44. Your Brain on Food: How Your Diet Affects Your Mental Health - with Dr. Uma Naidoo #WellnessWednesdays

Explicit content warning

07/29/20 • 45 min

I am fascinated by how food and our diet affects our mood. Dr. Uma Naidoo founded and directs the first hospital-based nutritional psychiatry service in the United States. She’s the Director of Nutritional and Lifestyle Psychology at Massachusetts General Hospital and Director of Nutritional Psychiatry at MGH Academy. While serving on the faculty of Harvard Medical School, she was considered Harvard’s food-mood expert and has been featured in The Wallstreet Journal—in other words, she’s curious about which foods impact our moods and how. In her new book, “This Is Your Brain On Food,” she explores the fascinating science behind the food-mood link and offers actionable nutrition recommendations and recipes to optimize your mental health.

You will learn about...

(02:29) Getting interested in pairing psychiatry and nutrition
(09:16) The link between physical and mental symptoms
(16:08) The role of flavor in satisfaction and mood
(23:00) How gut health influences mood and mental state
(28:50) The science behind chocolate and controversial foods
(34:16) How carbohydrates affect your mood

Resources:

Connect with Kelly:

kellyleveque.com
Instagram: @bewellbykelly
Facebook: www.facebook.com/bewellbykelly

Be Well By Kelly is a production of Crate Media

Mentioned in this episode:

BWBK Protein Powder | Get $10 off your order with PODCAST10 at bewellbykelly.com.

You will learn about...

(02:29) Getting interested in pairing psychiatry and nutrition
(09:16) The link between physical and mental symptoms
(16:08) The role of flavor in satisfaction and mood
(23:00) How gut health influences mood and mental state
(28:50) The science behind chocolate and controversial foods
(34:16) How carbohydrates affect your mood

Resources:

Connect with Kelly:

kellyleveque.com
Instagram: @bewellbykelly
Facebook: www.facebook.com/bewellbykelly

Be Well By Kelly is a production of Crate Media

Mentioned in this episode:

BWBK Protein Powder | Get $10 off your order with PODCAST10 at bewellbykelly.com.

Previous Episode

43. Managing Your Diet During Pregnancy - with Lily Nichols, RDN #WellnessWednesdays

Lily Nichols is a registered dietician and nutritionist and certified diabetes educator. She’s devoted her entire career to researching real food nutrition for pregnancy and gestational diabetes—and she’s uncovered a wide gap between current prenatal guidelines and what’s actually optimal for both mother and baby. She found out that, in mothers with uncontrolled blood sugar, the child is up to six times more likely to be diabetic or obese by the time they’re a teenager, and she realized that she could help break the cycle of childhood obesity. Her goal is to put better, more up-to-date information into the hands of moms and healthcare providers—because we can do a lot better than we are now!

You will learn about...

(00:55) The risk of childhood obesity based on the mother’s diet
(05:32) Recommendations for carbohydrates and balancing blood pressure
(11:58) What babies really need from their mother’s diet
(17:58) Dealing with food aversion or cravings in the first trimester
(33:30) Eating dairy during pregnancy
(40:06) Hero foods for pregnant women
(58:12) Why prenatal medicine contains folic acid
(01:05:44) Important micronutrients and how to get them in your diet
(01:16:02) Dealing with fear-mongering while pregnant

Resources:

lilynicholsrdn.com
Read: “Real Food for Pregnancy”
Read: “Real Food for Gestational Diabetes”
Instagram: @lilynicholsrdn

Connect with Kelly:

kellyleveque.com
Instagram: @bewellbykelly
Facebook: www.facebook.com/bewellbykelly

Be Well By Kelly is a production of Crate Media

Mentioned in this episode:

BWBK Protein Powder | Get $10 off your order with PODCAST10 at bewellbykelly.com.

Next Episode

45. Taking Care of Yourself with Clean Body Products - with Melissa Christenson #FabulousFriends

Melissa Christenson is a cosmetic chemist with degrees in both chemistry and marketing, plus over two decades of experience in product development and brand management. She partners with both emerging and established brands to lead the research and development of clean and effective health, beauty, and lifestyle innovations. Leveraging the duality of her experience, she bridges the gap between R&D and marketing by crafting clean and sustainable formulations and translating technical language into consumer-friendly and value-driven benefits. She’s also the founding partner in the new natural deodorant brand, Hume Supernatural. She has all the knowledge you need to know about how to take care of yourself using clean, healthy products.

You will learn about...