Metabolic Mind Introduces

THINK + SMART

A Metabolic Framework for Mental Health

THINK+SMART is a community-inspired framework that helps individuals employ metabolic therapies to improve mental health.

"The effects of metabolic therapies on my symptoms have been more profound than psychiatric medications."
Lauren Kennedy West

Provides a framework for learning, sharing, and implementing personalized ketogenic and metabolic therapies

Supports a range of diagnoses, including bipolar spectrum disorders, schizophrenia spectrum disorders, major depressive disorder, anxiety disorders, anorexia nervosa and other eating disorders, and more

Harnesses our collective experience using low carbohydrate nutrition and other lifestyle strategies to improve well-being

Codifies the science and practice of metabolic psychiatry

Consolidates personal stories and strategies that worked

THINK+SMART interventions have helped our community members with a range of psychiatric diagnoses, including bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, chronic depression, eating disorders, anxiety, and more. Some have not only achieved symptom relief, but have begun to reclaim their lives and even achieve full remission.

Visit our research section to learn about emerging evidence and ongoing studies on ketogenic and metabolic therapies for mental health.

What is THINK + SMART?

The Foundation of Metabolic Mental Health

A Wellness Framework

THINK+SMART collects and organizes metabolic strategies to help you adopt a personalized approach to mental and physical health. It was developed to encourage learning, sharing and planning key components of metabolic mental wellness, including therapeutic low carbohydrate nutrition, circadian rhythm management, movement and exercise, substance use management, medication monitoring, stress reduction, rebuilding, and tracking.

Share What's Worked

Learn from Others

"The gifts of metabolic therapies provided me with a strong foundation to address trauma."

"Keto felt like starting a new medication, but without any side effects."

"Keto gave me a stable nervous system and the capacity to implement other therapies."

"For me, it was diet. That was the key. Diet and lifestyle—sleep, exercise, relationships—are powerful tools."

Learn

THINK+SMART consolidates metabolic strategies and tactics from our community of peers and clinicians to help you develop a personalized program for improving your mental and metabolic health.

What is THINK + SMART?

Explore

Hear from individuals who are improving their mental health and achieving long-term wellness using ketogenic and metabolic strategies.

Explore Strategies

Submit

By sharing your THINK+SMART journey, you'll help build a valuable knowledge base that supports and inspires others while advancing our collective understanding of metabolism's role in mental health.

Share Strategies

Work with Your Care Team

Work with Your
Care Team

THINK+SMART is a self-guided tool that works best when used in coordination with your care team. We recognize that metabolic psychiatry is an emerging field and that it can be challenging to access trained professionals. This webpage provides resources and links to specialist directories, while this article provides guidance on navigating barriers to care.

THINK+SMART success requires dedication and the willingness to commit to fundamental lifestyle change. Except in specialized programs that can offer wrap-around support, it may be challenging to adopt during times of acute psychiatric crisis. Early research shows that ketogenic therapy may not work for everyone. Studies are ongoing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Good Energy Leads to Good Health

What is Metabolism?

Human health is built upon a well-functioning metabolism that transforms oxygen and nutrients into energy that fuels life. Human metabolism is extraordinarily complex, involving countless biological pathways and dependencies in the body and brain, especially the actions of mitochondria–the processors of the cell. A comprehensive approach to mental and physical well-being must by definition include optimization of metabolic and mitochondrial health.

Treat the Root Causes

Why Metabolic Psychiatry?

Conventional psychiatric treatment typically relies almost entirely on medications to keep symptoms under control. Talk therapy is often prescribed as an adjunctive treatment, but the root causes of mental illness, as well as the lifestyle changes that can lead to healing, are often left out of treatment paradigms. Metabolic psychiatry seeks to flip treatment for mental illness on its head, putting therapeutic nutrition and smart metabolic therapies as the foundation of recovery and wellness.

“Metabolic therapies” is a broad term describing many different interventions that can improve the way your body and brain transform and use energy.

A Personalized Approach

Why THINK + SMART?

Our aim with THINK+SMART is to be descriptive, not prescriptive. There is no one right way to employ metabolic strategies to improve mental and physical health, and personalization is key. So we developed a simple framework that consolidates strategies and tactics that have been reported by our community of clinicians and peers as safe and effective.

THINK

THINK stands for Therapeutic Integration of Nutritional Ketosis:

THINK describes medically supervised low carbohydrate ketogenic dietary strategies designed to reduce or eliminate symptoms of psychiatric illness and other “chronic” diseases.

+

SMART

SMART stands for Sleep, Move, Avoid, Rebuild, and Track:

SMART describes metabolic lifestyle strategies that complement therapeutic nutrition to enhance mental and physical well-being.

Therapeutic Integration of Nutritional Ketosis

Sleep • Move • Avoid • Rebuild • Track

THINK

Therapeutic

Clinical Oversight & Medication Monitoring

E.g., 6-month trial, meet weekly with keto coach, psychiatrist on call, monitor mood symptoms, sleep medicine as needed

Therapeutic

Clinical Oversight & Medication Monitoring

E.g., 6-month trial, meet weekly with keto coach, psychiatrist on call, monitor mood symptoms, sleep medicine as needed

Therapeutic

Clinical Oversight & Medication Monitoring

E.g., 6-month trial, meet weekly with keto coach, psychiatrist on call, monitor mood symptoms, sleep medicine as needed

Therapeutic

Clinical Oversight & Medication Monitoring

E.g., 6-month trial, meet weekly with keto coach, psychiatrist on call, monitor mood symptoms, sleep medicine as needed

Integration

Testing & Nutritional Supplements

E.g., Quarterly labs, electrolytes, multi-vitamin, MCT oil, L-carnitine, omega 3’s

Integration

Testing & Nutritional Supplements

E.g., Quarterly labs, electrolytes, multi-vitamin, MCT oil, L-carnitine, omega 3’s

Integration

Testing & Nutritional Supplements

E.g., Quarterly labs, electrolytes, multi-vitamin, MCT oil, L-carnitine, omega 3’s

Integration

Testing & Nutritional Supplements

E.g., Quarterly labs, electrolytes, multi-vitamin, MCT oil, L-carnitine, omega 3’s

Nutritional

Dietary Strategy, Eating and Fasting Periods, Macronutrient Targets

E.g., Whole foods ketogenic diet, 20g net carbs, intermittent fasting 16:8.

Nutritional

Dietary Strategy, Eating and Fasting Periods, Macronutrient Targets

E.g., Whole foods ketogenic diet, 20g net carbs, intermittent fasting 16:8.

Nutritional

Dietary Strategy, Eating and Fasting Periods, Macronutrient Targets

E.g., Whole foods ketogenic diet, 20g net carbs, intermittent fasting 16:8.

Nutritional

Dietary Strategy, Eating and Fasting Periods, Macronutrient Targets

E.g., Whole foods ketogenic diet, 20g net carbs, intermittent fasting 16:8.

Ketosis

Ketone / Glucose Testing & Target Ketone Level

E.g., Ketone target of 1.5mmol, 2x/day finger prick testing, Keto-Mojo for ketones/glucose

Ketosis

Ketone / Glucose Testing & Target Ketone Level

E.g., Ketone target of 1.5mmol, 2x/day finger prick testing, Keto-Mojo for ketones/glucose

Ketosis

Ketone / Glucose Testing & Target Ketone Level

E.g., Ketone target of 1.5mmol, 2x/day finger prick testing, Keto-Mojo for ketones/glucose

Ketosis

Ketone / Glucose Testing & Target Ketone Level

E.g., Ketone target of 1.5mmol, 2x/day finger prick testing, Keto-Mojo for ketones/glucose

SMART

Sleep

Optimize the quality and quantity of your sleep

E.g., 10 minutes morning sunlight, routine wake time, blue-light blocking glasses

Sleep

Optimize the quality and quantity of your sleep

E.g., 10 minutes morning sunlight, routine wake time, blue-light blocking glasses

Sleep

Optimize the quality and quantity of your sleep

E.g., 10 minutes morning sunlight, routine wake time, blue-light blocking glasses

Sleep

Optimize the quality and quantity of your sleep

E.g., 10 minutes morning sunlight, routine wake time, blue-light blocking glasses

Move

Prioritize physical activity

E.g., Daily morning walk, strenuous aerobic 2x/week, weekly body-weight strength training

Move

Prioritize physical activity

E.g., Daily morning walk, strenuous aerobic 2x/week, weekly body-weight strength training

Move

Prioritize physical activity

E.g., Daily morning walk, strenuous aerobic 2x/week, weekly body-weight strength training

Move

Prioritize physical activity

E.g., Daily morning walk, strenuous aerobic 2x/week, weekly body-weight strength training

Avoid

Moderate or eliminate destabilizing stressors and substances

E.g., Limit negative social interactions, quit smoking cigarettes, abstain from alcohol, no caffeine after noon

Avoid

Moderate or eliminate destabilizing stressors and substances

E.g., Limit negative social interactions, quit smoking cigarettes, abstain from alcohol, no caffeine after noon

Avoid

Moderate or eliminate destabilizing stressors and substances

E.g., Limit negative social interactions, quit smoking cigarettes, abstain from alcohol, no caffeine after noon

Avoid

Moderate or eliminate destabilizing stressors and substances

E.g., Limit negative social interactions, quit smoking cigarettes, abstain from alcohol, no caffeine after noon

Rebuild

Maintain your stability and invest in your future

E.g., Meditation, journaling, CBT/DBT, peer support volunteer, art practice

Rebuild

Maintain your stability and invest in your future

E.g., Meditation, journaling, CBT/DBT, peer support volunteer, art practice

Rebuild

Maintain your stability and invest in your future

E.g., Meditation, journaling, CBT/DBT, peer support volunteer, art practice

Rebuild

Maintain your stability and invest in your future

E.g., Meditation, journaling, CBT/DBT, peer support volunteer, art practice

Track

Measure and monitor your progress

E.g., Quarterly insulin levels, continuous glucose monitor, Oura Ring, mood measures spreadsheet

Track

Measure and monitor your progress

E.g., Quarterly insulin levels, continuous glucose monitor, Oura Ring, mood measures spreadsheet

Track

Measure and monitor your progress

E.g., Quarterly insulin levels, continuous glucose monitor, Oura Ring, mood measures spreadsheet

Track

Measure and monitor your progress

E.g., Quarterly insulin levels, continuous glucose monitor, Oura Ring, mood measures spreadsheet

Get Started

We Want to Learn From You

Submit Your
THINK + SMART Strategies

Once you've used metabolic therapies for at least four months, share your THINK+SMART journey and strategies to inspire others. Your unique story adds to our collective understanding of metabolism's impact on mental health, helping both individuals and healthcare professionals advance this important field.

Learn How to Submit Your Strategies

A Community Resource

Learn From the
THINK + SMART Community

Hear inspiring stories from our community members who have used metabolic approaches to achieve mental health breakthroughs. Discover real experiences, challenges, and successes on the path to wellness.

Lauren Kennedy West

In remission from

Schizoaffective Disorder

Started Journey

2023

View Profile and Videos

Eric Rodgers

In remission from

Depression

Started Journey

2016

View Profile and Videos

Mia Mendez

In remission from

Bipolar Disorder

Started Journey

2018

View Profile and Videos

Emily Anne Herrick

In remission from

Depression

Matt Baszucki

Recovered from

Bipolar 1

Lauren Kennedy West

In remission from

Schizoaffective Disorder

Emily Anne Herrick

In remission from

Depression

Matt Baszucki

Recovered from

Bipolar 1

Lauren Kennedy West

In remission from

Schizoaffective Disorder

Emily Anne Herrick

In remission from

Depression

Matt Baszucki

Recovered from

Bipolar 1

Lauren Kennedy West

In remission from

Schizoaffective Disorder

See All Profiles

Leading Clinicians are Seeing Results

Leading
Clinicians are Seeing
Results

Chris Palmer

"There are concrete things that people with mental disorders can do today with diet, exercise, sleep, stress reduction, managing your substance use, and even addressing prescription medicines that can actually heal the brain and reduce suffering."

Brain Energy

Shebani Sethi

MD, ABOM

"The approach at my Stanford clinic integrates non-pharmacological metabolic methods - nutritional and lifestyle therapies - with medication. We are seeing encouraging improvements in mental health after treating metabolic conditions this way."

Stanford Medicine

Georgia Ede

"Changing your diet can bring substantial relief from even very serious, longstanding psychiatric conditions, but you have to know which changes are most worth making and why—and they're not the ones we’re used to hearing about."

Change Your Diet, Change Your Mind