The Link Between Nutrition and Mental Health: Why Food Matters More Than Ever
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By Jim Byrne, Doctor of Counselling
Blog post on 18th February 2026
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Summary
This blog post explores the significant link between nutrition and mental health, highlighting how dietary choices can profoundly affect mood, energy, and overall wellbeing. Citing recent research and public health initiatives, it emphasises the dangers of processed foods and excessive sugar, while also introducing Renata Taylor-Byrne’s book, Nutrition as Therapy, as a practical guide for those seeking natural ways to improve their mental health through better nutrition.
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Food in the News
In recent months, headlines across the UK and US have spotlighted a growing concern: the impact of diet on mental health. With rising rates of anxiety, depression, and stress-related conditions, experts are urging the public to pay attention to what’s on their plates. The British Medical Journal recently published findings indicating that highly processed foods and excessive sugar intake are linked to poorer mood and increased risk of psychological distress. Meanwhile, the NHS has launched initiatives to encourage communities to adopt healthier eating habits, recognising food as a vital tool for mental wellbeing.
A new book to inform and motivate change
Amidst this backdrop, Renata Taylor-Byrne’s Nutrition as Therapy arrives at just the right moment. Drawing from robust scientific evidence and real-life stories, Taylor-Byrne offers a refreshing alternative to prescription drugs and high-tech solutions.
Her book shows how simple changes—such as swapping processed snacks for nourishing whole foods and considering essential supplements—can dramatically improve energy, focus, and emotional balance.
What’s more, she provides practical guidance for readers to reclaim their health, making the complex world of nutrition accessible and empowering.
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About Renata’s book
If you’re a nutrition enthusiast, healthcare professional, or simply someone seeking better mental health, Nutrition as Therapy is a must-read. It’s not just about food; it’s about taking control of your wellbeing and finding hope in everyday choices. As the conversation around food and mental health grows louder, this book offers a bridge to understanding and lasting change. Discover the movement toward empowered health—visit ABC Bookstore Online UK and explore Renata Taylor-Byrne’s transformative message today.
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What are your views on the subject of nutrition and mental health?
Please leave your comments below.
Thanks for your time and interest.
Sincerely,
Jim
Dr Jim Byrne
Doctor of Counselling
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“In 2026, I resolve to nurture my mental and emotional health by seeking out practical self-help strategies and dedicating time each week to personal growth and healing.”
When we think about love in relationships, most people tend to approach it with a rather naïve, childlike, and sometimes selfish mindset. In my experience as a couples therapist, I’ve often encountered the belief that love is all about “getting it” rather than “creating it”. But in reality, the most reliable way to receive love is by genuinely giving it first. It’s a principle as old as time: what goes around comes around.
Attachment is a fundamental drive. In newborns, it’s an instinct geared towards survival. For new mothers, attachment is both innate and learned, shaped by their own upbringing and cultural influences. When we enter adult relationships, our attachment styles – be they secure or insecure – often mirror those we developed as children, particularly in relation to our mothers, and later, our fathers.
Best wishes, and take good care of yourself!
My book about Christmas Conflict emphasizes that high expectations often lead to disappointment, as there is a connection between our desires and happiness levels. This book proposes methods to reframe problems and enhance communication during challenging family gatherings, promoting a healthier dynamic for the participants.
Conflict in couple relationships, and in families in general, is a major source of human misery. However, with the right kind of instruction, you can insulate your social relationships from constant or repeated misery and unhappiness; and learn to have a wonderful life with your family and friends. The essential solutions to destructive social conflict have been assembled by Dr Jim Byrne in this book about how to re-think/re-feel/re-frame your encounters with your significant others; how to communicate so they will listen; how to listen so they can communicate with you; and how to manage your emotions and lifestyle for optimum peace, happiness and success in all your relationships. 
The content of this book emphasizes the importance of developing an effective philosophy of life to navigate emotional challenges, particularly during stressful periods like holidays.
When emotionally upset, individuals often view situations through unhelpful fixed frames of reference that are non-conscious and rigid, leading to unproductive interpretations of their experiences.
Best wishes for a Happy Christmas and a Peaceful New Year
Many years ago, some research was done by Relate, the formerly UK-state-funded marriage guidance organization, which suggested that only 2% of couples whose marriage was in terminal decline would come forward for marriage guidance help! (And it is not unreasonable to assume that only about 20% of those 2% [totalling 0.4%] would read a book about couple relationships!)
And if you had a career problem, you would most likely either buy a book on how to fix your career problem, or you would go to see a career consultant or counsellor. — 
The concept of “life position” comes from the psychotherapy system called Transactional Analysis (TA), created by Dr Eric Berne, after the Second World War, and into the 1970s.
Life positions 2, 3 and 4 lead to poor human relations outcomes. Or Bad Relationships! — Operating from Box 2 can lead to exploiting and abusing others, or being angry or dismissive towards them. — Operating from Box 3 can result in the individual becoming a ‘door mat’ for others, by being too passive and compliant.
(To be clear, the attitude that “You are not-OK” is very different from the position, “Some of your behaviour is not acceptable to me!” One refers to the essence of the person; the second on refers to some changeable behavioural tendencies!)
The Inner Couple Model, created by Anne Teachworth, suggests that, when we are very young, under the age of 5 years, and up to the age of 10, we observe how our parents relate to each other; we choose our favourite parent; we model ourselves upon our favourite parent (or Role Model); and we choose to have a future partner like the other parent (who becomes our Mate Model).
This subject has recently been revisited by a group of researchers.
In the first two or three years of life, we have to figure out how to adapt to our parents, so they won’t abandon us, or get very angry with us.
Similar dynamics occur with the other personality adaptations (of which there are six).
ABC Bookstore Online UK 