Wasatchveg

During a break at school I leapt from my seat and headed out the door for some dinner.  Driving up the road and glancing in the rear-view-mirror now and again.  There was my professor on a Harley motorcycle just behind me, his long blonde hair whipping in the wind.  I pulled into a parking lot and he followed.  Park my car, grab my wallet, and it turns out that this long-haired Harley riding professor is going to the same restaurant I am.  Stepping off his bike, it’s obvious he’s well over six feet tall and built like an NFL linebacker.  Taking a better look at his bike, yeah, it’s a Harley and, yeah, he has a yoga mat tied to the back of it with a red bandana.

“I haven’t been here in like six years.  What do you get?” I asked.

“Can’t go wrong with a Cafe Rio salad,” he replied as he ordered. “No meat please.”  Hmmm this guy who looks like he can lift his Harley above his head is ordering a salad for dinner, hold the carne.

“Yeah I’ll have the same as him.”

Turns out my professor, Marty Mendenhall, Ph.D., LPC, is a longtime vegetarian.  Not only that but Marty completed his doctoral program at Saybrook Graduate School and Research Center in San Francisco specializing in spirituality and consciousness. He also completed a two-year post-graduate certificate program in Socially Engaged Spirituality at Saybrook. He has been employed by the Utah State Department of Juvenile Justice Services for twenty-two years working to incorporate and nourish the spiritual roots of restorative justice in the programs that he directs. Marty is also an adjunct faculty member at the University of Phoenix and provides mental health services for children who have been removed from home due to abuse and neglect. He owns and operates Mendenhall Martial Arts and Holistic Health Center in Pleasant View, Utah, where he advocates the harmonious development of mind, body, and spirit. He is a former Utah State Bodybuilding Champion and is certified by the National Strength and Conditioning Association as a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist and Certified Personal Trainer.

I asked him a few questions.  The interview continues as follows:

WasatchVeg (WV) You are a well respected professional in the field of Psychotherapy, especially dealing with youth.  Do you think diet plays a role in how healthy and well adjusted young people are in the psychological sphere?  How?

Marty Mendenhall (MM) Yes, diet influences the physical, mental, and spiritual health of all human beings. A person’s food intake affects mood, behavior, and brain function. The human brain has high energy and nutrient needs. Changes in energy or nutrient intake can alter both brain chemistry and the functioning of nerves in the brain. Intake of energy and several different nutrients affect levels of neurotransmitters. Neurotransmitters transmit nerve impulses from one nerve cell to another, and they influence mood, sleep patterns, and thinking. Deficiencies or excesses of certain vitamins or minerals can damage nerves in the brain, causing changes in memory, limiting problem-solving ability, and impairing brain function.

Several nutritional factors can influence mental health, including: overall energy intake, intake of the energy-containing nutrients (proteins, carbohydrates, and fats), and intake of vitamins and minerals. Often deficiencies of multiple nutrients rather than a single nutrient are responsible for changes in brain functioning.

The human brain is metabolically very active and uses about 20 to 30% of a person’s energy intake at rest. Individuals who do not eat adequate calories from food to meet their energy requirements will experience changes in mental functioning. Simply skipping breakfast is associated with lower fluency and problem-solving ability, especially in individuals who are already slightly malnourished. A hungry person may also experience lack of energy or motivation.

Chronic hunger and energy deprivation profoundly affects mood and responsiveness. The body responds to energy deprivation by shutting or slowing down nonessential functions, altering activity levels, hormonal levels, oxygen and nutrient transport, the body’s ability to fight infection, and many other bodily functions that directly or indirectly affect brain function. People with a consistently low energy intake often feel apathetic, sad, or hopeless.

Carbohydrates significantly affect mood and behavior. Eating a meal high in carbohydrates triggers release of insulin in the body. Insulin helps let blood sugar into cells where it can be used for energy, but insulin also has other effects in the body. As insulin levels rise, more tryptophan enters the brain. Tryptophan is an amino acid, or a building block of protein, that affects levels of neurotransmitters in the brain. As more tryptophan enters the brain, more of the neurotransmitter serotonin is produced. Higher serotonin levels in the brain enhance mood and have a sedating effect, promoting sleepiness. This effect is partly responsible for the drowsiness some people experience after a large meal.

Proteins are made up of amino acids linked together in various sequences and amounts. The human body can manufacture some of the amino acids, but there are eight essential amino acids that must be supplied in the diet. A complete or high-quality protein contains all eight of the essential amino acids in the amounts needed by the body. Generally, combining any two types of plant protein foods together will yield a complete, high-quality protein. Protein intake and intake of individual amino acids can affect brain functioning and mental health. Many of the neurotransmitters in the brain are made from amino acids. The neurotransmitter dopamine is made from the amino acid tyrosine. The neurotransmitter serotonin is made from the amino acid tryptophan. If the needed amino acid is not available, levels of that particular neurotransmitter in the brain will fall, and brain functioning and mood will be affected. For example, if there is a lack of tryptophan in the body, not enough serotonin will be produced, and low brain levels of serotonin are associated with low mood and even aggression in some individuals.

There have been a few studies done across the United States demonstrating that changing the diets of young people can decrease antisocial behavior. As I mentioned above, nutrients affect areas of the brain that regulate mood and behavior. Providing juvenile offenders with healthier foods, less sugar, and more nutrients appears to help them think more clearly and may increase their ability to control their behavior.

(WV) Have you ever incorporated dietary changes into the therapeutic process?  What was done and what results were noticeable?

(MM) Yes but to a very limited degree. While I was the director of a large secure facility we experimented with nutritional practices particularly reducing levels of refined sugar intake and saturated fats while increasing the amount of complex carbohydrates and lean sources of protein. No formal study was made concerning the dietary changes but it seemed in general that the youth made better choices and were more in control of their behaviors. My approach to helping others is holistic so I always advocate eating in a healthful way, regular exercise, daily meditation and yoga practice, daily stimulation of the intellect, and meaningful social relationships.

(WV) You mentioned earlier how active your lifestyle is.  Could you tell us more about that?  What types of physical activities do you engage in?

(MM) My day typically consists of several hours of exercise first thing in the morning followed by meditation practice. Typically I weight train, run, bike or swim, and then practice meditation before going to work. I also try to practice martial arts and/or yoga later in the day.

(WV) Some athletes, including bodybuilders, take certain energy or protein drinks to give them a physical boost.  Do you use anything like that?  What have you found that works for you?

(MM) I occasionally use protein supplements and creatine monohydrate.

(WV) Despite the many athletes who live and have lived on a plant-based diet, including Dave Scott (4-time Ironman winner), Andreas Cahling (Mr. International bodybuilding winner), Jack LaLanne (member of the National Fitness Hall of Fame and the “Godfather of Fitness”), Carl Lewis (10 Olympic Gold Medals), and Scott Jurek (7-time Western States 100 mile Endurance Run champion, 2-time Badwater Ultramarathon champion, 2-time Spartathlon Champion), vegetarians are still stereotyped as being feeble, brittle, small, unmanly weaklings.  What would you like to say to readers who may stereotype vegetarians that way?

(MM)I try not to concern myself too much with what others think. Eating a plant-based diet works for me and fits my general philosophy of life. It feels right to me!