Trauma and Nutrition: The FST Nutrition Strategy

Monica-

Mostly I work with adults with high ACES scores and PTDS. I ask them what their symptoms are (anxiety, panic attacks, irritation, fatigue, depression, early morning waking, nightmares, not hungry in the morning, ...) Then, I have the eat protein every 3-4 hours along with what ever other food they want to eat. People in early recovery are often eatting lots of sugar foods. That is just fine. It is helping them not use AND protein will help more. 

I have a lot of free information on my website including videos that explain the physiology.  KristenAllott.com and ProteinforAll.org. 

Thanks for the dialog, Kristen

Thanks for sharing this perspective and bringing nutrition into trauma treatment.  I am wondering about the use of a behavioral contract to control a child's food intake. Can you share circumstances under which you see the need for behavioral contracts for eating--I only know that they are used when there is significant eating disorder.  I personally prefer the principles of Ellyn Satter, an RD and Family Therapist.  https://www.ellynsatterinstitute.org/ Could you see applying Satter principles to the FST protocol?

For the last 15 years, I have worked with people recovering from trauma. After using sugar, alcohol, and drugs to medicate it away. They started using nutrition so that they could stabilize their brain to tolerate working through the trauma in therapy. They began to understand the differences between fatigue (from lack of nutrients, sleep or movement) from depression. Or the difference between hypoglycemia and anxiety. By using nutrition and body awareness they were better able to be curious about themselves and their bodies. Scott, thanks for the post and the work. Kristen