Episode 19: Dr Drew Ramsey
Mood food & eating to boost brain function
#HealthHackers Ep 19 with psychiatrist Dr Drew Ramsey
No time to watch the video? Below is the audio podcast on Soundcloud. Or subscribe on Apple Podcasts to get the audio on your iPhone here.
In this episode of #HealthHackers, you’ll discover:
Dr Drew’s number one antidepressant
which diet has shown to decrease the risk of getting depression by up to 50%
the foods to eat for a healthy, happy mind
why sugar is a bad habit - not an addiction
how diet is an important part of the metal health puzzle
why Dr Drew quit being a vegetarian
which supplements have the most data suggesting they could help improve depression
the number one disrupter for cognition
why medication is great
his insights for identifying whether you are depressed
advice for anxiety management
which vitamin deficiency can trigger psychosis
plus, Dr Drew’s brain-boosting dinner ingredients
‘Brain health depends on nutrition’
Psychiatrist, Dr Drew Ramsey, believes millions of people are suffering with untreated or under-treated depression and he wants diet to be part of the conversation.
In HealthHackers episode 19, the founder of The Brain Food Clinic in New York and author of three books, including ’50 Shades of Kale’ & the award-winning ‘Eat Complete: The 21 Nutrients that Fuel Brain Power, Boost Weight Loss & Transform Your Health’, told me:
“We don’t talk about food. No one ever asks about that and it matters when it comes to mental health”.
He wants us to embrace foods that will nourish our brains.
Dr Drew’s brain food recommendations include colourful veggies.
“I think we can all agree that mental health depends on brain health and brain health depends on nutrition.”
Dr Drew’s recommendations include: colourful vegetables, seafood, nuts and beans.
And of course, as the man who co-founded National Kale Day, he’s a big advocate of eating leafy greens.
One thing he’s tired of, though, is fat fear.
I reminded him that experts have told us for years to eat a low-fat diet.
Omega 3 fatty acids can be found in wild salmon.
“Do they seem happy to you?,” he said.
“Do they seem joyful at the meal?”
“Like, ‘Woah I can’t wait to have dinner with that low fat guru!’ ”
Dr Dre explained that our brains are mostly made of fat and that eating healthy omega 3 and monounsaturated fats like those found in fish, avocados, olive oil and nuts means our brain “does better”.
“If you don’t eat a fatty diet, first of all you don’t absorb nutrients your brain needs.
“When you eat a tomato and you don’t put fat on it, you don’t absorb lycopene.”
“When you eat a tomato and you don’t put fat on it, you don’t absorb lycopene,” Dr Drew told me.
FYI: Lycopene is an antioxidant that we want!
Dr Drew told me researchers had looked at traditional diets, ones that tended to contain higher fat, and there was a decreased risk of depression in those populations… a pretty major one.
“We’re talking about like 40 to 50% decreased risk”.
Dr Drew looks at overall diet and the quality of carbs and fats eaten by each of his clients.
A word to the wise on carbs: “All carbohydrates are sugars, so if you’re drinking pineapple juice that’s like having a hard candy,” he told me.
Diet can affect the brain in other surprising ways, I discovered:
“I met an individual once who only ate eggs and drank apple juice and he had psychosis caused by B vitamin deficiencies,” Dr Drew said.
Dr Drew highlights the benefits of using medication for some mental health issues.
However, despite being a foodie (and a farmer!), the psychiatrist does not think diet is a magic cure for all mental illness.
Some of his clients have great diets, so medication and other treatments can be highly-effective in those cases apparently.
While food is a factor to consider, Dr Drew has seen people overcome depression using various strategies.
Pets, medication, psychotherapy and exercise work for some, he told me, but if you’re wondering what gets the best results…
“The number one antidepressant I see is human love.
“Nothing gets people less depressed than a partner”.
Follow Dr Drew on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
*BONUS JUST FOR YOU* Dr Drew is offering all #HealthHackers listeners 15% OFF his ‘Eat To Beat Depression’ e-course. Follow this link & use the coupon code HEALTHHACKERS to enrol online.