How Diet Affects Your Mental & Physical Health w/Dr. Uma Naidoo EP 1214

This is episode number 1214 with Dr. Uma Naidoo.

Welcome to the School of Greatness.

My name is Lewis Howes, a former pro athlete turned lifestyle entrepreneur. And each week we bring you an inspiring person or message to help you discover how to unlock your inner greatness. Thanks for spending some time with me today. Now let the class begin. Welcome back, my friend. Today's guest is Dr. Uma Naidoo, and she is described as the world's first triple threat in the food and medicine space as a Harvard trained psychiatrist, professional chef, and trained nutritional specialist. And Dr. Naidoo founded and directs the first hospital based nutritional psychiatry service in the United States and is the bestselling author of this Is yous Brain on Food, where 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, from ADHD to anxiety, depression, OCD, and others. This is fascinating stuff on how our brain is constantly being affected by the foods we eat. So in this episode, we discuss the best and worst foods for your mental health, the benefits and negative effects of different types of foods, how to optimize your brain health, how to develop strong nutritional habits and drop the unhealthy habits, and so much more. I really love this episode and I know there's so much we can do to prevent the stress and anxiety and worry that could potentially come in our futures. And a lot of it comes down to the nutritional optimization of the brain foods that we could eat on a daily basis. So if you're inspired by this, make sure to share this with someone that you think this would be helpful for as well and spread the message of greatness forward to a friend or post it on social media. You can use the link lewishouse.com/1214 or copy and paste on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you're listening to this show. And I give a big thank you to the fan of the week. This is from Kanupriya who said, I love this podcast to the core as it is the most real people with real information. And I've been through a very rough phase in this podcast keeps me very positive. The reason it's the best podcast is that the people, especially those related to the medical field, are eye openers for me and explain every detail wonderfully. Kunu Priya, I'm so happy that you're getting a lot of value and inspiration from the different medical guests that we have on, but also just all the great guests in general. So thank you for leaving a review over on Apple Podcast and being the.

Fan of the week.

Okay, in just a moment, the one and only Dr. Uma Naidoo.

This podcast is sponsored by Northwestern Mutual. Everyone wants to feel good about their finances, right? Well, that's why I've had life insurance with Northwestern Mutual for years. Their financial professionals ask the right questions, truly listen, and help uncover opportunities most people miss. I've seen it firsthand. Northwestern Mutual has been a part of my journey from the very beginning, providing the security and peace of mind I need as a human and an entrepreneur. Find a better way to money@nm.com, the Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, paid testimonial by a Northwestern Mutual policy owner.

As America's leading business lender, Bank of America is on your corner and in your corner. With $215 billion in business loans and over 3,700 business specialists across the nation, We help businesses thrive so communities prosper. What would you like the power to do? Learn more at bankofamerica.com/localbusiness. Bank of America, official bank of FIFA Club World Cup 2025. Copyright 2025 Bank of America Corporation, all rights reserved.

Father's Day is coming up and for lots of dads out there, dad doesn't quite cover it. They're groundskeepers, patio whisperers, and rogue leaf vigilantes too. So this year, show dad some love with gifts from the Home Depot. They've got fast free delivery on handy gear that helps dad do his thing. We're talking Ryobi cordless outdoor tools like the Ryobi 40 volt expanded string trimmer. Find the perfect Father's Day gift at the Home Depot. Shop in store and online@homedepot.com, free delivery subject to availability.

This podcast is sponsored by better help online therapy. We talk about better help a lot on this show, and this month we're discussing some of the stigmas around mental health. For example, some people think you should wait until things are unbearable to go to therapy. But that isn't true. Therapy is a tool to utilize before things get worse, and it can help you avoid those low lows. And I'll admit, I used to be embarrassed about going to therapy, but I'm telling you it is so important and Now it is so accessible as well. I highly recommend that everyone turn to BetterHelp to get started on their mental health journey. They are customized online therapy that offers video, phone, and even live chat sessions with your therapist. So you don't have to see anyone on camera if you don't want to. It's much more affordable than in-person therapy and you can be matched with a therapist in under 48 hours. Give it a try and see why over 2 million people have used BetterHelp online therapy. This podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp and School of Greatness listeners get 10% off their first month at betterhelp.com/greatness. That's B-E-T-T-E-R-H-E-L-P.com/greatness.

In your book, I've been diving in, it's amazing because you share these different foods that either hurt or help things like depression, PTSD, ADHD, OCD, anxiety, sex drive, all these other things. I've been reading through all this stuff. It's fascinating. I have been a big fan of realizing that food is medicine for a long time. And in your book, you're talking about the actual science showing and proving that food is medicine now. Is that correct?

Absolutely. Thanks for the kind introduction and for hosting me. That's what it is. I think that the missing conversation has been around how food and nutrition impact our mental health. We go into our doctor's offices and we talk about lots of things. We don't talk about our brain health and we most certainly don't talk about nutrition enough. Part of that is doctors don't really study that much nutrition. But I think the niche that nutritional psychiatry fills is that conversation and helping understand that the food we eat impacts our mental well-being is newer science that has come forward.

What would you say is the percentage, if you could either guess or if there's percentages out there of how much food percentage-wise affects these negative side effects of mental health from anxiety, depression, and things like that. Is food 100% responsible for these thoughts and feelings? Is it 50% responsible? what would you say?

Off the top of my head, a clinical guess would be about 50% because I do think that environment, genetics, psychosocial factors, so many other things play into one's emotional well-being. But I think that by cleaning up a certain amount of how we eat, and that includes my diet, everyone, none of us is perfect, by cleaning it up a little bit, I have seen people show significant improvement and really The path to this is understanding it's not a quick fix, it's not an overnight thing. It's really a prescription for a lifestyle change. And by doing it that way, it's sustainable. It's not just let's lose five pounds before the show or before the event or the wedding. It's sustainable. And people do lose weight, it turns out.

How do we build a sustainable nutritional lifestyle when we've been so conditioned with certain habits and foods for so long? especially here with the sad diet.

Absolutely, the sad diet. It is sad, and I think that it's true. That's what we're used to. And I think it's understanding, firstly it's educating ourselves and not relying on the wrong sources of education and information. And by that I mean just simple things, understanding food labels, for example. I'm not saying you have to go deep into the nutrition science, but understanding that four grams of sugar is one teaspoon, is a little bit of a trick for people because we cook in pounds and ounces. So every recipe in the United States is standardized. You learn that in culinary school. And our food labels are on grams. So most people picking up a small half a cup yogurt with fruit in it, because they've heard me say blueberries are great for you, don't realize there might be six or eight teaspoons of sugar, of added sugar. So it's educating ourselves and that power really comes back to us because we then eat in a healthier way.

I'm curious about the fruit and sugar or vegetables and sugar. If you have a certain amount of vegetables or fruit that is supposed to enhance something in your brain, but you also have just as much refined sugar that you've poured on top of it. Are there any benefits to that or does the sugar override the benefits of the vegetables and fruits?

Have you heard an expression you can't exercise out of a bad diet? Right. Right, it's not that dissimilar because you might be eating those servings of veggies and the nutrients are gonna get through. But the negative impact of what happens with the added and refined sugars is where the issue is.

Yeah, someone told me you can't outwork your mouth. You can't outwork out your mouth. If you keep eating more and more, you're not gonna be able to outwork it. Good. Okay, this is fascinating. Of these six on the COVID of the book and more that you talk about in the book, the depression, PTSD, ADHD, anxiety, OCD, and let's say low sex drive, of those six, which have you seen the fastest or the best results based on a shift in food changes and consuming different foods? Have you seen? And how fast can this happen? You said it doesn't happen over overnight, but are you starting to see this over a week or a few weeks based on certain changes or how does that work?

So some of this answer is also dependent on understanding that the science of the microbiome because each of our microbiomes is psychosomatic. So a response a person has to the food is also dependent on their quota of microbes in the gut. And therefore the Response times change. So I've seen people start to feel emotionally better and the condition I see probably the most robust change is either depression or anxiety. People do, when they start to make those shifts, start to feel better.

That's within like a few days, overnight, a week or two.

At least a week. At least a week.

So they're doing the changes daily for a week, they start to feel They.

Start to feel uplifted a little bit. They start to notice with people with anxiety, they start to notice by say cutting out or limiting a bad eating habit. Let's not call it bad, that's severe, but a less healthy eating habit that they're starting to notice a change. But usually we know from the science of the microbiome that it takes about 28 days for there to be healing. So usually within the first month is a good guideline to say if you really are following this and you're being sincere about look, no one is perfect, so if you're doing it 80% of the time at least, I ask people to do, and you really are limiting those foods that could be driving your condition, that people start to feel better. But over time, it really gets better. And if they're sticking with it, it becomes almost part of how they live, which is what I want. And because then they're feeling a lot better.

And so they keep doing it.

They keep doing it. And that's the hook. very often it happens in that first week someone notices, not every single time, someone notices, wow, I'm sleeping better. Wow, I'm feeling less anxious when I wake up. But I will say that with anxiety specifically, it's not just one thing. You know, learning mindfulness, practicing and relaxation exercise, and actually doing those things when you're not having a panic attack. You know, the worst thing you can say to someone who's feeling anxious is, Stop feeling anxious. Stop feeling anxious. Calm down. It doesn't make sense because when your system is in overdrive that way, you can't even hear.

What's the best thing to say to someone who's feeling anxious?

The best thing is to actually have them tap into what you've either worked with them on in coaching or that they've learned in time. Breathing exercises, you know, mindfulness. Do they respond to a walk in fresh air? Do they respond to getting on the treadmill for 10 minutes? Sometimes just burning off that angst. help people. So they have already almost pre-learned certain things that they can do. And that's what you want to help get them to come down that episode. But the great thing with nutrition and changing around how you're eating is that can help you all along. Because that's working no matter what else is going on. It's improving because it's working in the gut microbiome and the whole gut-brain system and it's helping you.

And how important is a healthy gut microbiome?

It's actually so important for all parts of our health.

Right, not just mental health.

Exactly. My focus is on nutritional psychiatry and therefore mental health, but you know it's the gut microbiome is related to sleep, circadian rhythms, hormones, vitamin production, immunity, and mental health as well as more. The health of your gut microbes is uniquely becoming, I would say, even more important in this day and age as we're understanding the science more. You see, the gut microbiome research is really only about a decade and a half to two decades old. It's neuroscience and it really has unfolded the food mood connection or the nutritional psychiatry piece. But at the same time, it's hugely important. So, you know, things like inflammation of the gut, are being associated with conditions like depression, anxiety, cognitive disorders, and more, because it's being seen as an underlying mechanism. Therefore, if you're taking care of your gut health, you actually are taking care of quite a lot.

Your brain health as well and everything else?

Definitely your brain health, but even your physical health.

Right, right. Yeah, I've been hearing a lot more about the gut microbiome and how it's connected to the brain and, you know, the thoughts are connecting to the gut and all that stuff, but inflammation is one of the the main causes, would you say, of brain stress or the anxiety of the brain?

Absolutely. So research is showing more and more that inflammation that is sort of chronic and insidious and is happening in our gut microbiome impacts the brain. And that therefore conditions like even Alzheimer's, cognitive disorders, depression, anxiety, when you start to improve your gut health, therefore in that sort of cycle, improve your mental well-being as well.

Right, right. So the same thing that's good for your gut microbiome is also the same similar things that are good for your brain.

For your brain health, absolutely.

Brain health. You talk about brain foods, specific foods that we should be stocking our kitchen with. Can you share what some of these brain foods are? You have an acronym for them. I'm not sure if you have them.

All memorized, but So I'll give you a few to get you started. So use the Brain Foods acronym to really almost have be a checklist for people. I like people to take a photograph of it or read it or list it in their phone so that when they're at the supermarket they're picking out those nutrients. So, you know, B is my favorite berries and my favorite berry is blueberry. Now they're rich in anthocyanins, they're rich in fiber, they are colorful, and that brings me to the R, one of the Rs, is for Eat the Color of the Rainbow. And these are sort of things, Louis, that many people overlook. Their doctors have said it, or they've heard it or read it, but what we're uncovering in the science is that the color of the rainbow, the colors of vegetables, the phytonutrients in those interact with the gut microbes. These are powerful antioxidants. powerful anti-inflammatory substances which impact things like depression, anxiety and more. So it's no longer just eat a colorful salad. There's actual good evidence as to why we should be eating it.

And is it a matter if it's cooked or uncooked?

You know, the science on that varies, but my feeling about it is the following. When you have raw veggies, they have, you know, their microbiome intact. They providing those bacteria, they're giving you good nutrients. So I like to play, I like people to do the following, have some, same when they're preparing their vegetables for roasted veggie dish, keep some chopped veggies that you munch on and then roast the rest or whatever you're baking the rest, whatever. And so you're having a little bit of combination of both.

Some raw, some cooked.

Some cooked. But in things like say spinach, steaming the spinach can actually help lower the oxalate levels. so some of it is more specific.

Okay, gotcha. Now, here's a, I've heard a topic about fruits that some people say, have as much as you want, others say the less fruit the better, or do it in seasonal times, things like that. Have you seen anything where if people are only eating fruit that it helps or hurts them psychologically, or can you never have too much fruit in moderation, I guess?

So I think when it comes to psychological health, one of the biggest things is how mental health and metabolic health are not connected. And what I mean by that is I talk about berries because they have a low glycemic index. So they have a powerful positive impact eaten in moderation. So I'm not, I don't mean four cups of blueberries a day. But I do mean about a half a cup at least as one of your servings of fruit in a day. The issue with fruit is that the higher glycemic fruits say the more tropical fruits, mangoes and pineapples, those are actually less healthy for those with mental health because many individuals with mental health might have struggled with weight and sometimes with metabolic health.

Interesting. And so if you have a lot of these high glycemic fruits, they actually store more fat.

They could increase your weight. They could potentially increase your weight.

Which could make you psychologically say, oh, I'm overweight or not confident in yourself.

That as well as your metabolic health. because it could impact your insulin resistance, your insulin sensitivity, your glucose load. So because in my clinical practice, I often see people who are struggling with their weight. I don't mean low weight, I mean struggling with a little bit of extra weight. Or they're taking medications like selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, Zoloft, Prozac to name a few. One of the side effects is weight gain. Not everyone develops it, but many people do. psychotropic medications, others, antipsychotics, also have a problem. They impact metabolic health and glycemic control and they impact weight. So as a psychiatrist, you really have to be tuned into that to realize if you're going to save fruit, qualify better food for that individual to eat. Because a person could eat two bananas a day and that could totally increase their weight. Are bananas on their own unhealthy? No. To an average, you know, Person of normal weight who's exercising and leading a healthy lifestyle, perfectly fine to eat a banana. But to that individual, it may not be the best solution. So it's that caveat with mental health that's important.

So what's the best fruit to eat if you're trying to lose weight?

So the best answer to that is stick with a couple of servings of different berries.

Okay.

Stick with a lifestyle that is supporting your weight loss, which goes from mindfulness all the way to hydration, to outdoor time, to good sleep and all of that, right? Because we know it's not just one thing.

Eliminating stresses in your life.

Exactly, stress is a huge driver of weight gain, right? Because of the impact on cortisol. So I would say stick with a couple of different types of berries and smaller servings and have those regularly because the fiber and the phytonutrients from them are still going to help you. So I would never say exclude fruit completely unless your diabetologist has said, look, you need to do this in order to bring down your hemoglobin A1C, then it's a different conversation.

So when is fruit good for you then? Because if you're trying to lose weight, I'm hearing it's not as good to have a lot of it.

Not a lot of it. In moderation. Actually, to be honest, everything in moderation, right? Because every healthy food, you want to eat it in a portion controlled sort of way. Fruit is actually always good for you. It provides nutrients, macro and micro nutrients, which are healthy for your body. healthy for your brain. So whether it's the vitamin C from kiwi or, you know, whichever, or, you know, if you're having leafy greens, not a fruit, but if you're having folate from leafy greens, that's affecting you in a positive way. The food is always a good option. But that also comes from my food philosophy, which is I am diet agnostic and I don't demonize a food group. So if you come into me and say, I'm vegan or carnivore, my role as a nutritional psychiatrist is to improve your mental well-being. You know, I will advise you how you can tweak your diet in a positive way. You may not agree with me, but I'm going to offer you that guidance. Because what I find, Liz, is that people fall into these eat this, not that mentality.

You know that old saying, it's not.

What you say, it's how you say it. I think that goes for how we live too. It's not just what we do, it's the energy, the intention, the presence we bring.

And that's exactly what the Range Rover.

Sport brings to the road. The Range Rover Sport is built to take on roads anywhere without any unnecessary details.

Details. It combines a dynamic sporting personality with.

Elegance and agility and delivers an instinctive drive.

Its assertive stance hints at an equally refined driving performance. Defining true modern luxury, the Range Rover.

Sport features the latest innovations in comfort and convenience. The Cabin Air Purification System alongside the.

Active Noise Cancellation creates a new level of quality, comfort, and control.

Terrain Response 2 offers seven terrain models to choose from, fine-tuning the vehicle for.

Any challenging roads ahead.

Build your Range Rover Sport at range.rover.com/us/sport.

We all know that staying hydrated is.

So important, and we've heard it a million times.

But let's be real, you can really feel the difference when you're hydrated properly, you're sharper, you're energized, and you're ready to go. And when you're not, well, you feel foggy, sluggish, just drained. And with the summer heat coming, staying on top of hydration isn't just a good idea, it's a must. And that's why I love Liquid IV. It's powered by live HydraScience, which is clinically studied to maintain hydration better than water alone for up to four hours. And I've been loving the new sugar-free raspberry lemonade hydration multiplier. It's so refreshing. And I don't know about you, but if I'm not hydrated, it's hard to function. Whether I'm gearing up for a workout, recording a podcast, or pushing through a packed day, liquid IV always keeps me hydrated. And if you've ever hit that mid-afternoon slump or struggled to keep up, trust me, this is a game changer. Maximize your hydration with Liquid IV and get 20% off your first order of Liquid IV when you go to liquidiv.com and use code LEWIS at checkout. That's 20% off your first order with code LEWIS@liquidiv.com this is an advertisement from Better Help. You know, one of the biggest stigmas we still need to break, especially for men, is the idea that asking for help is weakness. In reality, it's the most courageous thing you can do. Taking care of your mental health doesn't make you soft. It makes you strong, focused, and grounded. We live in a world that puts a lot of pressure on men to man up, stay silent, and just push through. But bottling it all up only leads to burnout, anxiety, or worse. And the truth? It's okay to struggle. It's okay to not have all the answers. And there is real power in opening up. BetterHelp is the world's largest online therapy platform, helping over 5 million people get the support they need without the hassle of waiting rooms or long commutes. You can talk to a therapist from wherever you are and switch anytime if needed. As the largest online therapy provider in the world, BetterHelp can provide access to mental health professionals with a diverse variety of expertise. Talk it out with BetterHelp. Our listeners get 10% off their first month at betterhelp.com/Lewis. That's BetterHelp. H-E-L-P.com/Lewis.

Then they exclude entire food groups. Then they crave that food group. Then there's a rebound effect. And then they end up either gaining the weight or they end up being unhappy because they've started to consume a food that they previously gave up. It becomes a vicious cycle.

Like I said, they weren't going to eat something, then they go eat it for a month.

Yeah. Depression? Feeling more anxious?

Interesting.

And then almost unable to get back on that saddle of just eating a healthier diet, which I want people to eat healthier foods as part of their lifestyle. So it's a natural, whether they're traveling, whether they're walking through an airport or whether they're at home, they're just reaching for those healthier options or carrying it with them.

And what about antioxidants? Why are these so powerful for mental health?

So antioxidants have an extremely important impact through the gut microbiome but also on the brain. You know, in the natural process of life we encounter different things that form these unhealthy substances in our body called radical oxygen species. If left on their own, they can actually lead to cancer, heart disease, lots of bad things, as well as, you know, worsening our mental health. So what antioxidants do is they kind of, they interact with these radical oxygen species to almost neutralize them. And that's why they're so powerful. So that's why we should eat our antioxidants.

Okay, and what foods are rich in antioxidants.

Starting with berries. But you know they're also spices. That's something people don't realize. There are spices that are rich in antioxidants like turmeric with a pinch of black pepper. My nutritional psychiatry no-brainers add a pinch of black pepper because that makes the turmeric more bioavailable and bioactive to your body. Spices, many of them, have rich antioxidants. So, your spice cabinet is probably one of the ones you're not tapping into.

Interesting.

To add antioxidants as well as veggies, all these different colors of vegetables, you know, different bell peppers, different lettuces. All of these, you know, whether the purple carotenoids from carrots have rich antioxidants because of the nutrients in them.

What about the research that's been out about lectins and nightshades? Is this something that you would avoid or limit or is the science from your research not really saying there's an issue with nightshades and lectins?

So, you know, part of it depends on the person. If they are working with a physician who's asked them to and their condition, if they've been asked to stay away from nightshades before because of a certain condition and it's been working for them. I'm not there to say stop doing that and eat everything.

No.

If it's working for them, absolutely. But many people come to me a little confused about where, you know, what foods include lectins and what they should avoid. But there are also some culinary techniques where you can get around by food preparation, for example, if you like nuts, you know, there's a way to you know, there's a way to get raw natural nuts, soak them in water overnight, rinse them out and slow, it's not even roasting because it's such a low temperature, almost dry them out in the oven at a very low temperature and that circumvents some of the anti-nutrients in them. So there are always ways to think about food and make it healthier or look at a cooking technique which could improve the nutrient, either the nutrient value or get around things like that. So, I'd rather have that conversation than ask people to exclude things, not about other people's research, but more about my approach to how I feel I can help individuals in their mental well-being. Because, you know, this is not just for someone with depression or anxiety. A lot of people in the last few years have just been feeling a little off, you know? And I use that term loosely. It's a little bit anxious, not sleeping well. feeling blue, just not feeling, there was a great article calling it languishing, you know, just not feeling good, just not feeling quite themselves. And so eating in a good way can help a lot of that without a prescription.

Right. What would you say is the best cooking technique that you've learned to get the maximum result for optimal nutrition? Is it from the nuts? Is it from soaking something? Is it from some other type of food where you've seen, okay, here's the original raw form and by applying this technique it actually enhances it to really help your mental health, your brain that much more.

Is there a technique like that? I don't think there's one technique. Okay. You know, I think that I mentioned things like spinach and steaming it or applying gentle temperature, the nuts, that's specific to a better way to enjoy the nuts. Some people don't have a problem with nuts, so they eat them and they feel okay. Now, the lectin research may refute that, but again, you pay attention to how you're feeling emotionally, how you're feeling physically, what your doctor's telling you, and you either continue or you change direction a little. One thing I will say is that many people hear their doctor say, eat your vegetables, eat your greens, and they sort of, they roll their eyes and they move on. They don't do it. Often it's that action step. One of the things I can say is just gently roasting vegetables in the oven with delicious flavors, putting in colorful veggies, adding spices, even your kids will want to eat it, you know, because it's interesting, it's different. That I think is one of the things where you can really expand and, you know, just little simple tricks like you can do your roasted, colorful roasted vegetables with different spices for the flavor, Plus you can do your protein on whether you plant-based, you eat tofu, whether you eat chicken, you can do it on the same sheet pan and that makes it super easy for someone to prepare dinner.

Right, the next thing you say is include lean proteins and plant-based proteins. From the science, you said you don't eliminate any diet or any food groups.

I try my best not to, yeah.

There are so many people that try to say like, eat only meat and this is the way to go and other people say be vegan, this is the way to go. Is there science proving which foods are better, like lean proteins that are plant-based versus animal proteins?

So, I will say that, you know, in nutrition science, they're usually things I can quote. They're probably in the same day or same week or same year. at least three other articles which will refute that.

Really?

Because that tends to be the spirit of nutrition science. Omega-3s I've seen clinically help my patients time and time again. Usually I like them to use food sources first, but some people prefer supplement or they do. And I've seen the improvements yet there is research to say they're terrible, you shouldn't use them, that kind of stuff. So I say this with an open mind, understanding that. So I feel that the camps who, and they are sort of camps, right, because they tend to be very polarized. Either only eat this and the individuals say who are plant-based will say, well, there's this studies to name a substance that is negative for your health because it is from meat. And then there are, you know, people, individuals who eat meat who will say, but you don't get enough from just the plants. So there's always this polarization. And here's what I feel about it. I think that the more we continue to have these camps, the more confused we are going to continue to be as a country, and the worse our nutrition is going to get. Because most people, That's not most people. A lot of people know the sad diet and are consuming that. So anything we can move from that to a healthier version of that food, understanding what healthy whole foods are is better for us. I think it's much more about that for more people than camps. I'll eat this and not that. And I have difficulty with those because I feel that science can support both.

Sides of the argument. I know. you could always find evidence for each side.

Evidence for both sides.

And something against the other side probably, right?

Exactly. And say, well, gee, you know, you're missing this nutrient because you're plant-based or you're missing that nutrient because you're eating or consuming more meat. And I think that's where most people in the public get confused. And they come in and say to me, Should I exclude this entire food group? Should I give up whole grain? Should I never eat a slice of this or that. And I think that perpetuating that is not good for us as a country. But if we can find a sensible way forward for the most, so not the people in different camps, but those who just want to eat healthier, want to feel emotionally better, and most of us need to right now with all that's going on, I think it's a healthier way forward and more sustainable.

Yeah. Hmm. I'm curious about nuts. You mentioned nuts for a second. This is actually the next thing on the brain foods and nuts. I'm a big fan of nuts, but can you overdo it? I don't drink milk anymore, but I have the milk substitutions like almond milk and things like that. So if you're having the physical nuts and then you're having almond milk and then almond butter, is there too much of that?

So there's always even a healthy food, we can overdo even a healthy food. So Practicing, I'm not so much of a calorie counter as much as I am the source of food and the quality of food and then paying attention to portions. So I mentioned blueberries and I said, you know, that doesn't mean three cups of blueberries a day because unfortunately then the load of the amount of sugar from that is not good for you. Even though berries are healthy and they have lots of nutrients in them. So similarly with nuts, you want smaller servings and you want different types of nuts. My favorites are macadamia and hazelnuts. I eat them in smaller portions. For someone who likes nuts and they're going to consume that portion of nuts in a day, you may want to switch to something like hemp milk, which by the way, you can literally make in two easy steps. And hemp milk has the advantage of having short-chain omega-3s because it's rich in ALA. So there's a good solution for...

So if you're gonna have nuts, you don't also have almond milk.

And nut butters and everything in the same day. That same 24 hour period.

Have almond milk instead.

If you're gonna use milk. Instead, you know, have your nut butter, but you know, nut and seed butter, because you're getting other seeds and the value of that. I just don't have a ton of it, you know, so everything in moderation. If you do eat more of it, then maybe have that the next day, you know, and balance it up that way. It's similar to avocados. You'll have, you know, delicious avocados in California. The truth is, you know, a good serving in a day is about a quarter of a medium avocado to get.

The benefit of the healthy fats.

Really? A quarter of a medium avocado? Medium to large avocado. So not a whole avocado. No, it becomes, what happens is it gets calorie dense at that point. And so, you know, it's balancing that up. No. if you ate that for breakfast, that's okay. My policy around that is, you know, just cause correct it the next meal or the next day because you understand something a little bit better.

Interesting. Man, I'm so used to overeating, I think.

I think we all are.

I consume a lot.

Well, we all do. And the thing about that is what I've learned over time is that I load up on my veggies. because things like the sulforaphane-rich veggies, cauliflower, the cabbage, the Brussels sprout, low calorie, super rich in fiber. Fiber is great for your gut microbes. That's what feeds them.

Great for your body in general.

And your digestion. And your digestion, everything. So by eating, by filling my plate up with a lot of, you know, my nutritional psychology plate with a lot of those veggies, low calorie, gonna fill me up, gonna be nutritious, add in my spices to make them tasty. That's a great way to go, you know? And that, sort of, what I find over time is that it's filling and it has my blood sugar in a more even keel. So if you're gonna overeat, overeat vegetables. Yeah, overeat those vegetables.

Those vegetables. Those vegetables.

What are the vegetables you don't wanna overeat? You don't wanna overeat the sort of more starchy vegetables. And by that, I mean that they're going to impact your blood sugar in a different way. So we know that potatoes do that, we know that sweet potatoes do that. That doesn't mean you shouldn't eat them.

Right, just don't overeat them.

Just don't overeat them. Or my hack for potatoes, I mean potatoes are delicious, but my hack for them is when you have a cool, when you bake a potato and you allow it to cool, it changes the reaction within that potato to make it a resistant starch. which not only lowers the glycemic index, it actually makes it a healthy food.

So baked potato is?

Baked potatoes and then cool them and then, you know, heat them up or whatever. It's a process that happens within the potato.

So having a baked potato, oh, but.

Then cooled, not hot. Bake it, cool it, and then, you know, heat it up or do whatever you're going to do to have it with your toppings.

Interesting. What happens if you have it baked.

And you eat it hot? So it doesn't allow the cooling, it hasn't gone through the process of that change which makes it a resistance starch. The process is called retrogradation. So it hasn't gone through that. So you're kind of just eating the potato. So that's a good cooking strategy. That's a good cooking strategy to add. Yeah, yeah.

Exactly. So bake the potato. Allow it to cool. Like put it in the refrigerator or.

Just let it sit out. You can let it sit out or you can place it in the fridge and have it for the next meal. Okay. Something like that. Allowing it to process. that just changes it into a different form and different effect on your microbiome. And that is healthier. Does that mean you should eat six a day? No. Shouldn't mean you should eat one every day. It's still in moderation, but it's trying to prove my point that when I say potatoes, I don't mean never eat a potato. It's actually a vegetable we all eat and something that's at all our holiday tables, et cetera. So it's just kind of sort of understanding that a little bit and, you know, and thinking about it.

More fiber-rich foods, fish and fermented foods. How much, can you have too much fish in a day? What is too much fish, I guess?

Yeah, so, you know, generally two to three servings of fish a week.

A week.

Are good. Are good. You can have more if you like a seafood diet or you're pescatarian. Certainly that's perfectly fine, I again, the source and the quality. So wild sockeye salmon, a fatty fish that's rich in omega-3s, good for your brain, good for your body, you know. Mussels, oysters, rich in zinc, great for your brain. So it's balancing that up with everything else that you're doing again, lean into those vegetables, you know, leafy greens, the salads, all of that, as well as, you know, the fiber-rich foods because you don't get fiber from animal or seafood protein. You get it from vegetables, fruit, beans, nuts, seeds, lentils, legumes, and those healthy whole grains. So you need to add those fiber, the fiber rich foods. And I always say fiber foods help your anxiety because they basically, they're your friend. They metabolize more slowly, so add those in. So, yeah. So with seafood as well, it's, you know, portion control. eating better sources if you can, and balancing it out with everything else.

What about fermented foods?

So that's a good one because a good and recent study published in Cell, which is a highly reputable journal from the summer, from researchers at Stanford talked about fermented foods helping with that inflammation we mentioned and reducing it. So adding in a serving of fermented foods to each of your meals is a super great way to go.

What are the top tasting fermented foods?

So I like kimchi. Kimchi. I like kimchi. It depends on the person's palate. Kefir, if you eat dairy, it's a soured yogurt, get the plain kind, add it to smoothie or something else.

Soured yogurt, what's it called?

Kefir, K-E-F-I-R. Kefir. And they do have the fruited ones, so try to skip those, just get the plain. Kombucha. Look for one that's, you know, doesn't have a ton of added sugar in it. Miso. Miso paste. I have a recipe in my book for miso glazed sweet potatoes. And it actually is a great way to have your fermented food as well as a, you know, more complex vegetable. But you can also add it to other veggies. I haven't paired it with sweet potatoes. but you can brush it on, the marinade onto other veggies. And almost every culture has a fermented food, so there are certainly several more, but that's some ways to get started.

Oils is the next one you have here. I've heard conflicting things on oils, that there are certain oils that are great for the brain food, that are great, but then also isn't oil a non-natural process where you're extracting something from the food, and so it's processed still. Isn't that like...

Right, so with the oils, the ones that I kind of recommend or suggest we use are things like extra virgin olive oil. I use a little bit of avocado oil, but what you're referring to is a very important point because processed vegetable oils and those seed oils especially the ones that are used in fast food restaurants because they are cost effective. Are pro-inflammatory. They are omega-6 levels in the body and so they are really driving inflammation instead of lowering it. So it's a good reason and certainly for physical but also importantly mental health for us to be a little bit careful.

Is extra virgin olive oil and avocado oil help decrease inflammation?

They have healthy fats in them. which are brain healthy fats. So that's the way to think about them. And yes, they don't drive, they're not increasing, they're not pro-inflammatory, they're not driving inflammation.

Those two. But if you have too much of it, it's too many calories, right?

Exactly, they can be very calorie dense. Now people who eat certain diets will say, perhaps much olive oil as you want. put in as much butter as you want. Now, butter is delicious. You can have butter, just have it in moderation, as with everything else.

The next thing is omega-3 rich foods. So omega-3 is in fish, is that right?

Yes, so omega-3 is in fish. You can get, you know, you get the short-chain omega-3s in some plant foods, the ALA, like hemp seeds, chia seeds, flax seeds, sea algae, sea vegetables. But the conversion to the longer chain is not as efficient.

Maine, where life the way it should be transforms all who encounter its spectacular landscapes. Rugged coastlines, pine-scented trails, sandy beaches, sparkling lakes, and tranquil forests inspire you to reflect and make meaningful moments. They offer endless opportunities for adventure and exploration. whether peddling or paddling, hiking or biking, Maine has more than enough outdoor spaces to make the most of long summer days. Relish in exquisite flavors harvested from the ocean and the rich soils of orchards and fields. Maine's makers are rooted in its heritage while boldly branching into new ways of thinking, doing, and being. Connect with its people in warm and authentic towns, which beckon you to stroll art galleries and locally owned shops. Where generations of artists, writers, entrepreneurs, and craftspeople see, the world anew. It's tempting to do it all when you visit, but take a beat and a breath. Get a feel for the time and tempo of Maine. Simple pleasures, scenic adventures, where every route is the scenic one. Discover more at visitmaine.com.

The path to retirement is different for everyone, and as life changes, so do priorities. Fidelity can help you get where you want to go with a free personalized Plan, Goal Tracking, and Timely Insights, you'll be set to take on retirement. Whether you're saving for it or already living in it, get started at fidelity.com/takeon. Expenses charged by your investments and other costs and fees associated with trading or transacting in your account apply. Fidelity Brokerage Services member NYSE SIPC.

In the seeds. In the vegetable sources, the plant-based sources.

As it is with fish.

As it is with seafood. Exactly. Seafood, gotcha. Or the fish. So, I feel that, you know, rather than struggling about whether you're gonna get that conversion in your body, one of the things is if someone is plant-based, consider an algal oil supplement, which can make up for that. Now, not every person who is vegan may agree with that, but it's a suggestion to, certainly for my patients, I would ask that.

To do that. An algae supplement, is that what you said?

Exactly, algal oil.

Okay, gotcha. I wish there was just like one supplement you could take for everything. I know. So dairy has, you say dairy is one of the things for brain foods as well. Is milk and dairy products really that good for you? I've heard a lot of different conflicting things about the inflammation behind milk and cheeses and things like that, but yeah. You say certain cheeses, yogurt, and kefir, right?

Mm-.

Yep.

So, but what about milk?

Absolutely. So, you know, I think that this comes down to the nature of your microbiome, the nature of your health. Because in my practice from when I started, I think that, oh, I know that my nutritional psychiatry plans have become much more highly personalized.

Yes.

As we understand a little bit more about the science of the microbiome. Dairy does not agree with everyone. You know, besides the lactose intolerance, people may find it inflammatory, but again, it goes back to the source. If I'm recommending dairy or working with someone who does consume dairy, it's grass milk-fed dairy. It's not just, you know, Hormone- Infused dairy, which is completely different.

Which is what I had my whole life growing up.

Which is what we had growing up, absolutely. And so it's It's the sauce, it's finding alternate milks, like you mentioned, that could substitute that flavor that you might be used to, that richness. With the cheeses, it really is the look for the probiotic sources. Remember that cheeses can be sheep's milk and goat's milk, because there's less of an issue around the dairy farming problem that we run into. So that's an option for people who like cheeses as well.

Are those the top type of cheeses you recommend? Sheep and and goat's milk.

If you're struggling with, if you don't like dairy, then you might want to consider those alternatives to cow's milk dairy products.

If you love cheese like me, you're saying you recommend those?

No, I'm saying look for a good source and make sure that you're getting a good source of the cheese. If you drink milk, make sure it's a grass milk. Got it. Where you get it from becomes important, you know, organic and all of that.

Gotcha.

That makes a difference.

Last thing you talked about spices, you already talked about it a little bit, but the, you know, turmeric with pepper and certain other spices. If you have no spices on your food, is it still okay if you're doing most of these things?

Absolutely. There's no hard and fast rules. So if you don't need spices, well, you know, maybe you don't like them, but I would encourage you to explore a little bit outside side of the box because many people just don't realize the brain benefit in the spices in their spice cabinet. It's often overlooked. Let's add a little bit of this and move on, but actually they're very powerful.

In chapter four, you talk about, I believe, trauma, PTSD and trauma. I'm curious, what type of foods continue.

To.

Emphasize traumatic experiences in our mind or in our thoughts, in our bodies, I guess. Are there certain foods that keep us living in traumatic patterns? And then there are other foods that help us heal traumatic memories, whether it be mentally or physically from the past.

Trauma is a very, very complicated subject. And it's something that to be, as a psychiatrist, is not only one route to healing. and that's where, like with other conditions as well, all forms of therapies and healing and sometimes even medication become important. But if we would look just at the nutritional elements, going back to that sad diet, going back to the diet that produces inflammation in the body, the added refined sugars that worsen our microbiome, impact inflammation in the brain, all of that just keeps you in that negative cycle, you know, and keeps you, when you've experienced a traumatic event or more than one, your brain is dealing with that. So there's less of your brain available to making healthier choices. So what you want to do is almost think about it as eating in a way that calms down that brain and helps with the healing so that the person can actually heal from within and make those better choices. So that's part of the psychological experience of it. But then, you know, foods that can help you, blueberries actually, have a good amount of evidence, believe it or enough, behind them. But then leaning into those antioxidant and anti inflammatory rich foods, um, and, you know, adding sort of almost revitalizing your diet. and where I always startles with people is, think about that just one kind of unhealthy habit you've picked up during the pandemic. You don't start there. It's going to help you. and then all that sugar of course, you know, Step away from the cookies, a step away from the ice cream or whatever it is. Absolutely. I did an interview with Dr. Daniel.

Amen, which I know you know as well. And I'm curious, he talks a lot about brain health as well. I did the whole brain scan. I don't know if you've done that as well. I haven't done it with him, but.

I've heard good things about it.

It's fascinating what you learn about the traumas of the brain that you've had.

And all this stuff.

I'm curious your thoughts on the effects of alcohol, smoking, vaping, and marijuana on the brain health and how those things hurt or help your brain health.

Yeah, so let me start with smoking because Lung cancer is a massive killer in the United States. putting COVID aside, putting heart disease aside, it's still a massive killer. So smoking, I can't really find a way with food or even alcohol or caffeine, substances that people sometimes don't consume, let's say, or don't eat. I can always find a way to provide guidance around moderation. With smoking, it's hard for me to do that.

There's no benefit.

I can't find a benefit, I still haven't. My patients who I'm encouraging to give up smoking will tell me it helps them with their weight, but that's unfortunately just...

It's not the only benefit, but it's an unhealthy...

But it's an unhealthy benefit because you're kind of killing your lungs at the same time or you're creating COPD, which is very painful as you grow older to suffer from.

And when you have that in your lungs, what does it do to your brain health?

Well, if one thing, you know, your oxygen, so our bodies run on oxygen.

And.

As well as nutrients. And if your lung capacity is getting lower and lower, it's not feeding your brain enough oxygen. You see this in COPD patients and people struggling with those conditions. So I can't justify that one, Louis. Right. With cannabis, the research is emerging. There's also separate to marijuana, there's the psychedelic research that's emerging in psychiatry. I think we'll be learning more and more about that. I think what gets confusing for the public is that because marijuana has been legalized in some states, recreational use is not the same as medical use that is regulated and prescribed. So there's a little bit of confusion with that. What I notice is in individuals who are using it recreationally or what I see in my hospital practices, People don't often know what that cannabis is mixed with, and they can have from psychotic episodes to worsening anxiety. They can lose touch with reality. Interesting. So it can be very mixed. So I think it's about the source, it's about whether it's prescribed, it's about whether you're using it responsibly or you're just kind of using it recreationally.

There's a whole gamut of things there. Is there any research on brain health and vaping?

Not that I'm familiar with off the top of my head. I will need to look into that. Because I think we, I don't personally know, know yet.

And then with alcohol.

But with alcohol, there's a good amount of research. But my feeling about it is offering people guidance around moderate use, responsible use. because more people do not drink alcohol. So having them understand that becomes important. Because it's, I know that, you know, for example, dry January is a big thing, and I encourage people, if that's something they want to try, just make sure that if they've been drinking really heavily on the holidays, they don't just stop overnight because they can go into physiological withdrawal.

Really.

And be quite sick and very anxious and have the heart racing and all sorts of things. But if that's a healthy habit that they want to make, go for it by all means. Just do it with some guidance. With alcohol, there are a couple of things. Pay attention to your body intelligence. One of the principles and pillars of nutritional psychiatry. So if you're drinking alcohol and you're not feeling good, pay attention to that. Or if you're feeling like you need two more glasses of wine to feel okay during COVID that has become a problem for a lot of people. We know that alcohol and drug use increased during COVID That's important to pay attention. If you're leaning on a glass of wine to help you sleep, it's gonna disrupt your sleep architecture. So all of that being said, if you're drinking moderation, enjoy a cocktail, have a clean cocktail. Avoid those simple syrup, which is simply sugar, the added liquors, which is just messing it up. You just have a clean cocktail. And, you know, wine, red wines, Whatever it is you're drinking, stay within some guidelines, moderation. And if it's something you want to give up, speak with a doctor because you don't want to go from six glasses of wine a day, which you shouldn't be drinking, to zero. You want to do it gradually so that your body can handle it.

Have you seen anything on the science around sparkling water, carbonated water, on how that affects either the gut or the brain?

I've seen a little bit, and I want to actually learn a bit more about it because people have said, Because I'm not sparkling water. Because I drink sparkling water, plain, you know? Because I like water as, you know, my go-to beverage that I sip on. And actually, it has a good amount of evidence in mental health, because dehydration can worsen anxiety.

Right.

And precipitate panic, and low levels of water and actually dehydration has been there's an association with depression as well. So, you know, it's important to keep our bodies running. But the combination, I've heard things about, you know, the impact of the microbiome. I'm just not sure.

So that's something I want to look into. I'd love to learn that. If you get the research, let me know. I will. I will. Because I want to make sure that I'm not drinking too much of it. Because I don't drink any alcohol. And so I've never been drunk. I have like Bailey's on ice, maybe like once or twice a year.

And that's about it.

That's about it, yeah. And water gets boring after a while, and I don't want to have soda. I pretty much eliminated soda from my life. Except forever, occasionally. So it's like, and I know that, you know, fruit juice is like lemonade or something, has a lot of sugar in it.

So it's like, do you flavor your water with like citrus, berries, or...

I don't like berries.

I don't like berries, which is bad. That's okay, yeah. You know, Pieces of citrus, pieces of kiwi.

Maybe something like a thing of lemon, just put it in there.

Exactly. A fresh squeeze of lemon, a fresh squeeze of actual orange, very different from a juice. The actual squeeze of that really just helps to give you a little bit of a different flavor.

Yeah, I like that.

And lots of ice, you know, change it up a little bit.

Yeah, I could start doing that more. You also have some great research in here, which I think some people will like this chapter on, I guess, libido. The foods that you should be eating that can enhance your libido or the foods that will hurt your libido. Can you share a few of the positive and the negative ones?

Sure. So, you know, the ones that you want to be leaning into is long list, but, you know, dark chocolate, people will be happy to know, extra dark natural chocolate that's, you know, 75% or higher is actually good and is an oxytocin rich food. pistachio nuts, avocado, apples, there are a few that you can tap into. And you know, cleaning up that, it goes back to cleaning up that diet. You know, there's a certain amount, there's a certain amount of research on that.

And- Let's see, soy protein was one?

It was in men.

For men to avoid. For women, it's okay.

It was, it was what the research showed that it wasn't as problematic for women. So, it's sort of interesting there. Again, a lot of Asian countries, a lot of actually in the US, soy, it's the sources of soy, right? So non-GMO, well-sourced organic tofu, actual edamame, soy beans, versus some sort of processed version, those become important.

Sugar is a big thing as well to avoid.

Yes. It comes back to that sad diet, yeah.

If you could eliminate one food from everyone's diet forever. If you just say we had to eliminate one thing from the earth, no one could ever eat this specific thing, what would that be to help us improve our mental health, our brains, our overall physical health, our gut microbiome?

It would be refined sugars.

Refined sugars.

Because we have sugar in, you know, many different foods get broken down to sugar, but it's the refined, those added refined sugars. So, you know, how high fructose corn syrup got developed in the food industry. All of those things really did change the nature of our food. And so, adding refined sugars, I think, would make a difference if... Getting rid of those.

What would people, what are three great substitutes instead of refined sugar if they're used to putting sugar in coffee or, I don't know, on top of of foods. What would be three in moderation substitutes that would maybe even benefit if you took these things?

So berries, we'll go back to that. I know you don't like them, but a piece of fruit. So I, you know, I like a little clementine. You know, they tie, they small eat a little bit of it. Cinnamon. Cinnamon is a spice that actually offers sweetness along with that. I think pumpkin pie. so those all have a little bit of sweetness without the actual sugar. So although, unless you have a spice that has, is a blend which has sugar added, that's different. I'm talking about the pure spice.

So all spices, cinnamon.

Cinnamon all have a little bit of the sweetness because the spices have sweetness. And I guess the third one would be sweetened.

Like honey agave, those.

Right, so I use a touch of honey in things. and the reason is that honey, I know individuals who are plant-based won't consume honey, but honey has a lot of other health benefits. It helps immunity, it helps a lot of other stuff. So good source of like manuka honey or really well-sourced honey could actually have other health benefits. So for me, if I'm sweetening a whole batch of chia pudding that I'm using, I'm not using a ton of it, I'm using a touch of honey. You know, it's a touch, because I love honey. Right. Don't put too much. Exactly. So it's like if If I'm making a whole bowl of, say, two or three cups, I would probably use not more than a teaspoon. That's, you know, for a large batch, it's not much. So for me, over time, I've kind of honed my sweet senses to having less sugar. So I can do that. And it's a process. Even my patients will tell me, it's a process. From a candy bar, going, teaching them to eat and get used, have their palate get used to a dark natural chocolate that actually is loaded in serotonin and magnesium and lots of good things for you. They go from a whole candy bar to eating a square or two because their palette changes and that part of it is that, you know, the candy bars often the sugar that tastes good and that is wanting us to eat more as well. It gets into that vicious cycle.

You've been studying this for a long time. You teach this to a lot of people with your clients, but you're also now teaching this to nutritionists and other experts in the world, what's the thing that you struggle with the most in your own, with all the information that you know with your own food intake or guess what's the thing that's challenging for you?

So, this is a great question because with the emergence of my book during a pandemic, sharing my book with the world became almost an entire job on its own.

It's a lot of work.

And one-- Marketing and promotion. Exactly, you know.

It's a lot of that.

The thing that I really had to relearn was my time management around food preparation. And I say that as a chef. I say that as someone who talks about meal preparation as being so important, because what would happen to us is I would be going from one podcast to the next, and I would not realize I didn't have a lunch-- Grab something, yeah. I would be sitting with the virtual world and promoting the book, be sitting on one interview after the next and have forgotten my water bottle. And so really, I had to take a step back and reevaluate how I was going to handle it because it, like I said, became like a whole other job. And so trust me when I say, you know, my nutrition is not perfect. I've had to relearn a lot of that again and say, Wednesday is going to be my meal prep day, and I'm going to go back to making my chia pudding and stuff because it was so thrown off. by the pandemic and needing to promote and share my book without any, you know, any media.

Absolutely, yeah. Chia pudding, is that a healthy dessert?

So you can actually have it in many different ways. I have it as a breakfast, I have it as a dessert. So the great thing about chia pudding is it's all about the ratio of the chia seeds to the coconut milk. Coconut milk. And then it The seeds expand in gel and they form like their own little pudding. So you don't need much of it to be very satiated because they're rich in fiber and protein and then you get some healthy fat from the coconut milk. And I top it, so if I'm having in the morning, I'll put, I know, berries. But if I wanted as more of an evening dessert, I'll either add some, make it a cocoa flavor with cacao nibs or something. Some cacao nibs. for crunch or add in some natural cacao powder when I'm making it. You can play with it and really get something good out of it. Or I have my turmeric in it and then just switch it out with maybe some crunchy nuts for the evening or whatever it is. So you can actually have it as a snack whenever you want.

How do you make this?

It's very simple. I don't have the ratio with me, but it's because I usually make it in large batches. It's a small amount of chia seeds. It's with coconut milk, and it's basically two ingredients. You make sure that it's blended. You just use a spoon. And what I do is I set it out in little mini ramekins. So I have a little chip bowl. Do you use jars or? You can use jars and seal it. The little tiny mason jars, you can use little ramekins and cover it with, you know, kind of a plastic wrap. Plastic wrap. Yeah. so that it's sealed and then you can use it at least for seven days at a time. You can make a batch and it sets overnight.

So it's actually, so you're just mixing coconut milk with chia seeds in a jar. Do you put it in a refrigerator?

How does it work?

Yes, in the fridge.

You just set it in the fridge.

That's all you do. That's all you do. You mix it in and then you put it in there. Yes, so the chia seeds swell with.

The liquid and they coagulate a little bit.

Exactly, and they kind of make this pudding type thing.

That's all it is. There's no other process to it.

Maine, where life the way it should be transforms all who encounter its spectacular landscapes. Rugged coastlines, pine-scented trails, sandy beaches, sparkling lakes, and tranquil forests inspire you to reflect and make meaningful moments. They offer endless opportunities for adventure and exploration. Whether pedaling or paddling, hiking or biking, Maine has more than enough outdoor spaces to make the most of long summer days. Relish in exquisite flavors harvested from the ocean and the rich soils of orchards and fields. Maine's makers are rooted in its heritage while boldly branching into new ways of thinking, doing and being. Connect with its people in warm and authentic towns which beckon you to stroll art galleries and locally owned shops where generations of artists, writers, entrepreneurs and craftspeople see the world anew. It's tempting to at all when you visit, but take a beat and a breath. Get a feel for the time and tempo of Maine. Simple pleasures, scenic adventures, where every route is the scenic one. Discover more at visitmaine.com.

Is it just me, or is it getting really hard to figure out the best way to save for retirement? Fidelity can help you find clarity so you can save the best way for you. With a free personal Personalized plan, goal tracking, and timely insights, you'll be set to take on retirement your way. Get started at fidelity.com/future. Expenses charged by your investments and other costs and fees associated with trading or transacting in your account apply. Fidelity Brokerage Services member NYSEsIPC.

Put it in the refrigerator, let it cool.

Stir it up and just chill it overnight.

Overnight, 12 hours, 24 hours.

Actually, the small ones set pretty fast. So you can sometimes do it in a few hours. So you could do it in the morning and eat it later in the day. What I tend to do is make it when I do my food prep day and make it for the week. That sounds good.

I'm gonna have to try that. I could do that and not mess it up, I feel like. Do you have the ratios in here? Yes, you do.

I have the chart in here. And if not, it's also on my Instagram.

That's amazing. This is your brain on food, an indispensable guide to the surprising foods that fight depression, PTSD, ADHD, anxiety, OCD, help with your sex drive and so much more. This has been very inspiring. I have a couple final questions for you, but I want to make sure people get the book. They can get it anywhere online, Amazon, your website. What is your website, by the way, where people can get more?

Sure, my website is umanaidomd.com and my Instagram is @dramainado. We also put out tons of information there and I'm actually hosting my first first virtual course in nutritional psychiatry early in 2022 for anyone who wants to learn more and dive deeper than the book.

Wow, what would that cover?

That would cover beyond what's in the book. So we go through the basic tenets of the book because people have individual questions, they have a want to deeper learning of the subject. And as you know, in any book, you can never cover all the topics. So we go into more topics, question and answer sessions. And hopefully it will, you know, it will deepen people's knowledge of the subject and their interest.

Dr. Uma, I really acknowledge you for the way you show up. I think it's, I think researchers and people working in universities can stay stuck in the university or working with one-on-one clients. And there's nothing wrong with that. But by you taking this, simplifying it into a book, and now wanting to go beyond that, I think is really inspiring for so many people that are confused around what to eat, how to eat, how it affects their gut, how it affects their brain. So, I really acknowledge you for showing up, for doing the work, for packaging this in a way that we can consume it and understand it so it doesn't seem so overwhelming. And, for doing all the podcasts you do to get it out there, even if your diet's a little off here and there. But, it's amazing. And, so I really acknowledge you for your decades of research and training so that we can become better human beings.

It's really inspiring.

Yeah. I have a question that I ask everyone at the end called three truths question. So I'd like you to imagine a hypothetical scenario. It's your last day on earth. Many years away from now, you get to live as long as you want to live. But eventually it's you got to call it your last day. And you've accomplished all of your dreams in life. You've accomplished everything you've created the life of your dreams, you've spent time with the people you love. But for whatever reason, you've got to take all of your work with you. Your message, your content, your books, videos, like everything you've ever created for whatever reason, it's got to go somewhere else. So we don't have access to your information anymore. But you get to leave behind on this last day, okay, three lessons, three things you know to be true about all the things you've learned in life. that you would like to share with the world. What would you say would be those three truths? Off the cuff, obviously.

Okay. Number one, be kind to yourself. Because without that, honestly, you're not gonna be able to help anyone else. The second is, you are what you eat. Even though it's cliched and overly used, And it's often misunderstood and never actually taken seriously. So you mentioned the sad diet, and you know what I'm talking about. And the third is spices are the magic in your kitchen cabinet that are going to help your mental health.

Really? Mm-. I like it. Spices are the magic. Very cool. I'm excited for this. I want people to get the book.

Thank you.

Is there anything else we can do to support you currently. Well, thank you.

I think, you know, helping me to bring this message forward in whatever way you can. So I thank you for sharing this podcast and inviting me, but people listening to it, you know, supporting the book, supporting the work, letting us know the burning questions that they have. Okay. You know, it's social media. I can't answer. I can't be your doctor. I can't answer your medical questions. But, you know, we can. If we hear from people, we'll put a post out on something. We'll added as a segment to the course that I teach, that type of stuff.

Perfect.

That really helps me.

Okay, cool. Okay, final question. Dr. Uma, what's your definition of greatness?

Truly being yourself. If you are able to reach that place within yourself to be confident to be yourself, I truly think that makes you the greatest that you can be on the South.

Thank you so much for listening. I hope you enjoyed today's episode and inspired you on your journey towards greatness. Make sure to check out the show notes in the description for a full rundown of today's show with all the important links. And also make sure to share this with a friend and subscribe over on Apple podcast as well. I really love hearing feedback from you guys, so share a review over on Apple and let me know what part of this episode resonated with you the most. And if no one's told you lately, I want to remind you that you are loved, you are worthy, and you matter. And now it's time to go out there and do something great.

Going up.

Prices keep going up these days. It feels like being on an elevator.

That only goes up going up.

But not at Metro.

We're pushing the down button.

We've lowered prices.

Get one line of 5G data for forty dollars, period. That's 20 lower.

And you get a free Samsung 5G.

Phone when you bring your number only at Metro.

Five-year guarantee on eligible plans. Exclusions Apply. See website for details.

Not available at Metro with T-Mobile in.

The past six months. Tax supplies.