From left: Tribal Council members Bud Lane, Gloria Ingle and Sharon Edenfield;
Gov. Kate Brown; and Tribal Council members Delores Pigsley and Loraine Butler
Bud Lane (left) joins Valerie Switzler (Warm Springs) and Perry Chocktoot
(Klamath) in a discussion about current cultural practices and teaching.
17 th Annual State-Tribal Government Summit • Dec. 7, 2016 • Chinook Winds Casino Resort
Photos by Diane Rodriquez
Tribal elder Ed Ben leads the Color Guard.
Delores Pigsley (below) gives some brief comments, joined by Don Ivey (Coquille)
and representatives from each of Oregon’s nine federally recognized Tribes.
Nutrition for brain health and emotional well-being
By Nancy Ludwig, MS, RD, LD, Siletz
Tribal Head Start Nutrition
As part of my role as a consultant
nutritionist to Siletz Tribal Head Start, I
offer information for families. This seg-
ment examines how our ability to handle
stress and avoid depression is influenced
by your nutrition. Take a moment and
consider whether you are doing enough
to support your nervous system. Although
we can’t change the rainy weather or the
dark season, we can help ourselves to be
more resilient with the help of nutrition.
Nutrition is at the root of many prob-
lems, including brain function and mental
health. Sub-optimal nutrition could be due
to poor diet, unique nutritional needs or
food sensitivities.
Poor diet means consuming inade-
quate nutrients or foods that don’t support
the alertness or calmness required. Often
people with mental health problems have
significantly higher nutritional needs than
the general population, whereby supple-
mentation is needed to correct deficiency.
Food sensitivities can also create
mental health issues.
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Poor diet: An optimal diet includes
high quality proteins, fats and carbohydrates.
Adequate protein is essential. The
diet often is actually too low in protein
when depression or lack of clear think-
ing occurs. While vegetarian diets can be
excellent, low protein intake is not always
best – especially around mental health.
Protein also helps with blood sugar stabil-
ity and alertness.
High quality fats are critical and
include essential fatty acids, especially
omega 3 fatty acids from fish, including
pacific oysters, mackerel, salmon, bluefish,
mullet, sablefish, menhaden, anchovy, her-
ring, lake trout, sardines and tuna.
Plant sources for omega-3 fatty acids
include flax seed, hemp, canola, walnut,
pumpkin, soy, wheat germ, algae, green
plants and perilla seeds.
Additionally, avoiding rancid fats is
essential as these promote oxidative dam-
age in our bodies. Smell your oils in your
kitchen before you use them and replace
them when they begin to smell “off.”
High quality carbohydrates mean
fruits, vegetables, whole grains and
legumes rather than donuts and candy.
January 2017
Don’t underestimate the power of
green leafy vegetables! They are loaded
with minerals, vitamins and phytochemi-
cals, and are very low in calories.
Unique nutritional needs: This can be
tricky because not all people fit the dietary
recommendations.
Orthomolecular nutrition is the sci-
ence of finding ideal nutrient levels for
individuals. Nutrients can be obtained
through food, but supplementation may
be needed to achieve balance. It is impor-
tant to consult a health professional when
considering high doses.
Vitamin B complex often is needed
at higher levels. Occasionally specific B
vitamins are needed separately, but I usu-
ally also recommend a base of B-complex
since these vitamins work in concert with
one another.
Vitamin D deficiency is associated
with depression. Essential fatty acids,
such as omega-3, are important for men-
tal health. Flax oil is an excellent source
of omega-3 fatty acids, but plant sources
lack the needed DHA and EPA and some
people can’t make the conversion.
Fish oil contains DHA and EPA (since
the fish ate the plants and converted it to
the needed forms). Therefore, fish oil is
highly recommended (if you don’t have a
fish allergy).
Food sensitivities: Any food can poten-
tially cause symptoms. These symptoms
can be physical and/or mental/emotional.
There are no hypoallergenic diets – except
ones uniquely adapted for individuals.
Over-use (eating the same foods over
and over) tends to be the key to developing
new sensitivities. The effects of gluten on
behavior can be quite profound. Gluten is
not the only issue, however, as symptoms
often are caused by multiple foods.
Common allergens include milk, egg,
wheat, finfish, shellfish, soy, peanuts and
tree nuts. Both gluten and casein often are
avoided in treating autism spectrum. We
often crave the very foods that are bad for
us. Food addictions as well as sensitivities
can play havoc with mood.
When life feels stressful or hard,
remember that ideal nutrition is a powerful
ally. Use it to your advantage.
Siletz Tribal Head Start offers my
time at no cost to you to support family
nutrition over the telephone. Please con-
tact me if you have nutrition concerns
about your Head Start child.
