Honoring the Female Pioneers in the Field of Mental Health Nutrition
Because March is Women’s History Month, in today’s blog I would like to honor all the female pioneers in the area of nutrition, mental health, and addiction recovery. It may surprise some of you that these pioneers started writing in the 40’s, 50’s and 60’s, before many of you were even born. I would like to start with Adelle Davis, because she had a strong influence on my mother, who likewise gave me a profound respect for the power of nutritious food, from a young age.
Adelle Davis
According to Wikipedia, “Adelle Davis was an American author and nutritionist, considered “the most famous nutritionist in the early to the mid-20th century.” She was an advocate for
improved health through better nutrition. She wrote an early textbook on nutrition in 1942, followed by four best-selling books for consumers which praised the value of natural foods and criticized the diet of the average American. Her books sold over 10 million copies and helped shape America’s eating habits.” She was born in 1904 and died in 1974. She was highly educated at the University of California, Berkeley · University of Southern California , and Purdue University. Her first book for the general public, Let’s Cook It Right was published in 1947. Thank you, Adelle Davis!
Ms. Kay Carron
Alcoholism, Stress and Hypoglycemia, published in
1976, was probably the first book to research the relationship of low blood sugar, adrenal stress and alcoholism. It was co-written by Ms. Kay Carron, apparently a nutritionist, but I couldn’t find much information on her. As mental health nutritionists, we are in great debt to her and to the other authors of this groundbreaking book. Thank you, Kay Carron!
Katherine Ketcham and L. Ann Mueller, M.D
Eating Right to Live Sober was published in 1983 by Katherine Ketcham and
L. Ann Mueller, M.D. Dr. Mueller had originally worked with people with heroin use disorder, and in 1973 was hired to be Medical Director of Alcenas Hospital, which was attempting to take a nutritional approach to the treatment of people with Alcohol Use Disorders. While originally skeptical, she became convinced of the power of nutritional therapy as she scoured the scientific literature and watched many of her patients dramatically improve. She later became Medical Director of the Milam Recovery Centers, and wrote this classic. Thank you, Dr. Mueller!
Priscilla Slagle, MD.
The Way Up from Down, was published in 1987 by Priscilla Slagle, MD. As her website, TheWayUp.com, describes her, Dr. Slagle has incorporated vitamins, minerals, amino acids, herbs, natural hormones & other natural substances into her practice since 1975, being one of the pioneers in the Alternative Medicine Field. She was one of the first people to use and advocate the use of amino acids and other nutrients for emotional well-being. Thank you, Dr. Slagle!
