Despite the advent of medications and other therapies over the last 50 years, the rates of mental illness have been on the rise rather than a decline. Over the last decade, scientists have been uncovering an uncomfortable truth: What we eat is affecting our mental health. In this talk, Prof Rucklidge will provocatively discuss the data that describe an alarming picture of food choices serving as risk factors to all kinds of psychiatric problems. She will describe dietary patterns and food choices that have been supported by scientific evidence. She will also introduce the recent paradigm shift of using multinutrients to treat these challenges, reviewing the hypothesized mechanisms of action and some of the evidence to date. The talk will challenge our current treatment regime for mental disorders and suggest some big picture alternative courses of action.

BIOGRAPHY
Julia Rucklidge is a Professor of Clinical Psychology in the Department of Psychology at the University of Canterbury and the Director of Te Puna Toiora, the Mental Health and Nutrition Research Lab. Originally from Toronto, Canada, she completed her PhD at the University of Calgary in clinical psychology.

In the last decade, Julia and her lab have been running clinical trials investigating the role of broad-spectrum micronutrients in the treatment of mental illness, specifically ADHD, mood disorders, anxiety and stress. She has over 100 peer reviewed publications, has given invited talks all over the world on her work on nutrition and mental health and is frequently featured in the media on her work.

She is currently on the Executive Committee for the International Society of Nutritional Psychiatry Research. She has been the recipient of many awards, including the Ballin Award from the NZ Psychologist Society, a Braveheart award for her contribution to making Christchurch a better place to live, and was named in the top 100 Most Influential Women in New Zealand in 2018. Her 2014 TEDx talk has been viewed over 1.3 million times. Having witnessed current conventional treatments failing so many people, Julia is passionate about helping people find alternative treatments for their psychiatric symptoms and being a voice for those who have been let down by the current public healthcare system.