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This Is Your Brain on Food: An Indispensable Guide to the Surprising Foods that Fight Depression, Anxiety, PTSD, OCD, ADHD, and More
Eat for your mental health and learn the fascinating science behind nutrition with this "must-read" guide from an expert psychiatrist (Amy Myers, MD).
Did you know that blueberries can help you cope with the aftereffects of trauma? That salami can cause depression, or that boosting Vitamin D intake can help treat anxiety?
When it comes to diet, most people's concerns involve weight loss, fitness, cardiac health, and longevity. But what we eat affects more than our bodies; it also affects our brains. And recent studies have shown that diet can have a profound impact on mental health conditions ranging from ADHD to depression, anxiety, sleep disorders, OCD, dementia and beyond.
A triple threat in the food space, Dr. Uma Naidoo is a board-certified psychiatrist, nutrition specialist, and professionally trained chef. In This Is Your Brain on Food, she draws on cutting-edge research to explain the many ways in which food contributes to our mental health, and shows how a sound diet can help treat and prevent a wide range of psychological and cognitive health issues.
Packed with fascinating science, actionable nutritional recommendations, and delicious, brain-healthy recipes, This Is Your Brain on Food is the go-to guide to optimizing your mental health with food.
Did you know that blueberries can help you cope with the aftereffects of trauma? That salami can cause depression, or that boosting Vitamin D intake can help treat anxiety?
When it comes to diet, most people's concerns involve weight loss, fitness, cardiac health, and longevity. But what we eat affects more than our bodies; it also affects our brains. And recent studies have shown that diet can have a profound impact on mental health conditions ranging from ADHD to depression, anxiety, sleep disorders, OCD, dementia and beyond.
A triple threat in the food space, Dr. Uma Naidoo is a board-certified psychiatrist, nutrition specialist, and professionally trained chef. In This Is Your Brain on Food, she draws on cutting-edge research to explain the many ways in which food contributes to our mental health, and shows how a sound diet can help treat and prevent a wide range of psychological and cognitive health issues.
Packed with fascinating science, actionable nutritional recommendations, and delicious, brain-healthy recipes, This Is Your Brain on Food is the go-to guide to optimizing your mental health with food.
384 pages, Hardcover
Published August 4, 2020
About the author
Uma Naidoo
2 books146 followersDr Uma Naidoo, Director of Nutritional and Lifestyle Psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital, is a Harvard trained Psychiatrist and one of the pioneers in the more newly recognized field of Nutritional Psychiatry. Dr Uma is also a Professional Chef and a trained Nutrition Specialist. Featured in the Wall Street Journal, ABC News, Harvard Health Press, Goop, and many others, Dr Uma has a special interest on the impact of food on mood and other mental health conditions.
In her book, This Is Your Brain On Food, Dr Uma 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.
In her book, This Is Your Brain On Food, Dr Uma 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.
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August 24, 2020
I recently listened to a very interesting conversation on the Doctor's Farmacy podcast with Dr. Uma Naidoo about nutritional psychiatry. I actually found this discussion interesting enough to buy Dr. Naidoo's new book, This Is Your Brain on Food: An Indispensable Guide to the Surprising Foods that Fight Depression, Anxiety, PTSD, OCD, ADHD, and More. Unfortunately, after reading the book, I now wish I hadn't wasted my time or money.
When I was about an hundred pages into the book, I decided I'd only finish the book to write a review to share on Amazon. At that point, an hundred pages in, I was going to give the book 3 stars. But the more I read of the book, the fewer stars I decided to give it.
I actually broadly agree with many of the points that Dr. Naidoo argues for in the book including that one's diet directly affects one's mental health, there's a connection between gut health and brain health, and modern Western or standard American diets aren't healthy. Though, we don't fully agree on what makes a Western diet unhealthy. Psychiatry today also tends to look at and try to ameliorate symptoms, rather than find and address underlying causes. So, I actually commend Dr. Naidoo for exploring diet and its impact on the gut, brain and mental health as an underlying factor affecting mental health. Poor diets, sleep disorders, malocclusions, interrupted circadian rhythms, environmental toxins, trauma, etc all impact one's brain, gut health and hormones. Sadly, many of these factors aren't fully explored before psychiatrists prescribe pills in our drug happy system of medicine.
Unfortunately too, whatever broad general agreement I had with Dr. Naidoo is severely undermined by her reliance on very weak confounded epidemiological and rodent studies as well as her repeated inconsistent nutritional advice including her inconsistent saturated fat phobia, her misrepresentation of Mediterranean diets, and a few other cringe worthy things that I'll quickly touched on below. Plus on top of that, some of the misrepresentation and or lack of critical analysis of the research cited was downright disturbing. Why? She either didn't understand what she read or was dishonest about what she read to further her dietary biases.
Let's start with epidemiological studies, where she hyped low relative risk numbers enough times to make me wonder whether or not she knows the difference between relative and absolute risk. Stating that there's a 20 percent (relative risk) increase between the subject and control groups in a study doesn't mean much of anything without knowing the absolute risk. Such small R/R's typically are so confounded as to not really demonstrate anything. Small R/R's also often have absolute risks that are very small in the less than one or two percent range. I think she's spent too much time at Harvard where fear mongering with very weak and confounded R/R's seems to be the modus operandi. Correlations and associations do NOT necessarily equal causation.
Dr. Naiboo also repeatedly cites rodent studies to typically berate high saturated fat diets. But she doesn't seem to be aware that the high fat rodent chow diets usually consist of soybean or corn oil and sugar. These diets aren't natural diets for rodents to consume. Plus such rodent chow diets are quite a bit different than the healthy fats (including saturated fats) eaten in the context of LCHF, keto, paleo, or similar diets. So holding out rodent studies- without breaking down what the rodents actually ate- to prove high saturated fat diets are bad is either naive or dishonest. For example in chapter six, on dementia and brain fog, in back to back studies she cites rodent studies as examples of harmful high saturated fat diets in footnotes 16 (Menay et al 2010) and 17 (Wu et al 2014). In Menay et al 2010, the rodent chow for the high fat diet is specifically noted. This rodent chow #D12266B consists mainly of sugar and corn oil (over 75% corn oil with the remaining fat from butter, a saturated fat). The author falsely describes this rodent chow as primarily a "high saturated fat diet". In Wu et al 2014, the specific chow isn't noted. However the high fat diet is specifically described as being high in both saturated (SFA) and monounsaturated (MUFA) fat made from lard and corn oil. Lard from factory pigs is a mix of approximately 40% SFA, 50% MUFA (oleic acid) and 10% poly-unsaturated fat (PUFA). Corn oil is nearly 60% linoleic acid (an Omega 6 PUFA) and 28% oleic acid (MUFA). So is the oxidative stress and other maladies, that Dr. Naidoo attributes solely to the "bad" saturated fat, caused by the SFA or the other "healthy" fats (and sugars) in the rodent chow in this study? Due to how the study was designed including what the rodents were fed, there's no definitive answer to this question because of the confounders.... despite Dr. Naidoo's claims to the contrary.
In general, with saturated fats, Dr. Naidoo is kind of silly. To her, saturated fats are "bad fats". However, she recommends avocados, avocado oil, and coconut oil as "healthy fats". The most common avocado is the Haas avocado, which consist of 25 to 30% palmitic fatty acid (a saturated fat) and around 30 to 35% total saturated fatty acids. (Some other kinds of less common avocados, like Pinkertons, have less saturated fat- around 20% SFA's). Coconut oil is largely lauric, capric and palmitic SFA's. So coconut oil is over 80% SFA's. But similar fatty acid compositions in red meats per her repeated assertions are "bad unhealthy fat". She doesn't seem to understand that most sources of fat consist of different ratios of saturated, mono-unsaturated and poly-unsaturated fatty acids. I've seen pastured lard as high as 60% oleic fatty acid, a mono-unsaturated fatty acid (olive oil is around 70 to 75% oleic fatty acid). Pastured tallow is also primarily monounsaturated/poly-unsaturated fatty acids with guess what saturated fatty acid? Yep, you betcha.... palmitic fatty acid. Guess she didn't take any lipidology courses when she got her nutritional degree.
But that's not the only inconsistency regarding red meat. She also notes not to eat grain finished red meat because of its high Omega 6 to 3 ratios (around 15 to 1) yet writes to eat "healthy fat" from almonds as well as eat almonds in general. Hmmm....all beef (whether grain or grass finished) has fairly low amounts of omega 6's and 3's, so it's not a good or bad source for either. But almonds, on the other hand, are really high in Omega 6's and their ratio of 6's to 3's is around 2000 to 1. Many nuts and seeds are high in Omega 6's and very low in 3's including Brazil nuts (1000 to 1), and pumpkin seeds (175 to 1).
Funny too she advises against eating wheat bran because it's high in phytates (phytic acid) that will block mineral absorption. She makes this recommendation almost immediately after suggesting to eat other foods like pumpkin seeds and Brazil nuts... that are guess what? Yep you betcha again, very high in phytates that block mineral absorption including zinc, selenium and iron. Brazil nuts are one of the highest nut sources of phytic acid. (Vegans are routinely deficient in zinc and iron. It's not from not eating enough pumpkin seeds. The zinc, and iron in nuts, seeds and many plants just aren't very bio-available since phytates - as well as oxalates- are chelators that bind minerals).
But the many inconsistencies don't end there.....She advises people not to eat foods that easily oxidize, but suggests people should eat canola oil instead of soybean oil due to the Omega 6 to 3 ratios. Well guess what? When canola oil is expeller pressed and hexane extracted, it's oxidized so much during production that it has to be deodorized to mask the rancidity (see video below). Some of her recipes also use canola for cooking. When polyunsaturated fats are heated during the extraction of the oil or during cooking, the bonds break and the oils form plant sterol oxidation product [POPS]. These POPS effect membrane function and cause inflammation, thus they have been connected to arteriosclerosis (Vanmierlo et al, 2012). Furthermore with canola oil, she also mentions a "Norway Diet" that uses canola oil instead of olive oil. Canola oil wasn't even created until the 1970's so there never was any Norwegian diet that ever relied on canola oil as its primary fat source. There also was no single Mediterranean Diet. Whether you're in Italy, Spain, France, Turkey, Greece, etc, there are multiple Mediterranean diets many of which include a lot of cured meats (salumi, charcuterie) , fermented dairy (cheese, yogurt), pork, lamb and fish. These are not "plant based" diets. France eats a ton of butter as well yet somehow doesn't have high heart disease or more mental health disorders than other European countries. As it turns out, the make believe Mediterranean Diet that the author espouses, that no one actually eats in this region, is a fabrication of Walter Willett, who concocted this fantasy in 1993 at a conference sponsored by the olive oil industry.
Too often many of the claims she made regarding the benefits or detriments of different foods based on "this study" or that study were a bit incredulous. So, frequently I found I had to refer to the footnotes to find the studies she was using to support her claims and then review those studies for myself. After reading through many of these studies, it was very apparent that she was frequently overstating what was demonstrated by the actual studies. This occurred enough times that I had to pretty much question the veracity of any and every claim she made. For example, in chapter 10 on libido in footnote 13 (Tremellen 2016) , she makes a statement, cites a theory (hypothesis) noting the theory "purports" that the diet caused dysbiosis (leaky gut) which, in turn, caused the sexual dysfunction. Dr. Naidoo then concludes that this hypothesis demonstrates a causal connection of gut health to sexual health. The study clearly notes it's a hypothesis based on epidemiological studies that can't show causation. So even though there may indeed be a connection between gut health and sexual function, the specific study cited doesn't provide anything more that a hypothesis based upon circumstantial evidence.
Moreover one really has to question her analytical abilities when she reads a study. Why? Since with any study one reads, one needs to understand the methodologies and review the raw data in order to critically assess the conclusions rather than just cherry pick whatever language supports the author or researcher's biases. For instance in "another study" (St-Onge et al 2016) in chapter eight on insomnia and fatigue, Dr. Naidoo notes high saturated fat, high sugar and low fiber diets provide less restorative sleep. This study had only 27 participants (14 men and 13 women), who were very rigorously screened so as to not have any sleep disorders or other anomalies that would adversely impact their sleep. The participants were randomly assigned to two groups for restricted and habitual sleep. They were tested in a crossover design for these two different sleep patterns for six days each. During the first four days of each pattern they were given specific meals at specific times. During the last two days of each pattern, they could eat whatever they wanted to at any time. This was their ad libitum diet. They were sleep tested on the third and fifth day of each sleep pattern based on the different diets. An analysis of diets for the ad libitum diet showed that on average there was a very slight increase of saturated fat intake from 7.5% to 10% , a slight decrease in protein and a slight increase of carbs, though less fiber. Per the sleep studies, these slightly altered ad libitum diets resulted in less slow wave sleep [SWS] and longer sleep onset latency [SOL]. No data is given as to when meals were consumed during night 5 and 6. So basically all of these associations are confounded not only by what was consumed , but when whatever ad libitum was consumed. Was it the fat, protein, fiber, a micro-nutrient or the time a meal was consumed that resulted in the lower SWS and longer SOL? Don't really know and can't really tell from how the study was set-up. Why did the researchers not control meal times or provide pre-determined diets with fewer variables on nights 5 and 6? Don't know, but the results end up being confounded and the associations are thus very weak. Furthermore without looking at the raw data, it's hard to determine whether or not an outlier or two skewed the numbers in such a small sample group.
Anyway, I could go on about a number of other items in the book like not differentiating between vitamins A1 and A2 or giving bogus plant sources of B12 or not realizing that Glycemic Indexes [GI] are averages where different people have very different glycemic responses to the same foods in large part due to their different microbiomes (Zeevi et al 2015). I'm sort of surprise she didn't realize this GI issue since the book is supposedly about the brain-gut connection. Like our brain, ketones can also be used as an alternative source for the gut. So she also doesn't seem to understand that the gut lining can also get isobutyrate via protein fermentation or via ketones from a blood pathway instead of butyrate from the fermentation of microbe accessible carbohydrates (MACS a.k.a. fiber). Thus eating dietary fiber isn't the only way to feed the gut lining short chained fatty acids . Humans evolved in places with wet and dry seasons as well in places with winters where plant foods weren't readily or seasonally available. Thus we're metabolically flexible. Not adhering to seasonable dietary patterns may have actually SIMPLIFIED modern human gut microbiomes.
So, in short, I agree that modern Western diets are bad for mental health...but probably more so for easily oxidized industrial plant oils and excessive amounts of sugar rather than anything to do with the saturated fats in red meat. Red meat, which Dr. Naidoo routinely labels as "bad", has been part of the diets of the homo genus for over two and a half million years. So red meat isn't unique or new to "western diets". Though industrial plant oils like canola, corn and soybean oil are and have only been consumed for the past one hundred or so years in modern diets. Additionally, deep frying in these oils generates hydroxynonenal. These lipid peroxidation products may play a role in Alzheimer's and other lifestyle diseases (Yamashima et al 2020). Mutagenic forms of wheat, high fructose corn syrup and glyphosate are other novel new foods, ingredients or residues new to our species's diet that are omnipresent in modern Western or standard American diets. These items, like easily oxidized highly processed industrial plant oils, all adversely affect gut and brain health.
Continued......
When I was about an hundred pages into the book, I decided I'd only finish the book to write a review to share on Amazon. At that point, an hundred pages in, I was going to give the book 3 stars. But the more I read of the book, the fewer stars I decided to give it.
I actually broadly agree with many of the points that Dr. Naidoo argues for in the book including that one's diet directly affects one's mental health, there's a connection between gut health and brain health, and modern Western or standard American diets aren't healthy. Though, we don't fully agree on what makes a Western diet unhealthy. Psychiatry today also tends to look at and try to ameliorate symptoms, rather than find and address underlying causes. So, I actually commend Dr. Naidoo for exploring diet and its impact on the gut, brain and mental health as an underlying factor affecting mental health. Poor diets, sleep disorders, malocclusions, interrupted circadian rhythms, environmental toxins, trauma, etc all impact one's brain, gut health and hormones. Sadly, many of these factors aren't fully explored before psychiatrists prescribe pills in our drug happy system of medicine.
Unfortunately too, whatever broad general agreement I had with Dr. Naidoo is severely undermined by her reliance on very weak confounded epidemiological and rodent studies as well as her repeated inconsistent nutritional advice including her inconsistent saturated fat phobia, her misrepresentation of Mediterranean diets, and a few other cringe worthy things that I'll quickly touched on below. Plus on top of that, some of the misrepresentation and or lack of critical analysis of the research cited was downright disturbing. Why? She either didn't understand what she read or was dishonest about what she read to further her dietary biases.
Let's start with epidemiological studies, where she hyped low relative risk numbers enough times to make me wonder whether or not she knows the difference between relative and absolute risk. Stating that there's a 20 percent (relative risk) increase between the subject and control groups in a study doesn't mean much of anything without knowing the absolute risk. Such small R/R's typically are so confounded as to not really demonstrate anything. Small R/R's also often have absolute risks that are very small in the less than one or two percent range. I think she's spent too much time at Harvard where fear mongering with very weak and confounded R/R's seems to be the modus operandi. Correlations and associations do NOT necessarily equal causation.
Dr. Naiboo also repeatedly cites rodent studies to typically berate high saturated fat diets. But she doesn't seem to be aware that the high fat rodent chow diets usually consist of soybean or corn oil and sugar. These diets aren't natural diets for rodents to consume. Plus such rodent chow diets are quite a bit different than the healthy fats (including saturated fats) eaten in the context of LCHF, keto, paleo, or similar diets. So holding out rodent studies- without breaking down what the rodents actually ate- to prove high saturated fat diets are bad is either naive or dishonest. For example in chapter six, on dementia and brain fog, in back to back studies she cites rodent studies as examples of harmful high saturated fat diets in footnotes 16 (Menay et al 2010) and 17 (Wu et al 2014). In Menay et al 2010, the rodent chow for the high fat diet is specifically noted. This rodent chow #D12266B consists mainly of sugar and corn oil (over 75% corn oil with the remaining fat from butter, a saturated fat). The author falsely describes this rodent chow as primarily a "high saturated fat diet". In Wu et al 2014, the specific chow isn't noted. However the high fat diet is specifically described as being high in both saturated (SFA) and monounsaturated (MUFA) fat made from lard and corn oil. Lard from factory pigs is a mix of approximately 40% SFA, 50% MUFA (oleic acid) and 10% poly-unsaturated fat (PUFA). Corn oil is nearly 60% linoleic acid (an Omega 6 PUFA) and 28% oleic acid (MUFA). So is the oxidative stress and other maladies, that Dr. Naidoo attributes solely to the "bad" saturated fat, caused by the SFA or the other "healthy" fats (and sugars) in the rodent chow in this study? Due to how the study was designed including what the rodents were fed, there's no definitive answer to this question because of the confounders.... despite Dr. Naidoo's claims to the contrary.
In general, with saturated fats, Dr. Naidoo is kind of silly. To her, saturated fats are "bad fats". However, she recommends avocados, avocado oil, and coconut oil as "healthy fats". The most common avocado is the Haas avocado, which consist of 25 to 30% palmitic fatty acid (a saturated fat) and around 30 to 35% total saturated fatty acids. (Some other kinds of less common avocados, like Pinkertons, have less saturated fat- around 20% SFA's). Coconut oil is largely lauric, capric and palmitic SFA's. So coconut oil is over 80% SFA's. But similar fatty acid compositions in red meats per her repeated assertions are "bad unhealthy fat". She doesn't seem to understand that most sources of fat consist of different ratios of saturated, mono-unsaturated and poly-unsaturated fatty acids. I've seen pastured lard as high as 60% oleic fatty acid, a mono-unsaturated fatty acid (olive oil is around 70 to 75% oleic fatty acid). Pastured tallow is also primarily monounsaturated/poly-unsaturated fatty acids with guess what saturated fatty acid? Yep, you betcha.... palmitic fatty acid. Guess she didn't take any lipidology courses when she got her nutritional degree.
But that's not the only inconsistency regarding red meat. She also notes not to eat grain finished red meat because of its high Omega 6 to 3 ratios (around 15 to 1) yet writes to eat "healthy fat" from almonds as well as eat almonds in general. Hmmm....all beef (whether grain or grass finished) has fairly low amounts of omega 6's and 3's, so it's not a good or bad source for either. But almonds, on the other hand, are really high in Omega 6's and their ratio of 6's to 3's is around 2000 to 1. Many nuts and seeds are high in Omega 6's and very low in 3's including Brazil nuts (1000 to 1), and pumpkin seeds (175 to 1).
Funny too she advises against eating wheat bran because it's high in phytates (phytic acid) that will block mineral absorption. She makes this recommendation almost immediately after suggesting to eat other foods like pumpkin seeds and Brazil nuts... that are guess what? Yep you betcha again, very high in phytates that block mineral absorption including zinc, selenium and iron. Brazil nuts are one of the highest nut sources of phytic acid. (Vegans are routinely deficient in zinc and iron. It's not from not eating enough pumpkin seeds. The zinc, and iron in nuts, seeds and many plants just aren't very bio-available since phytates - as well as oxalates- are chelators that bind minerals).
But the many inconsistencies don't end there.....She advises people not to eat foods that easily oxidize, but suggests people should eat canola oil instead of soybean oil due to the Omega 6 to 3 ratios. Well guess what? When canola oil is expeller pressed and hexane extracted, it's oxidized so much during production that it has to be deodorized to mask the rancidity (see video below). Some of her recipes also use canola for cooking. When polyunsaturated fats are heated during the extraction of the oil or during cooking, the bonds break and the oils form plant sterol oxidation product [POPS]. These POPS effect membrane function and cause inflammation, thus they have been connected to arteriosclerosis (Vanmierlo et al, 2012). Furthermore with canola oil, she also mentions a "Norway Diet" that uses canola oil instead of olive oil. Canola oil wasn't even created until the 1970's so there never was any Norwegian diet that ever relied on canola oil as its primary fat source. There also was no single Mediterranean Diet. Whether you're in Italy, Spain, France, Turkey, Greece, etc, there are multiple Mediterranean diets many of which include a lot of cured meats (salumi, charcuterie) , fermented dairy (cheese, yogurt), pork, lamb and fish. These are not "plant based" diets. France eats a ton of butter as well yet somehow doesn't have high heart disease or more mental health disorders than other European countries. As it turns out, the make believe Mediterranean Diet that the author espouses, that no one actually eats in this region, is a fabrication of Walter Willett, who concocted this fantasy in 1993 at a conference sponsored by the olive oil industry.
Too often many of the claims she made regarding the benefits or detriments of different foods based on "this study" or that study were a bit incredulous. So, frequently I found I had to refer to the footnotes to find the studies she was using to support her claims and then review those studies for myself. After reading through many of these studies, it was very apparent that she was frequently overstating what was demonstrated by the actual studies. This occurred enough times that I had to pretty much question the veracity of any and every claim she made. For example, in chapter 10 on libido in footnote 13 (Tremellen 2016) , she makes a statement, cites a theory (hypothesis) noting the theory "purports" that the diet caused dysbiosis (leaky gut) which, in turn, caused the sexual dysfunction. Dr. Naidoo then concludes that this hypothesis demonstrates a causal connection of gut health to sexual health. The study clearly notes it's a hypothesis based on epidemiological studies that can't show causation. So even though there may indeed be a connection between gut health and sexual function, the specific study cited doesn't provide anything more that a hypothesis based upon circumstantial evidence.
Moreover one really has to question her analytical abilities when she reads a study. Why? Since with any study one reads, one needs to understand the methodologies and review the raw data in order to critically assess the conclusions rather than just cherry pick whatever language supports the author or researcher's biases. For instance in "another study" (St-Onge et al 2016) in chapter eight on insomnia and fatigue, Dr. Naidoo notes high saturated fat, high sugar and low fiber diets provide less restorative sleep. This study had only 27 participants (14 men and 13 women), who were very rigorously screened so as to not have any sleep disorders or other anomalies that would adversely impact their sleep. The participants were randomly assigned to two groups for restricted and habitual sleep. They were tested in a crossover design for these two different sleep patterns for six days each. During the first four days of each pattern they were given specific meals at specific times. During the last two days of each pattern, they could eat whatever they wanted to at any time. This was their ad libitum diet. They were sleep tested on the third and fifth day of each sleep pattern based on the different diets. An analysis of diets for the ad libitum diet showed that on average there was a very slight increase of saturated fat intake from 7.5% to 10% , a slight decrease in protein and a slight increase of carbs, though less fiber. Per the sleep studies, these slightly altered ad libitum diets resulted in less slow wave sleep [SWS] and longer sleep onset latency [SOL]. No data is given as to when meals were consumed during night 5 and 6. So basically all of these associations are confounded not only by what was consumed , but when whatever ad libitum was consumed. Was it the fat, protein, fiber, a micro-nutrient or the time a meal was consumed that resulted in the lower SWS and longer SOL? Don't really know and can't really tell from how the study was set-up. Why did the researchers not control meal times or provide pre-determined diets with fewer variables on nights 5 and 6? Don't know, but the results end up being confounded and the associations are thus very weak. Furthermore without looking at the raw data, it's hard to determine whether or not an outlier or two skewed the numbers in such a small sample group.
Anyway, I could go on about a number of other items in the book like not differentiating between vitamins A1 and A2 or giving bogus plant sources of B12 or not realizing that Glycemic Indexes [GI] are averages where different people have very different glycemic responses to the same foods in large part due to their different microbiomes (Zeevi et al 2015). I'm sort of surprise she didn't realize this GI issue since the book is supposedly about the brain-gut connection. Like our brain, ketones can also be used as an alternative source for the gut. So she also doesn't seem to understand that the gut lining can also get isobutyrate via protein fermentation or via ketones from a blood pathway instead of butyrate from the fermentation of microbe accessible carbohydrates (MACS a.k.a. fiber). Thus eating dietary fiber isn't the only way to feed the gut lining short chained fatty acids . Humans evolved in places with wet and dry seasons as well in places with winters where plant foods weren't readily or seasonally available. Thus we're metabolically flexible. Not adhering to seasonable dietary patterns may have actually SIMPLIFIED modern human gut microbiomes.
So, in short, I agree that modern Western diets are bad for mental health...but probably more so for easily oxidized industrial plant oils and excessive amounts of sugar rather than anything to do with the saturated fats in red meat. Red meat, which Dr. Naidoo routinely labels as "bad", has been part of the diets of the homo genus for over two and a half million years. So red meat isn't unique or new to "western diets". Though industrial plant oils like canola, corn and soybean oil are and have only been consumed for the past one hundred or so years in modern diets. Additionally, deep frying in these oils generates hydroxynonenal. These lipid peroxidation products may play a role in Alzheimer's and other lifestyle diseases (Yamashima et al 2020). Mutagenic forms of wheat, high fructose corn syrup and glyphosate are other novel new foods, ingredients or residues new to our species's diet that are omnipresent in modern Western or standard American diets. These items, like easily oxidized highly processed industrial plant oils, all adversely affect gut and brain health.
Continued......
May 1, 2021
As a registered dietitian who works in mental health I found this book so incredibly disappointing (although I’ll be honest my expectations weren’t high in the beginning). The author uses very poor quality studies (most of which are animal studies) to spout the idea that diet can cure mental illness— an incredibly misleading and false conclusion. There seemed to be a lot of weak correlation being spouted as causation, and a sense of blame implying that those will mental illness are at fault for symptoms due to their diet quality (versus the much more likely idea that struggling with mental illness makes “proper diet” much more difficult and a lower priority for people). The author surprisingly acknowledges the lack of research in multiple places, but concludes that “it doesn’t hurt to do it anyway” when in reality nutritional changes are NOT risk free interventions, especially when many of these encouraged changes are based on bad science, can unnecessarily restrict an individuals diet, increase blame and guilt for those struggling, not to mention the total lack of acknowledgement of eating disorders... the mental illness with the highest mortality rate (aside from one small section on orthorexia which was very poorly discussed.)
There is also a tremendous amount of weight bias and weight stigmatizing language sprinkled throughout the book which made it difficult to even get through. I’m glad I read this book, only because now if patients and clients ask me about it I can direct them elsewhere.
There is also a tremendous amount of weight bias and weight stigmatizing language sprinkled throughout the book which made it difficult to even get through. I’m glad I read this book, only because now if patients and clients ask me about it I can direct them elsewhere.
November 6, 2020
I’m fascinated by foods and how they can heal the body. When I plan to alter eating habits, I focus on increasing the healthiest foods, and then naturally, I eat less of the stuff I shouldn’t. Dr. Uma Naidoo’s book fits perfectly with this stance. Dr. Naidoo is a psychiatrist, nutritionist, AND chef. I’m not sure I’ve “met” one before, but I’m so grateful I have now. I’ve read about foods and wellness, but not as much about food and the mental health aspects of wellness.
What foods can help take the edge off anxiety? Or help with OCD, sleep, ADHD, depression, dementia, and Parkinson’s Disease? Not only is the book filled with science, it also has some super yummy recipes.
This Is Your Brain on Food is a book I excitedly read from cover to cover, absorbing all I could, and one I will reference often to revisit foods I need to add into my diet.
I received a gifted copy. All opinions are my own.
Many of my reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com and instagram: www.instagram.com/tarheelreader
What foods can help take the edge off anxiety? Or help with OCD, sleep, ADHD, depression, dementia, and Parkinson’s Disease? Not only is the book filled with science, it also has some super yummy recipes.
This Is Your Brain on Food is a book I excitedly read from cover to cover, absorbing all I could, and one I will reference often to revisit foods I need to add into my diet.
I received a gifted copy. All opinions are my own.
Many of my reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com and instagram: www.instagram.com/tarheelreader
July 13, 2021
As a dietitian, I read this for continuing education. In the second chapter she lists several studies that I feel are not necessarily cause and effect, but could be more correlation. Things like every person who developed depression had consumed fried foods or sugar or some other type of food during the study period. While I would agree that these correlations are good to consider and that most people should consume less of these foods the studies are used as proof when I don’t see it as such. There were also chapters where she would recommend a food because of one property then list the same food as undesirable for another property. Overall I feel this book should have been a single page that says “eat a variety of foods all in moderation with an emphasis on whole foods.”
July 12, 2020
A groundbreaking guide for eating well for mental health from just the right writer. Uma Naidoo, nutritional psychiatrist and professionally trained chef, shows how food is medicine for a range of brain disorders from depression to dementia, OCD to anxiety.
Explains nutrition science and the ability to both prevent and treat brain illness with food. Examples: For PTSD, eat blueberries. For anxiety, up your Vitamin D. Skip salami to avoid depression and caffeine to lessen dread.
I especially loved the author’s personal story about boosting treatment for her cancer and anxiety with a healthful diet. She has such a warm conversational style that I found myself trusting her completely, which enhanced my reading.
While COVID deaths are rising again, we can treat our angst with the meals we eat, using this easy-to-read text as guide. Includes case studies, cheat sheets on what to eat or avoid, plus delicious nutritious recipes. Highly highly recommended!
5 of 5 Stars
Pub Date 04 Aug 2020
Big hugs to the author, Little, Brown and Company and NetGalley for the review copy. Opinions are mine.
#ThisIsYourBrainOnFood #NetGalley
Explains nutrition science and the ability to both prevent and treat brain illness with food. Examples: For PTSD, eat blueberries. For anxiety, up your Vitamin D. Skip salami to avoid depression and caffeine to lessen dread.
I especially loved the author’s personal story about boosting treatment for her cancer and anxiety with a healthful diet. She has such a warm conversational style that I found myself trusting her completely, which enhanced my reading.
While COVID deaths are rising again, we can treat our angst with the meals we eat, using this easy-to-read text as guide. Includes case studies, cheat sheets on what to eat or avoid, plus delicious nutritious recipes. Highly highly recommended!
5 of 5 Stars
Pub Date 04 Aug 2020
Big hugs to the author, Little, Brown and Company and NetGalley for the review copy. Opinions are mine.
#ThisIsYourBrainOnFood #NetGalley
February 27, 2022
O foarte bună modalitate de informare în legătura cu importanța alimentației și modul în care aceasta influențează procese biologice ale organismului. Foarte bine structurată astfel încât să te poți opri asupra informațiilor care te interesează, detalii suficient de clare și îndrumare către alimente ce te pot ajuta.
September 6, 2020
I get better info from my dietitian wife! But I still learned a few things about some items!
2.4/5
2.4/5
June 19, 2021
This is a must-read. Every kitchen should come stocked with this helpful, healing title!
The author of this powerful book is a nutritional specialist, a professional chef, having her own private practice and teaching at the Cambridge School of Culinary Arts, and a board-certified psychiatrist through Harvard Medical School. She is the director of Nutritional and Lifestyle Psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital and Director of Nutritional Psychiatry at the Massachusetts General Hospital Psychiatric Academy. Plus she is a cancer survivor, walking her talk! She knows her stuff! Get out your highlighter (or notes tab) because it's going to be in heavy use!
"Until we solve nutritional problems, no amount of medication and psychotherapy is going to be able to stem the tide of mental issues in our society."
Food as Medicine because Mental Health Matters! I'd never even heard of nutritional psychiatry before, nor had doctors or psychiatrists I'd seen in the past, spoken with me about dietary changes... until I moved to a state that promoted natural healing and I started seeing Holistic Doctors and Healers of various sorts.
Great doctors give you tools to change your life and lifestyle, not take your power, your money, everything you've got just merely chasing disease. Good doctors care about the person underneath the disease...The root cause of what is making people sick in the first place and shining a light on that darkness, not suppressing it. —Outright healing, not keeping one prescribed to a system that isn't benefitting them.
The first chapter is labeled THE BRAIN GUT ROMANCE. How adorable is that? Usually, the scientific talk on these topics can make one lose their appetites rather quickly, she keeps it sounding delectable! Not only is her writing style fabulous, her experiences making her a powerhouse of sage knowledge (that every doctor should be dishing out) is incredible! I can't believe there are even sample menus and recipes included towards the end of the book! I love how she shares which foods help mental health and which ones harm.
Just because certain foods are calories doesn't mean they are giving you your daily vitamins and minerals, that's where deficiency starts to set in, that's when mental health starts the negative downwards spiral.
When I make eating healthy a HABIT I stay healthier, it's when my bad habits start to take over, I become stuck in illness with an array of symptoms. (We used to only eat out or order food in on special occasions, then it became once a month, then once a week, now, whenever we don't have any food pre-thawed (I refuse to use the microwave) or planned out, it's become a fail-safe, sometimes a few times a week, and one that's been costing us our health at that. Spaghetti is quick but lacks in nutritional value, the sodium in lunch meat is enough to cause a heart attack, freezer foods are fast but again lacking, veggies and fruits have been long forgotten about because they spoil within days, getting to the grocery store once a week is a feat for anybody not to mention dangerous as the pandemic digresses. I need to be bigger than my excuses and figure out a way to make the transition smoother. Continuing to eat healthily is hard until it becomes a habit, as all things are. I swear GOOD LASTING HABITS ARE THE KEY TO LIFE.)
I laughed when Uma Naidoo the author, joked about how doctors probably aren't scratching baked salmon recipes on their prescription pads to give to their patients, even though mental health and diet are inextricably linked. Not to worry though, there are more than just fish recipes included!
"— ... so many people are oblivious to the fact that when mental health is affected, the root of the problem is NOT solely in the brain. Instead, it's a signal that one or more of the body's connections with the brain has gone awry."
She touched on many important topics:
The Vagus Nerve
Serotonin Deficiency
Dopamine, GABA
The Microbiome (good bacteria/bad bacteria)
Probiotics
I loved how this book mapped out the relationship between the Microbiome and individual disorders such as Depression, Anxiety, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Dementia, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Insomnia, Decreased Libido, Schizophrenia, and Bipolar Disorder.
Cue in my Megaphone here:📢♥️
If you struggle with any of these or know anyone who does, this book shares in-depth details on each specific disorder with such clarity it's astonishing.
"—Certain food groups and eating patterns can have a negative effect on your gut microbiome and your mental health."
That means the opposite is also true, choosing the right foods and transitioning to healthy eating patterns can help you heal in mind-body, and soul. Lately, I've stopped giving my diagnosis all the power over me and I've started changing my food habits. I now look at each recipe as a prescription for good health.
Pharmaceuticals always gave me critical and dangerous side-effects with no lasting benefits. The author of this title doesn't discredit pharmaceuticals, her focus shares that when we get to the root of things, they can have LASTING effects. I don't know about you, but I'd rather stay prescribed to a healthy diet than to a health care system. One must ask themselves if their healthcare provider is actively helping them seek healing or merely keeping them prescribed to the system without relief or desired results. Good doctors are so few and far between, if you don't feel you are healing, please know there may be hope in doing something as small (or big) as completely revamping the diet. This is a lifestyle adjustment!
"We all need to sleep and have a satisfying sex life."
This book spoke what my heart feels and I'm glad she has so many professional titles backing her name because that's what it takes to get info like this recognized and heard on a vast level.
Much gratitude to Hachette Book Group for the paperback ARC I won through the Goodreads Giveaway Program. I was under no obligation to write a review, my honest opinion is freely given. The quotes I shared may not reflect the final publication, as the author Uma Naidoo, MD may have made changes prior.
The author of this powerful book is a nutritional specialist, a professional chef, having her own private practice and teaching at the Cambridge School of Culinary Arts, and a board-certified psychiatrist through Harvard Medical School. She is the director of Nutritional and Lifestyle Psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital and Director of Nutritional Psychiatry at the Massachusetts General Hospital Psychiatric Academy. Plus she is a cancer survivor, walking her talk! She knows her stuff! Get out your highlighter (or notes tab) because it's going to be in heavy use!
"Until we solve nutritional problems, no amount of medication and psychotherapy is going to be able to stem the tide of mental issues in our society."
Food as Medicine because Mental Health Matters! I'd never even heard of nutritional psychiatry before, nor had doctors or psychiatrists I'd seen in the past, spoken with me about dietary changes... until I moved to a state that promoted natural healing and I started seeing Holistic Doctors and Healers of various sorts.
Great doctors give you tools to change your life and lifestyle, not take your power, your money, everything you've got just merely chasing disease. Good doctors care about the person underneath the disease...The root cause of what is making people sick in the first place and shining a light on that darkness, not suppressing it. —Outright healing, not keeping one prescribed to a system that isn't benefitting them.
The first chapter is labeled THE BRAIN GUT ROMANCE. How adorable is that? Usually, the scientific talk on these topics can make one lose their appetites rather quickly, she keeps it sounding delectable! Not only is her writing style fabulous, her experiences making her a powerhouse of sage knowledge (that every doctor should be dishing out) is incredible! I can't believe there are even sample menus and recipes included towards the end of the book! I love how she shares which foods help mental health and which ones harm.
Just because certain foods are calories doesn't mean they are giving you your daily vitamins and minerals, that's where deficiency starts to set in, that's when mental health starts the negative downwards spiral.
When I make eating healthy a HABIT I stay healthier, it's when my bad habits start to take over, I become stuck in illness with an array of symptoms. (We used to only eat out or order food in on special occasions, then it became once a month, then once a week, now, whenever we don't have any food pre-thawed (I refuse to use the microwave) or planned out, it's become a fail-safe, sometimes a few times a week, and one that's been costing us our health at that. Spaghetti is quick but lacks in nutritional value, the sodium in lunch meat is enough to cause a heart attack, freezer foods are fast but again lacking, veggies and fruits have been long forgotten about because they spoil within days, getting to the grocery store once a week is a feat for anybody not to mention dangerous as the pandemic digresses. I need to be bigger than my excuses and figure out a way to make the transition smoother. Continuing to eat healthily is hard until it becomes a habit, as all things are. I swear GOOD LASTING HABITS ARE THE KEY TO LIFE.)
I laughed when Uma Naidoo the author, joked about how doctors probably aren't scratching baked salmon recipes on their prescription pads to give to their patients, even though mental health and diet are inextricably linked. Not to worry though, there are more than just fish recipes included!
"— ... so many people are oblivious to the fact that when mental health is affected, the root of the problem is NOT solely in the brain. Instead, it's a signal that one or more of the body's connections with the brain has gone awry."
She touched on many important topics:
The Vagus Nerve
Serotonin Deficiency
Dopamine, GABA
The Microbiome (good bacteria/bad bacteria)
Probiotics
I loved how this book mapped out the relationship between the Microbiome and individual disorders such as Depression, Anxiety, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Dementia, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Insomnia, Decreased Libido, Schizophrenia, and Bipolar Disorder.
Cue in my Megaphone here:📢♥️
If you struggle with any of these or know anyone who does, this book shares in-depth details on each specific disorder with such clarity it's astonishing.
"—Certain food groups and eating patterns can have a negative effect on your gut microbiome and your mental health."
That means the opposite is also true, choosing the right foods and transitioning to healthy eating patterns can help you heal in mind-body, and soul. Lately, I've stopped giving my diagnosis all the power over me and I've started changing my food habits. I now look at each recipe as a prescription for good health.
Pharmaceuticals always gave me critical and dangerous side-effects with no lasting benefits. The author of this title doesn't discredit pharmaceuticals, her focus shares that when we get to the root of things, they can have LASTING effects. I don't know about you, but I'd rather stay prescribed to a healthy diet than to a health care system. One must ask themselves if their healthcare provider is actively helping them seek healing or merely keeping them prescribed to the system without relief or desired results. Good doctors are so few and far between, if you don't feel you are healing, please know there may be hope in doing something as small (or big) as completely revamping the diet. This is a lifestyle adjustment!
"We all need to sleep and have a satisfying sex life."
This book spoke what my heart feels and I'm glad she has so many professional titles backing her name because that's what it takes to get info like this recognized and heard on a vast level.
Much gratitude to Hachette Book Group for the paperback ARC I won through the Goodreads Giveaway Program. I was under no obligation to write a review, my honest opinion is freely given. The quotes I shared may not reflect the final publication, as the author Uma Naidoo, MD may have made changes prior.
February 25, 2022
I had a few issues with this book. I wanted to trust the information in the book, as the author certainly has the academic credentials. BUT... One issue is perhaps not entirely the author's fault: at many points, she notes that there hasn't been enough research to know for sure if some food/chemical is helpful/harmful or not, but then goes on to say that it's worth trying to see if it helps. I actually did a bit of research into one of these points (A2 dairy for ADHD), and there's actually almost no evidence to say it'll be helpful for the vast majority of people (And not enough evidence to say it'll actually be helpful to anyone with regards to ADHD or ASD symptoms). Which makes me question a lot of the other advice in the book. Second, as someone with celiac disease, I can say with confidence that her advice regarding gluten is potentially harmful. It is true that undiagnosed celiac disease can have many negative health effects, including mental health effects. However, her advice of simply trying to cut out gluten and seeing how you feel is bad advice. It will generally take 3-6 months of being really strictly gluten free (depending on the individual and how much damage has been done to their gut) in order for their small intestine to heal enough for someone to really feel better. Given the advice in the book, I don't think most people would a) wait that long to decide if it's helping or b) realize how many hidden sources of gluten there are in our diets which would continue to cause a celiac reaction. Also, you can't get diagnosed with celiac disease unless you are currently consuming gluten (you'll get a false negative on the blood test assuming you are effectively cutting out all gluten, and a follow up biopsy might be negative or inconclusive if it has healed sufficiently). So, if someone is wondering if they might have celiac, they should talk to their doctor, or even better a gastroenterologist (as GPs often don't understand celiac very well).
Next, as someone with ADHD, I also don't think her approach in this chapter makes sense. For sure, diet can impact symptoms, but she seems to be arguing at several points that diet can cause someone to either have ADHD or not. (OK, yes severity of symptoms does impact whether ADHD is diagnosable, but that's not really what the book seemed to be saying.) ADHD is largely heritable and has been shown to come with changes in brain structure (ie, certain parts of the brain are smaller in individuals with ADHD). Diet isn't going to change that. At one point, she cited a study that said that in a study that asked people to follow a Mediterranean diet for a certain period of time, people with ADHD symptoms were less likely to correctly follow the diet. Somehow, she concluded from that that not following the diet gave people ADHD, instead of the much more likely conclusion that having ADHD made it harder for people to follow the diet.
Anyway, the one takeaway that seems fairly straightforward is that the Western diet is not good for us, and we should cut out fried foods, high GI foods, and bad fats, and eat lots more fruits, veggies, whole grains, etc. So, basically, something we all already know. I suppose it's helpful to have a reminder that it impacts our mental health as well as physical health (and that comfort eating is counterproductive). As for the rest of the book, I guess I'd just say we should take it with a very hefty grain of salt.
Next, as someone with ADHD, I also don't think her approach in this chapter makes sense. For sure, diet can impact symptoms, but she seems to be arguing at several points that diet can cause someone to either have ADHD or not. (OK, yes severity of symptoms does impact whether ADHD is diagnosable, but that's not really what the book seemed to be saying.) ADHD is largely heritable and has been shown to come with changes in brain structure (ie, certain parts of the brain are smaller in individuals with ADHD). Diet isn't going to change that. At one point, she cited a study that said that in a study that asked people to follow a Mediterranean diet for a certain period of time, people with ADHD symptoms were less likely to correctly follow the diet. Somehow, she concluded from that that not following the diet gave people ADHD, instead of the much more likely conclusion that having ADHD made it harder for people to follow the diet.
Anyway, the one takeaway that seems fairly straightforward is that the Western diet is not good for us, and we should cut out fried foods, high GI foods, and bad fats, and eat lots more fruits, veggies, whole grains, etc. So, basically, something we all already know. I suppose it's helpful to have a reminder that it impacts our mental health as well as physical health (and that comfort eating is counterproductive). As for the rest of the book, I guess I'd just say we should take it with a very hefty grain of salt.
March 27, 2020
Dr. Naidoo is uniquely qualified to write this book: she not only trained as a psychiatrist, but also attended culinary school and studied nutrition. She discusses how the gut is intricately involved with what goes on in our brains—and how what we eat is important to this “gut-brain romance.” Each chapter reviews case studies of the particular condition (depression, anxiety, OCD, dementia, bipolar disorder, PTSD, schizophrenia, ADHD, fatigue, insomnia, and libido) and makes nutritional recommendations based on both studies and her own experience treating patients. (I especially liked that each study specifically mentioned the name of the lead investigator, and was pleased to see that many were women.) At the end of the book, she guides us through what might be needed in the beginning kitchen, recaps the foods which are basic to a healthy diet, and offers some recipes to incorporate them. I read a lot of books on nutrition, but this one absolutely stands out for its accessible writing style, clear organization, and invaluable information. Highly recommended.
July 14, 2020
"This Is Your Brain on Food" explains what foods can positively or negatively affect your brain health. The author covered depression, anxiety, PTSD, ADHD, dementia, brain fog, insomnia, fatigue, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, OCD, and libido. For each problem, she talked about scientific studies using nutrition to treat the issue, cases that she's treated successfully, and advice about what foods should be avoided and what foods help heal the problem. About a fifth of the book was some recipes along with cooking advice for people that are beginners at cooking. Since I'm interested in food as medicine, I've heard some of this advice before. She generally recommended whole food over refined foods and getting your nutrition from food rather than supplements. Overall, I'd recommend this book to those who want to try changing their diet to heal. However, she doesn't mention avoiding GMO's even though she does recommend canola oil and soy foods. I strongly suggest anyone eating those foods buy organic or become informed about genetically modified foods.
I received an ebook review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.
I received an ebook review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.
May 24, 2022
I am very disappointed by this book. I listened to the audiobook and was initially very interested in the authors story she is a psychiatrist, nutritionist, and someone who went to culinary school…However as I listened I became concerned and read the first review on goodreads 1 star by “Stephen” and wasn’t sure if I should continue.
I decided to skip ahead to the chapter about ADHD, as someone with ADHD I was particularly interested in this chapter to see if I could learn anything…This is where I become completely disappointed. The language used around ADHD is incredibly disheartening, those who don’t have ADHD are described as having “healthy” brains and thus implying someone who is neurodivergent (people for example whose brains work differently like people with ADHD or Autism) are unhealthy. People who are neurodivergent as opposed to neurotypical process things differently and their brain is wired differently, but that does not mean it is wrong, it is not a disease, it is not unhealthy and it cannot be “cured”.
Another part that stood out is the discussion on sugar, while studies mentioned now show that sugar doesn’t cause ADHD, the book says people with ADHD may consume more sugar and also sugar is bad. As someone who has ADHD and has also developed an eating disorder, BED (binge eating disorder), I have tried to learn a lot about the correlation between BED and ADHD, which is now gaining more research. People with ADHD have low levels of dopamine and eating sugar can seem to satisfy the hit of dopamine, so it seems (from my understanding) that one of the reasons people with ADHD may eat more sugar is because they are trying to create dopamine and feel better. I am not an expert but I think that this relationship should have been further explored then a broad generalization that sugar is bad.
I was also very concerned that many foods were categorized as “bad”, this creates shame and guilt around food and eating, which can exacerbate eating disorders, depression, and anxiety.
I was hoping this book could provide positive and realistic food and nutrition goals and information, and not shame people for eating habits. If it was easy to “quit” junk food etc more people would. If anyone has any recommendations for a book with a positive body image and eating approach to health and nutrition I would love to hear it!
I decided to skip ahead to the chapter about ADHD, as someone with ADHD I was particularly interested in this chapter to see if I could learn anything…This is where I become completely disappointed. The language used around ADHD is incredibly disheartening, those who don’t have ADHD are described as having “healthy” brains and thus implying someone who is neurodivergent (people for example whose brains work differently like people with ADHD or Autism) are unhealthy. People who are neurodivergent as opposed to neurotypical process things differently and their brain is wired differently, but that does not mean it is wrong, it is not a disease, it is not unhealthy and it cannot be “cured”.
Another part that stood out is the discussion on sugar, while studies mentioned now show that sugar doesn’t cause ADHD, the book says people with ADHD may consume more sugar and also sugar is bad. As someone who has ADHD and has also developed an eating disorder, BED (binge eating disorder), I have tried to learn a lot about the correlation between BED and ADHD, which is now gaining more research. People with ADHD have low levels of dopamine and eating sugar can seem to satisfy the hit of dopamine, so it seems (from my understanding) that one of the reasons people with ADHD may eat more sugar is because they are trying to create dopamine and feel better. I am not an expert but I think that this relationship should have been further explored then a broad generalization that sugar is bad.
I was also very concerned that many foods were categorized as “bad”, this creates shame and guilt around food and eating, which can exacerbate eating disorders, depression, and anxiety.
I was hoping this book could provide positive and realistic food and nutrition goals and information, and not shame people for eating habits. If it was easy to “quit” junk food etc more people would. If anyone has any recommendations for a book with a positive body image and eating approach to health and nutrition I would love to hear it!
August 24, 2021
I read this book on the shirttails of 'Eat to Beat Depression and Anxiety' by Dr. Drew Ramsey, and THAT was one of my top books of the year so far. I purchased a copy for ongoing use at home.
This book by comparison is written for the layperson-- which is fine, but don't just tell me that "some studies backed up some stuff." A lot of the information here is presented in a way that's very... well... pedestrian. And chances are, if you're reading nonfiction about how to cope with mental health struggles, you're more hardcore into the research.
Skip this and go directly to Ramsey's book, which offers far more practical and actionable advice. In addition, it's more focused material so readers may find more that suits their specific lifestyle or situation.
This book by comparison is written for the layperson-- which is fine, but don't just tell me that "some studies backed up some stuff." A lot of the information here is presented in a way that's very... well... pedestrian. And chances are, if you're reading nonfiction about how to cope with mental health struggles, you're more hardcore into the research.
Skip this and go directly to Ramsey's book, which offers far more practical and actionable advice. In addition, it's more focused material so readers may find more that suits their specific lifestyle or situation.
August 1, 2023
4.5! Quicker read than it looks as there is a recipe guide and a couple appendices at the end that will hopefully serve as a quick guide to me while grocery shopping.
“Food as medicine” is a newer trend that I am close to at work, so it was cool to see the science behind it.
Would recommend for anyone who likes food/health/cooking!
The half point deduction is for the part where it said to reduce mayo consumption.
“Food as medicine” is a newer trend that I am close to at work, so it was cool to see the science behind it.
Would recommend for anyone who likes food/health/cooking!
The half point deduction is for the part where it said to reduce mayo consumption.
March 9, 2023
I am no doctor, psychiatrist, chef, or nutritionist. But I can still spot a pretty poor research proposition when I read it. Dr. Naidoo uses plenty of studies…but they are poor support for her arguments. Several studies—too many, really—are small sample sizes, consisting of vague information that make her arguments less sound. To make matters even less appealing, a considerable proportion of those studies were only conducted on rats, not humans. I was extremely bothered by her use of her own patients as “proof.” It seems as though every example follows this formula: gives a lot of background info about the patient’s mental health, explains changes to their diet that she suggested, and ends with a weak argument which ends up sounding like “now they’re completely fine.” There is little to no follow up or circumstantial acknowledgment. It makes it seem like her overall argument is that a change in diet is *the* cure to mental health diagnoses. To which I would roll my eyes and say, “Bitch, please.”
I also feel that the whole structure of this book could’ve been different. Many of her dietary recommendations (both for restricting and for adding) are repeated in each chapter. If I have to read about limiting caffeine intake to 400mg/day ONE MORE TIME….
I will admit that this book did get me thinking about some of the ways in which I can eat healthier to nourish my mind as well as my body. But I was not impressed with this book at all.
I also feel that the whole structure of this book could’ve been different. Many of her dietary recommendations (both for restricting and for adding) are repeated in each chapter. If I have to read about limiting caffeine intake to 400mg/day ONE MORE TIME….
I will admit that this book did get me thinking about some of the ways in which I can eat healthier to nourish my mind as well as my body. But I was not impressed with this book at all.
Read
January 26, 2021I won't sully this book's rating, but this book wasn't for me and I only made it about halfway. I bet it's great for those who need extreme detail on why the foods we know are good for us are good. Some of the clinical anecdotes present as a little too good to be true. But it really boiled down to: "Eat leafy greens, other greens, healthy spices, nuts and seeds, some fruits, some fish. Class dismissed."
October 23, 2020
Changed my diet and feel like a completely different person. Highly recommend.
December 16, 2022
Lots of interesting thoughts here. I wouldn't treat this like a textbook or take the author's words as gospel, but if you're at all interested between the link between mental health and nutrition, this is a good starting point. Obviously you should see a nutritionist if you're seriously concerned, but as someone who just wants to eat healthier, this gave me a helpful list of foods to look into and those to avoid.
February 26, 2023
A lack of strong research and a smattering of diet culture made me cringe my way through this book. There are some gems hidden along the way, but overall this book was a bit of a let down for a topic that feels so key to helping those of us in Western societies to reintegrate our understanding of our whole self.
January 22, 2024
I appreciated the reminder that food is a powerful tool.
Unfortunately, there was a lot of repetition and most evidence was based on studies of mice or rats. How can a human accurately gauge the OCD tendencies of a rat?
A few good takeaways, nevertheless.
•A standard American diet will keep you feeling sick.
•A healthy and diverse gut microbiome is vital.
•Make plant foods a priority.
•Nearly everyone would benefit from increased Turmeric and Omega-3 consumption.
Unfortunately, there was a lot of repetition and most evidence was based on studies of mice or rats. How can a human accurately gauge the OCD tendencies of a rat?
A few good takeaways, nevertheless.
•A standard American diet will keep you feeling sick.
•A healthy and diverse gut microbiome is vital.
•Make plant foods a priority.
•Nearly everyone would benefit from increased Turmeric and Omega-3 consumption.
June 27, 2020
This book is awesome. There are lots of research and informations that teaches you how food and a good diet can help you fight depression, OCD, anxiety, ADHD, trauma and more. It's very interesting because for each one of them the book explains how can food help, what kind of food you should eat and what kind of food you should avoid. There's also a cheat sheet to help you remember what to eat and what to not eat in case you didn't read the whole information. At the end of the book, there are some recipes and they look pretty good. I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review
May 31, 2023
This book had a lot of good information and cited empirical research for much of it unlike some of the other books in the genre of lifestyle interventions for mental health which I appreciated. Unfortunately, the book also features medical fatphobia that equated body size to a health condition. To it’s credit the book does discuss orthorexia and other eating disorders but a truly liberatory book on diet and mental health would also unpack size bias and weight stigma within healthcare.
December 19, 2022
I came to this book expecting stories. And expecting ideas about food, a discussion of nutrition, the food industry and our planet through the lens of how the brain makes use of nutrients. Unfortunately, I got something decidedly less spectacular.
This is a book on nutrition divided by different pathological conditions linked to brain activity. The structure of every chapter is quite similar: a short anecdote discussing an example of the condition and the steps that were taken to alleviate it by changing the patient's diet, then a quick survey of studies which show correlation between eating certain foods, macronutrients, vitamins or minerals and improvements in that particular condition, and a set of ingredients and recipes to use in the kitchen.
The gist of it is: eat the mediterranean diet (allowing for Indian variations) and refrain from added sugars and processed foods.
Since I read this book almost a year ago, I could at least tell an account of how it changed the way I eat. Unfortunately, it seems that it wasn't very persuasive in my case. I've cooked less, eaten more takeout (usually burgers and soda) and even more saturated fats in the form of potato chips and oreos. Honestly, Tim Ferris's 4 hour body still is the best motivational literature for me. I read it more than 10 years ago, but some stuff still resonates. I should think about making a habit of re-reading parts of it every couple of years or so.
This is a book on nutrition divided by different pathological conditions linked to brain activity. The structure of every chapter is quite similar: a short anecdote discussing an example of the condition and the steps that were taken to alleviate it by changing the patient's diet, then a quick survey of studies which show correlation between eating certain foods, macronutrients, vitamins or minerals and improvements in that particular condition, and a set of ingredients and recipes to use in the kitchen.
The gist of it is: eat the mediterranean diet (allowing for Indian variations) and refrain from added sugars and processed foods.
Since I read this book almost a year ago, I could at least tell an account of how it changed the way I eat. Unfortunately, it seems that it wasn't very persuasive in my case. I've cooked less, eaten more takeout (usually burgers and soda) and even more saturated fats in the form of potato chips and oreos. Honestly, Tim Ferris's 4 hour body still is the best motivational literature for me. I read it more than 10 years ago, but some stuff still resonates. I should think about making a habit of re-reading parts of it every couple of years or so.
August 2, 2021
Food can be so amazing & healing!! This book is intriguing, straightforward, and flip-able. I checked it out from the library but I’m going to buy a copy to mark up and refer back to (there are lots of lists & recipes & helpful tidbits)!!
October 18, 2021
I really enjoyed this and learned a lot.
February 17, 2021
Looking for a book packed with information and the science behind food as medicine to boost mental health? If so, this is the right book for you! I was blown away by the wealth of information the author Uma Naidoo, MD had in this book. I am researching how to change things in my diet due to a new mental health diagnosis and couldn't be happier to have found this book. The research is solid and backed up by many facts and studies. Not only does the author explain what helps combat certain mental ailments but also provides menus to match! It is important to note that the book is not meant to be read in it's entirety by every person. Read the parts that are relevant to you and what you are looking for. Definitely check this book out to learn more!
Find it today: https://ent.sharelibraries.info/clien...
Ashley C. / Milton Public Library #CheckOutMPL
Find it today: https://ent.sharelibraries.info/clien...
Ashley C. / Milton Public Library #CheckOutMPL
March 13, 2024
I read this straight through, which the author said wasn’t necessary, but I can’t imagine a single person reading just for one chapter, but you might read it more than once so that’s something. I enjoyed the anecdotes, but they all seemed too good to be true. A lot of high level terms get thrown at you, but I think they generally didn’t distract me from the info.
Someone with more knowledge about the subject might have more to say, but I just have to say that having rat tests back up almost all of your data got a bit repetitive. That also goes for “the western diet is not what you should be eating” part of each chapter. Eat more nuts y’all!
Someone with more knowledge about the subject might have more to say, but I just have to say that having rat tests back up almost all of your data got a bit repetitive. That also goes for “the western diet is not what you should be eating” part of each chapter. Eat more nuts y’all!
February 24, 2023
more so than other wellness books i’ve read this book provides really clear, practical advice as to how different diet changes can impact our overall well-being. this book goes into amazing detail and would be a great first book for someone looking to get into learning more about food as a form of medicine.
minus 1 star for some conflation of correlation and causation, unnecessary discussions of weight loss / the general diet culture discussions that permeate the wellness industry, and for not bringing up the accessibility of making dietary choices esp in regards to societal barriers that exclude many from doing so.
minus 1 star for some conflation of correlation and causation, unnecessary discussions of weight loss / the general diet culture discussions that permeate the wellness industry, and for not bringing up the accessibility of making dietary choices esp in regards to societal barriers that exclude many from doing so.
December 21, 2023
Many of the whole foods Dr. Naidoo recommends to add to your diet actually works. I’ve been changing the way I view foods within the past year, and it’s been a journey of being in tuned with my body to know what’s working and what isn’t! While whole foods may not be the end all be all for some, I appreciate Dr. Naidoo’s view on the importance of medicine too. Wish I had picked this up prior. Incredibly interesting and insightful.
May 10, 2021
I've read a number of books over the last several years about the linkage between food and physical health and this was focused on the link between diet and mental health. Much of the guidance is the same as other books i.e. Mediterranean diet is good, too much sugar, friend foods, refined grains is bad. Good to see the validation for caffeine and red wine (in moderation) as beneficial to mental health. There is still lots of research being done so likely more to come on the connection between gut and brain.
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