for the stomach and the stomach for food…” (1 Corinthians 6: 13a, CSB). The dietary laws of the Old Testament were meant to establish Israel as a distinct

holy nation (Leviticus 11) and to keep them healthy. It was indicative of the unique covenant between God and His people. The symbolic meaning presented by these laws was to choose between pure and impure things. Currently, the observance of Old Testament dietary laws is still prac ticed in Judaism and some Christian groups, for example, some Nigerian Christians. The observance of Old Testa ment dietary laws by Nigerian Christians today is diverse and shaped by a mix of religious, cultural, health, and economic factors, rather than strict theological mandates alone (Chukwuma, 2022). In a Christian lifestyle-based approach to mental health, we should pay attention to the neuroscientists and their findings, as well as religious beliefs and practices. The development of a biblical lifestyle-based approach to mental health that includes all the recommendations would honor God and His Word, as well as guide God’s people into a healthy lifestyle, reducing the risks of MDD and other illnesses. An example of such an integrated in tervention program would be to follow biblical guidelines for behavior, such as the practice of gratitude and daily meditation on God’s Word; to reflect on implementing the meaning of Scripture to one’s lifestyle, and, if applicable, to MDD symptoms; to practice relaxation techniques with or without guided imagery; to have group meetings in parks or other suitable spaces in nature or take daily walks and keep a journal about what stood out about God’s creation. The central premise to keep in mind is found in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (CSB). These verses remind us that our bodies do not belong to us but are temples of the Holy Spirit. “Don’t you know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought at a price. So glorify God with your body.” ; Nicolene L. Joubert, Ph.D., is a

Counseling Psychologist and an Adjunct Professor of Psychology and Christian Counseling at Houston Christian University in Texas.

References Chukwuma, O.G. (2022). Old Testament dietary laws in contemporary African Christian practice. Verbum et Ecclesia, 43 (1), a2604. https:// doi.org/10.4102/ve.v43i1.2604. Marx, W., Manger, S.H., Blencowe, M., Murray, G., Ho, F.Y.Y., Lawn, S., … O’Neil, A. (2023). Clinical guidelines for the use of lifestyle-based mental health care in major depressive disorder: World Federation of Societies for Biological Psychiatry (WFSBP) and Australasian Society of Lifestyle Medicine (ASLM) taskforce. The World Journal of Biological Psychiatry, 24 (5), 333-386. https://doi.org/10.1080/1562297 5.2022.2112074.

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