Ellen Vora is a psychiatrist, mindbodygreen Collective member, and instructor of the mindbodygreen class Managing Depression. When it comes to approaching mental health from a holistic perspective, she's one of the world's best. Her goal is to help her patients manage their mental health with diet and lifestyle changes as much as possible, only turning to medications as temporary tools or as a last resort.

This episode of the mindbodygreen Podcast is for anyone who struggles with a mental health condition, knows or loves someone suffering from one, or simply wants to optimize their mood and energy levels. She starts off by teaching me about the link between chronic inflammation and anxiety and depression—something called the inflammatory cytokine model of depression—and explains why depression is like the flu. She also makes a compelling case for blood sugar imbalance being one of the underlying causes of anxiety.

Dr. Vora also shares the best foods to eat to support mental stability and resilience (spoiler alert: turmeric and black pepper, ginger, avocados, beets, and dark leafy green vegetables are just a few) and shares the one food she avoids in honor of her mental health. Dr. Vora's approach is gentle, holistic, and takes the whole person into account—body, mind, and spirit. Don't miss it!

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