Food Mad: The Nutritional Neuroscience of the Starved Brain
August 12 @ 10:00 am - 11:00 am PDT
| Why does food have to come first in eating disorder recovery? This webinar unpacks the diet-disease relationship between malnutrition and the brain, from grey matter loss to disrupted mood and motivation, and makes the case that adequate nutrition is the biological precondition for recovery, not a treatment goal. You will learn why a nutritionally compromised brain cannot drive its own recovery, why external support is neurologically necessary, and how to build aligned treatment teams whose shared understanding makes that support consistent and effective. |
Learning Objectives:
Following this presentation, participants will be able to:
- Explain the neurobiological mechanisms by which malnutrition impairs cognitive flexibility, emotional regulation, and behavioural change capacity in eating disorder presentations.
- Describe the energy requirements and timeline for brain recovery during nutritional rehabilitation, and apply this to inform clinical meal plan targets and treatment expectations.
- Articulate why a nutritionally compromised brain cannot drive its own recovery, and use this framework to justify external mealtime support as a neurologically necessary, not optional, clinical intervention.
- Use neuroscience-informed language to communicate the brain-nutrition relationship clearly to clients, families, and multidisciplinary treatment teams
Level B: Skills and ApplicationAt this level, learners move beyond theory to actively apply knowledge in practical settings. Emphasis is on developing proficiency, problem-solving, and hands-on skills that can be implemented in real-world scenarios. Ideal for practitioners looking to strengthen their capabilities.
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Victoria Schonwald NZRD Bio:
Victoria Schonwald is a New Zealand-registered dietitian specialising in nutritional neuroscience and the nutritional rehabilitation of the compromised brain. Based in Christchurch and working through The Eat Clinic, Victoria has spent seven years in a specialist eating disorder private practice, working with individuals, families, and caregivers across the full spectrum of eating disorder presentations.
Victoria’s clinical framework is built on a central argument: that adequate nutrition is the biological precondition for psychological recovery, not an adjunct to it. Her work translates emerging neuroscience, including brain volume changes, neurotransmitter disruption, hormonal consequences, and cognitive impairment under malnutrition, into accessible, non-pathologising language for clinicians, carers, and people in recovery. She is the author of Food Mad: The Nutritional Neuroscience of the Starved Brain, a resource that has been well received by clinicians and families internationally. Victoria is currently developing a practical companion to Food Mad, focused on what recovery eating looks like in practice, alongside clinical tools for assessing neurological readiness for recovery progression.
Victoria is a supporter and voluntary speaker for the NZ Eating Disorders Charitable Society (NZEDCS), the primary eating disorder parent support organisation in New Zealand, where she provides education and support to families navigating eating disorder recovery.
