We often hear about food in the context of physical health—eating for a strong heart, healthy weight, and glowing skin. But what about the other impacts of food, like how it makes us feel emotionally and mentally? The growing field of nutritional psychiatry is shedding light on this profound connection, and it’s something I’m personally really excited about. On this episode of The Doctor’s Farmacy, I was so happy to talk to Dr. Uma Naidoo about the connection between food and mood, looking at how what we eat impacts everything from anxiety and depression to ADHD, and more.
Michelin-starred chef David Bouley described Dr. Uma Naidoo as the world’s first “triple threat” in the food as medicine space. She is a Harvard trained psychiatrist, professional chef, and Nutrition Specialist. Her niche work is in nutritional psychiatry and she is regarded both nationally and internationally as a medical pioneer in this more newly recognized field. In her role as a Clinical Scientist, Dr. Naidoo founded and directs the first hospital-based clinical service in Nutritional Psychiatry in the US. She is the Director of Nutritional and Lifestyle Psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and Director of Nutritional Psychiatry at the Massachusetts General Hospital Academy while serving on the faculty at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Naidoo is the author of the recently released book, This is Your Brain on Food. In her book, she shows the cutting-edge science explaining the ways in which food contributes to our mental health and how a sound diet can help treat and prevent a wide range of psychological and cognitive health issues.
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an awesome topic….so important for mental and emotional health…one other important point is teaching people to breathe…eg pranayama in yoga ,chi kung breathing technique, wim hof and soma breathing…the effect on mental and physical health and well being is out standing!
Thanks both of you!
Fabulous video!!!! Thank you.
So the countries who held their citizens hostage for the shortest amount of time have the lowest virus rates and ill health. The Germ Theory was never actually proven to be 100% accurate, yet the trillion dollar medical industry is entirely based on that theory. What’s the CAUSE of death in people with this “virus”? Does their brain explode? Does their heart stop beating? The CAUSE of death is still pneumonia. Pneumonia is not something you can “catch”. It’s a biological result of being “scared to death” of something. Think of it like an internal wound that you can’t see, but when it starts to heal (when the traumatic event dissipates), the healing of the wounds in the lungs will cause pain, mucus, blood, fever, headaches, coughing, etc. You don’t show the symptoms of “disease” until you stop being panicked and afraid. These symptoms usually show up 1-2 weeks after you’ve relaxed and resolved the upsetting event. So governments around the world are CAUSING fear frights in everyone based on an unproven THEORY by one man, Louis Pastaur, who redacted his claim of the germ theory on his death bed, yet no one listened. So of course, when everyone is allowed to escape the hostage situation the governments have put their people into, and they start relaxing about the “scary virus” that’s not in any way transmissible, they will begin their healing phase (get sick), and believe they then have the “scary virus”, and more panic will ensue as well as martial law. The longer people allow this government to hold them hostage in their homes, the more severe the “sickness” will be. Western Medicine is pure fraud, and people’s lives are destroyed because of it
The environmental factor seems to be an issue in my life, gut and all! (molds, fungus, pollutants)
Fungus as in Candida? You are not alone. 75% of Americans suffer from gastrointestinal problems, many have Candida overgrowth w/o knowing it. Pesticides and herbicides in GMO and some non-GMO foods act in our body as antibiotics, killing the beneficial gut microbiome, leaving space for bad bugs such as Candida to grow, and it grows out of proportion, spreading throughout the body. Candida feeds on sugar, it communicates with the brain via molecular pathways, signaling it wants food now. That’s where sugar and alcohol cravings come from. I learned from a functional medicine doctor in an online webinar who works with alcoholics, to put L-glutamine powder under the tongue and let it melt, or 1 tbs powder in smoothie. I had been trying the Candida diet many times but always gave up when the sugar craving got the best out of me. But with the L-glutamine powder I finally got the tool I was missing and now I was able to follow the Candida diet. I also did a seven day water fast to get rid of the white coating on tongue (Candida, contageous) and it did help, and to my great surprise the water fast also corrected the diarrhea and constipation (on different days) I suffered from for five years (self diagnosed IBS or SIBO). I am now following the Paleo diet (I cut out dairy, grains, beans, fruits except berries which are low in sugar, table sugar, candy, store bought chocolate, soft drinks, alcohol. I still bake but using gluten free flours, I still make desserts but using stevia sweetener, I make my own chocolate). (I do not recommend an extended water fast w/o watching medical doctors on yt to give advise on how to do it. Especially re-feeding is important to do the right way or it will kill you. After the fast I ate bone broth with alfalfa sprouts, 1/2 cup took me thirty minutes to eat, chewing well, eating really slowly, interrupting, getting up and doing other things for a few minutes to stretch the eating time).
One of the best talks! Such important information. Let food be thy medicine…
What do you do when your kids hates vegetables ?
I had this problem. My solution was this: we always eat together for dinner. I eat vegetables in front of them and give them very little other options. My 8 and 11 year olds will now eat a bowl of kale on their own. I had to realize that being the parent meant I had to make this important decision about food FOR THEM.
When will the book be out?
I’ve seen mother’s put soda in a babies bottle. And many parents will let a child eat something like mac and cheese and no veggies. Sad
I’m tired of yu pushing yur FLC during yur guest interviews. Anything else yur trying to sell?
Plus all these ads & it disrupts yur podcasts.
Pesticides and herbicides in GMO and some non-GMO foods act in our body as antibiotics which destroy the beneficial gut microbiome, leading to 75% Americans suffering from gastrointestinal problems. It’s no fun to be sick! It would make anybody depressed. I know, b/c in my case it lead to an autoimmune disease which I became disabled for. I have been sitting on a chair 24/7 for ten years. Eat organic!!! (Read more in my answer to Doreen Siler here bellow.) Btw, if you can afford it then private clinics across the US and the world offer stem cell therapy which helps many diseases.
She is spot on! Your diet is directly connected to your mood. I’m proof
What makes it hard is that the food’s affect on your mood may not be obvious. By keeping a food diary I determined that certain foods would affect me 8-48 hours after I eat.