Food politics and metabolic treatment for mental health - a panel discussion in September

Gould Farm
11 hours ago
2 min read

On September 12th, from 8am to noon, the Food Politics and Metabolic Treatment for Mental Health Disorders: A Panel Discussion will be taking place in the community room of our Rev. Hampton E. Price Community Center at Gould Farm in Monterey, Massachusetts. This panel discussion, organized by Carrie Sacco, RN, executive director of Inspiring Nutritional Choices, aims to discuss a critical intersection: the biological impact of nutrition on the brain and the socio-political structures that govern food access.

Registration and sponsorship info is at the end of this post.

As Sacco put it, “...it is not enough to talk about the impact of nutrition on mental health without talking about food access and the connection between food and politics.”

Moderated by Theresa Sullivan Barger, a health and environmental journalist, the panel connects established psychiatric practice and research with environmental and public policy. It is the aim of this event to integrate, through lively and engaging discussion and sharing, the biological, environmental, political, and practical considerations in the metabolic treatment of mental health disorders.

The four panelists include:

headshots of panelists for food politics event

Christopher Palmer, M.D., a Harvard-trained psychiatrist, the founder and director of a Mental and Metabolic Health Program (MH2), and author of Brain Energy. He will discuss the use of nutrition as a treatment modality for those with mental health disorders.

Susan Masino, PhD, the Paul E. Raether Distinguished Professor of Applied Science at Trinity College with a joint appointment in Neuroscience and Psychology and Charles Bullard Fellow in Forest Research at Harvard. Masino published the seminal paper on the benefits of pro-forestation for climate stabilization, biodiversity, and public health. She will discuss the impact of nutrition on the physiology of the brain.

Jerold Mande, CEO of Nourish Science, served in senior policymaking positions for three presidents at USDA, FDA, and OSHA helping lead landmark public health initiatives. He will talk about food politics.

Kalyani Subramanyam, M.D., a community psychiatrist at Behavioral Health Network, assistant clinical professor at Yale School of Medicine, and ballot nominee for MPS. She will talk about what it means for those in the community to access treatment modalities which include fresh foods.