The Top Foods in Our Diet That Contribute to Increased Anxiety with Dr. Uma Naidoo

This episode is brought to you by Rupa Health, Whoop, and JOOV. 

Anxiety diagnoses have been on the rise, especially in a post-pandemic world. With more and more people suffering from anxiety in our stressful lifestyles, it can be challenging to find a path forward and calm our minds. But we know that anxiety can be a powerful signal from our body that change needs to occur. 

One change we can implement immediately is changing what we eat daily. Our food has the power to lower inflammation in our body, enhance gut bacteria, and ultimately change how we feel. 

Today on The Dhru Purohit Podcast, Dhru sits down with Dr. Uma Naidoo, a Harvard trained psychiatrist, Professional Chef, and Nutrition Specialist. Dr. Naidoo shares the research that shows the connection between the foods we eat and how we feel. She also shares the common myths about anxiety and lifestyle factors that can increase our anxiety, including ultra-processed foods, lack of fiber, and a sedentary lifestyle. Dr. Naidoo shows us how to fill our plates with foods and incorporate anxiety-busting foods into our diet. 

Dr. Naidoo founded and directs the first hospital-based clinical service in Nutritional Psychiatry in the US. She is the Director of Nutritional and Lifestyle Psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital and Director of Nutritional Psychiatry at the Massachusetts General Hospital Academy while serving on the faculty at Harvard Medical School. She is the author of This is Your Brain on Food, and her new book, Calm Your Mind with Food, focuses on anxiety, the gut brain connection, and practical tools to calm our minds.

In this episode, Dhru and Dr. Naidoo dive into (audio version / Apple Subscriber version):

The common misconceptions about anxiety (1:44 / 1:44)

The foods in our diet and lifestyle factors that have increased anxiety (5:53 / 5:53)

The interlink between the brain and the body in relationship to anxiety (10:12 / 7:48)

Fried foods and what they cause in your body (12:00 / 9:30) 

How to know if you have a healthy metabolism (17:09 / 14:46)

Dr. Naidoo’s journey with anxiety (23:32 / 21:10)

The truth about foods that are marketed as “healthy” (33:14 / 29:04)

The importance of dietary fiber in our diets (38:12 / 34:00)

Leptin resistance (40:37 / 36:16) 

The impact of a sedentary lifestyle on anxiety (42:50 / 38:38)

Dr. Naidoo’s patient testimonials (48:41 / 44:30)

Protein for satiety (51:40 / 47:17)

Foods and recipes Dr. Naidoo loves (58:00 / 53:50)

Dr. Naidoo’s cancer diagnosis journey (1:01:44 / 57:25) 

Also mentioned in this episode

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