Have you ever wondered why you start to feel really crappy after eating a fast-food value meal? Sure, the fats and sugars are affecting your digestive system, but what’s happening in your brain? If we started paying attention to how certain foods affect our moods and emotional health, maybe it would be easier to change our diets.
WELCOME TO THE DARIN OLIEN SHOW.
I’m Darin Olien, the “superfood hunter.” On this podcast, you’ll hear honest conversations with extraordinary people that inspire me. I hope that through their knowledge and unique perspectives, they’ll inspire you, too.
Although our ideas and approaches to life may differ, our ultimate goal is the same. We want to save the planet. So we’re going to try, one conversation at a time. If you’re interested in expanding your view of the world while learning new angles on health and nutrition, you’re at the right place.
Dr. Uma Naidoo explores the connection between nutrition and our brains.
Dr. Naidoo is a Harvard-trained psychiatrist, professional chef, and Nutrition specialist. Her niche work is in Nutritional Psychiatry, where she focuses on nutrition and diet to aid and assist her patients’ mental health. She is considered a pioneer in her field, and frankly, I wish there were more like her. Her book, This Is Your Brain On Food, is an enlightening guide to both the negative and positive effects foods have on your brain and psychology.
In this conversation, Dr. Uma breaks down her methodology when trying to get people to see the power nutrition has on their bodies. She is, like me, a huge believer in encouraging small tweaks instead of drastic lifestyle changes. Dr. Uma explains what “body intelligence” is and why we all need to focus on how foods make our bodies feel. She explains the connection between nutrition and depression and anxiety and gives us plenty of examples of what foods affect our mood.
This is one of my favorite episodes because Dr. Naidoo and I are so in sync with our philosophies on food and well-being. We might even team up to convince the world to focus on their fiber intake instead of being obsessed with protein! If you’re looking for ways to make small changes in your diet that will amount to big changes in how you feel, you definitely want to tune in to this one.
Other topics in this episode:
- Eating the rainbow
- Dr. Uma’s lightbulb moment about how to approach nutrition with her patients
- Why it all should start with your sugar intake
- Simple connections that can shift your perspective on nutrition
- The main culprit of lousy nutrition in a fast-food diet
- The importance of fermented foods and probiotics
- The power of Tumeric
- What foods trigger depression and anxiety
- The danger of quitting anything “cold turkey”
- Body Intelligence
- Fiber’s role in the body
