1 00:00:00,470 --> 00:00:03,648 [music] 2 00:00:03,648 --> 00:00:05,138 (Speaker) So, I mean, it's the 3 00:00:05,138 --> 00:00:06,629 old adage you are what you eat. 4 00:00:07,140 --> 00:00:09,970 When I eat, like, sugary or caffeinated foods 5 00:00:09,970 --> 00:00:12,800 I often find myself, like, unable to focus. 6 00:00:13,394 --> 00:00:18,230 So, eating healthier foods has had a significant impact on 7 00:00:18,230 --> 00:00:23,410 how well I can focus, as well as how quick I can think. 8 00:00:23,950 --> 00:00:25,594 (Host) That's Angela Guo. 9 00:00:25,982 --> 00:00:28,978 She's a 17-year old senior at Adlai Stevenson High School 10 00:00:29,309 --> 00:00:31,070 in Lincolnshire, Illinois. 11 00:00:31,568 --> 00:00:34,954 And that adage she just cited, "You are what you eat," 12 00:00:35,398 --> 00:00:37,522 that's been around since the 1800's. 13 00:00:37,928 --> 00:00:42,218 People have known for a long time just how much food affects us. 14 00:00:42,818 --> 00:00:45,650 But it's not just in terms of long-term health, 15 00:00:45,966 --> 00:00:48,123 but also short-term mood. 16 00:00:48,663 --> 00:00:51,526 (Angela) Food really helps us maintain 17 00:00:51,526 --> 00:00:55,939 a state clarity. And, so, eating healthier foods 18 00:00:55,939 --> 00:00:58,691 has had a significant impact 19 00:00:58,691 --> 00:01:04,021 on how well I can focus, as well as how quick I can think. 20 00:01:04,058 --> 00:01:05,901 (Host) She may only be in high school, 21 00:01:05,901 --> 00:01:06,794 but Angela has 22 00:01:06,794 --> 00:01:10,494 already made the crucial connection between what she puts in her mouth 23 00:01:10,494 --> 00:01:12,950 and how quickly that affects her brain. 24 00:01:13,510 --> 00:01:15,729 She even believes that simple understanding 25 00:01:16,078 --> 00:01:18,259 gave her a real advantage when she competed 26 00:01:18,259 --> 00:01:21,277 in the National Science Olympiad tournament earlier this year. 27 00:01:22,006 --> 00:01:25,404 (Announcer) First place, national champions of the 28 00:01:25,404 --> 00:01:28,849 2023 Science Olympiad National Tournament, 29 00:01:28,849 --> 00:01:33,023 Adlai Stevenson High School of Illinois! Let's go! [audience cheering] 30 00:01:33,663 --> 00:01:35,951 (Host) Now, at this tournament earlier this year, 31 00:01:35,951 --> 00:01:38,957 Angela and her teammates went up against thousands of students 32 00:01:38,957 --> 00:01:40,179 from around the country. 33 00:01:40,179 --> 00:01:42,387 They were competing in events, highlighting 34 00:01:42,387 --> 00:01:44,595 chemistry and earth science and biology. 35 00:01:44,870 --> 00:01:48,006 But here's the thing: the entire time on Angela's team 36 00:01:48,244 --> 00:01:50,259 you really didn't see much sugar around. 37 00:01:50,430 --> 00:01:53,037 Instead, there were lots of healthy snacks. 38 00:01:54,310 --> 00:01:56,969 (Angela) So, even at school, I'd bring my own lunch 39 00:01:57,171 --> 00:02:00,687 and it's just that aspect of knowing what goes into your meals 40 00:02:00,911 --> 00:02:03,865 is like really important. It kind of gives you peace of mind. 41 00:02:04,093 --> 00:02:07,019 (Host) The team did really well, and now as they 42 00:02:07,019 --> 00:02:08,477 prepare for more tournaments, 43 00:02:08,477 --> 00:02:12,944 Angela, who's now a team captain, says, "Sure, they do study hard, 44 00:02:13,192 --> 00:02:17,791 but what they eat, how they eat, that's also top of mind. 45 00:02:18,312 --> 00:02:22,627 AG: When we do travel for Science Olympiad our coaches always makes sure that 46 00:02:22,629 --> 00:02:24,570 our, like, bus is well stocked with 47 00:02:24,570 --> 00:02:26,512 fruits and water. 48 00:02:26,852 --> 00:02:31,249 SG: So Angela, seems pretty convinced that food helps her focus 49 00:02:31,249 --> 00:02:33,447 and perform well academically. 50 00:02:33,866 --> 00:02:37,203 Of course, that makes sense but the question today, 51 00:02:37,409 --> 00:02:41,970 "What is the empirical evidence to support that and how does it work? 52 00:02:42,319 --> 00:02:44,659 How exactly does food impact the brain? 53 00:02:44,969 --> 00:02:48,330 And how do we really know when our brain is well nourished?" 54 00:02:48,330 --> 00:02:49,802 Uma Naidoo: Sugar is not good 55 00:02:49,802 --> 00:02:50,573 for our brain 56 00:02:50,573 --> 00:02:54,001 But I also want people to understand we need sugar for our bodies and our 57 00:02:54,001 --> 00:02:56,677 brain, so it's where you get the sugar that's important. 58 00:02:56,677 --> 00:03:00,389 SG: Look, a lot of people worry about how food influences the way we look, 59 00:03:00,389 --> 00:03:03,306 how much weight we may gain -- I get that -- 60 00:03:03,306 --> 00:03:06,394 or the likelihood we're going to be high risk for diseases, 61 00:03:06,394 --> 00:03:08,166 like diabetes and hypertension. 62 00:03:08,468 --> 00:03:12,848 But even though it is harder to measure, food is also deeply connected 63 00:03:12,848 --> 00:03:17,721 to how we feel in the moment and how well the brain functions. 64 00:03:17,793 --> 00:03:21,833 Even as you listen to this podcast, your experience, right now, 65 00:03:21,833 --> 00:03:25,042 is likely affected by what you ate earlier today. 66 00:03:25,646 --> 00:03:30,506 So in this episode, I'm going to find out what's the best fuel for the brain, 67 00:03:30,506 --> 00:03:34,077 what food we should avoid and what it really means 68 00:03:34,077 --> 00:03:36,068 to have a well-nourished brain. 69 00:03:36,571 --> 00:03:40,366 I'm Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN's Chief Medical Correspondent 70 00:03:40,442 --> 00:03:42,202 and this is Chasing Life. 71 00:03:47,934 --> 00:03:50,155 You know, I love hearing stories like Angela's. 72 00:03:50,155 --> 00:03:52,903 They're so personal. She's someone who's paying attention 73 00:03:52,903 --> 00:03:54,761 to her body and then she's figuring out 74 00:03:54,761 --> 00:03:58,790 what makes her feel good and what it takes to do the activities she loves. 75 00:03:59,299 --> 00:04:02,141 She's being really intentional with her nutrition 76 00:04:02,141 --> 00:04:05,335 and that may save her from having health problems later in life 77 00:04:05,393 --> 00:04:08,478 but, it could help optimize her function now. 78 00:04:08,972 --> 00:04:12,387 For me, food is an endless source of fascination. 79 00:04:12,933 --> 00:04:14,883 The way that I think about it is this: 80 00:04:15,206 --> 00:04:20,596 Food is one of the most significant ways we allow our outside world to influence 81 00:04:20,596 --> 00:04:26,189 and communicate with our inside world, the world inside of our body and our mind. 82 00:04:26,642 --> 00:04:29,394 That is an awesome task. Food does that. 83 00:04:29,802 --> 00:04:32,187 So, I thought today we would start with the basics. 84 00:04:32,187 --> 00:04:36,466 We know that all food items have calories and calories are by definition energy 85 00:04:36,843 --> 00:04:40,673 but, as you just heard, not all calories are created equal. 86 00:04:40,964 --> 00:04:43,580 Some have more nutrients and do more to promote 87 00:04:43,580 --> 00:04:45,714 overall health and well-being than others. 88 00:04:46,022 --> 00:04:48,993 And that is especially true when it comes to the brain. 89 00:04:49,396 --> 00:04:52,954 But the challenge again: That's hard to measure. 90 00:04:52,954 --> 00:04:57,460 There is no brain scan or blood test that indicates that a particular food 91 00:04:57,603 --> 00:04:59,340 promotes brain health. 92 00:04:59,340 --> 00:05:01,083 So how do we really know? 93 00:05:01,083 --> 00:05:03,679 How do you really know what works for you? 94 00:05:05,600 --> 00:05:08,930 To find out, I return to someone whose work I really respect 95 00:05:08,974 --> 00:05:13,204 both in the clinic and in the kitchen, someone who knows a lot 96 00:05:13,204 --> 00:05:17,537 about this really intricate connection between food and brain health. 97 00:05:18,040 --> 00:05:19,716 Uma Naidoo: If you want, you know, 98 00:05:19,716 --> 00:05:21,496 your brain to really be optimized, 99 00:05:21,658 --> 00:05:24,873 lean into the foods you like, but the healthy versions of that. 100 00:05:25,039 --> 00:05:29,904 SG: That's Dr Uma Naidoo; she's a nutritional psychiatrist. 101 00:05:30,136 --> 00:05:32,755 Such a cool field. She's at Harvard Medical School. 102 00:05:33,157 --> 00:05:35,863 What she does is that she works with patients to improve 103 00:05:35,863 --> 00:05:39,464 their mental health with the help of medication and food. 104 00:05:39,795 --> 00:05:42,809 She's also a professional chef. She's the author of the books 105 00:05:42,809 --> 00:05:46,362 "This is Your Brain on Food" and "Calm Your Mind with Food." 106 00:05:46,362 --> 00:05:48,756 That one's going to be released later this year. 107 00:05:48,756 --> 00:05:52,514 I should tell you, this is actually Dr Naidoo's second time on the show. 108 00:05:53,151 --> 00:05:57,269 We spoke a few years ago about the broader concept of food as medicine, 109 00:05:57,550 --> 00:06:00,960 and I was so fascinated by the conversation, so affected by it, 110 00:06:00,960 --> 00:06:05,191 I asked her to come back and discuss how food impacts brain health specifically 111 00:06:05,615 --> 00:06:07,029 and brain function. 112 00:06:07,188 --> 00:06:09,546 I have long said that I think food 113 00:06:09,546 --> 00:06:13,176 can be medicine, I also think just philosophically, 114 00:06:13,176 --> 00:06:16,999 we consciously decide what signals we're going to give to the inside 115 00:06:16,999 --> 00:06:18,408 of our body through food. 116 00:06:19,155 --> 00:06:22,734 What the discussion has primarily focused on has been calories and energy, 117 00:06:23,005 --> 00:06:24,986 and are you going overweight or not. 118 00:06:25,025 --> 00:06:27,506 UN: Correct SG: So what are those foods that are both 119 00:06:27,506 --> 00:06:30,038 good for the brain and can actually get to the brain? 120 00:06:30,038 --> 00:06:34,520 UN: What I think is good, and I think what is helpful for people, 121 00:06:34,520 --> 00:06:37,550 especially in the U.S., is that most people are consuming 122 00:06:37,550 --> 00:06:38,979 the standard American diet 123 00:06:38,979 --> 00:06:41,343 which, as you know, is called sad for a reason. 124 00:06:41,507 --> 00:06:45,923 So any time that we can add those lipid grains and those actual whole foods 125 00:06:46,023 --> 00:06:51,666 onto our plate, you know, and think about it that way and step away 126 00:06:51,666 --> 00:06:54,088 a little bit from those processed fast foods, 127 00:06:54,616 --> 00:06:58,205 the healthier we are going to become as a country and I think that that is 128 00:06:58,205 --> 00:07:02,331 because processed, ultra-processed foods are engineered, as you know, 129 00:07:02,331 --> 00:07:03,478 to trick our brain. 130 00:07:03,478 --> 00:07:06,843 So we eat more, we can't stop ourselves. 131 00:07:06,843 --> 00:07:12,179 SG: Yeah, maybe I'm being audacious here in doing a podcast about how to achieve 132 00:07:12,179 --> 00:07:15,596 a most optimally nourished brain. 133 00:07:15,596 --> 00:07:19,516 As you correctly point out, we have a lot of work to do as a country to just 134 00:07:19,516 --> 00:07:24,805 stop doing the bad things, maybe even before we can, uh, really, really focus 135 00:07:24,805 --> 00:07:25,902 on the good things. 136 00:07:25,902 --> 00:07:30,678 But the idea that food itself can be medicine and that can be quantified, 137 00:07:30,941 --> 00:07:36,087 maybe even to the point, for someone like you, prescribed. Are we to the point, 138 00:07:36,317 --> 00:07:40,230 with what we know, data-wise that food can be thought of prescriptive, 139 00:07:40,576 --> 00:07:41,858 like we think of medicine? 140 00:07:42,129 --> 00:07:46,798 UN: So I can't yet say to you, you need to eat ten blueberries over this amount 141 00:07:46,798 --> 00:07:48,357 of time to improve your mood. 142 00:07:48,357 --> 00:07:51,990 But what we do know from pretty large population-based studies that 143 00:07:51,990 --> 00:07:57,615 if you were consuming extra-dark natural chocolate, that it improved depression 144 00:07:57,615 --> 00:08:02,883 by 70% in over 12,000 participants. We know and it was in the candy bars 145 00:08:02,883 --> 00:08:06,903 it was extra dark natural chocolate, which contains serotonin, magnesium, 146 00:08:06,997 --> 00:08:11,944 um, some fiber. So, we're not at a point where I can say this number 147 00:08:11,944 --> 00:08:14,150 of blueberries in order to improve your mood, 148 00:08:14,150 --> 00:08:17,769 but we are definitely emerging and growing in the scientific evidence 149 00:08:17,769 --> 00:08:22,169 to be able to say you can construct a nutritional psychiatry plate 150 00:08:22,169 --> 00:08:23,461 for your mood. 151 00:08:23,461 --> 00:08:29,283 You can lean into those leafy green vegetable, 3-5 cups a day. Um, things like 152 00:08:29,283 --> 00:08:34,013 arugula, spinach all contain folate. A low folate is associated with low mood. 153 00:08:34,013 --> 00:08:38,880 So, we can give people guidance around it and really have them understanding that 154 00:08:38,880 --> 00:08:41,188 food is moving in that direction. 155 00:08:42,158 --> 00:08:45,983 SG: Now before we hear more food recommendations, I want to note something 156 00:08:45,983 --> 00:08:50,002 that's, I think, really important here. the term "brain food." 157 00:08:50,002 --> 00:08:54,195 That gets thrown around a lot. But, true brain food meaning any food that actually 158 00:08:54,220 --> 00:08:58,539 impacts the function of the brain has to do something really important. 159 00:08:58,972 --> 00:09:01,378 It's got to get past the blood-brain barrier. 160 00:09:01,693 --> 00:09:05,264 Now, I don't want to get too wonky or technical, but I think it's important 161 00:09:05,264 --> 00:09:08,937 for you to understand this point. Think of the blood-brain barrier as sort 162 00:09:08,937 --> 00:09:13,005 of a body guard for the brain. This barrier prevents the entry of toxins 163 00:09:13,005 --> 00:09:16,240 and pathogens and other molecules that could be harmful to the brain. 164 00:09:16,667 --> 00:09:20,550 What it looks like is a system of blood vessels around the brain and the central 165 00:09:20,550 --> 00:09:24,975 nervous system that sort of keep tight control over which molecules and which 166 00:09:24,975 --> 00:09:26,745 nutrients are allowed to get in. 167 00:09:27,365 --> 00:09:30,652 UN: We know this, for example a lot of serotonin that's manufactured 168 00:09:30,896 --> 00:09:36,677 in the gut and some in the brain but the more peripheral serotonin 169 00:09:36,677 --> 00:09:40,847 doesn't cross over the blood brain barrier, so why not look at the foods 170 00:09:40,847 --> 00:09:46,190 which are the precursors to the neurotransmitters, that then 171 00:09:46,190 --> 00:09:49,334 interact with the gut microbes, I'm fascinated by the gut microbes. 172 00:09:49,499 --> 00:09:53,524 They interact with the gut microbes and then they are able to cross over 173 00:09:53,524 --> 00:09:56,919 the blood brain barrier and then form the substances that we need in the 174 00:09:56,919 --> 00:10:00,314 brain. So I'm thinking about things we need like serotonin and dopamine. 175 00:10:02,456 --> 00:10:05,165 Let me hit pause here to explain a couple of things about 176 00:10:05,165 --> 00:10:09,057 the gut. You probably know this, but the gut contains trillions 177 00:10:09,057 --> 00:10:14,409 of micro organisms. Bacteria, viruses, fungi. Collectively 178 00:10:14,409 --> 00:10:19,663 they are referred to as the gut microbiome. Now, these micro organisms 179 00:10:19,663 --> 00:10:23,668 or microbes aren't just hanging out, they play an important role in 180 00:10:23,668 --> 00:10:27,131 our health and they are constantly interacting with each other and 181 00:10:27,131 --> 00:10:31,009 the rest of our body. While a few of those bacteria or pathogens are 182 00:10:31,009 --> 00:10:35,222 potentially harmful, many are helpful. For example, what they will do is 183 00:10:35,222 --> 00:10:38,885 they will break down food, they will then interact with our immune system, 184 00:10:38,885 --> 00:10:43,035 they will synthesize vitamins and amino acids. And then they communicate with 185 00:10:43,035 --> 00:10:47,323 other parts of the body. And that brings me to the second thing about the gut. 186 00:10:47,323 --> 00:10:52,339 It is sometimes called the second brain, and I think that is a good title. And 187 00:10:52,339 --> 00:10:56,776 that's because it uses many of the same chemicals and cells as the brain to do 188 00:10:56,776 --> 00:11:01,127 its job and to communicate. In fact, there is an extraordinary amount 189 00:11:01,127 --> 00:11:05,717 of cross talk between the gut and the brain. This makes the gut very 190 00:11:05,717 --> 00:11:11,063 sensitive to emotions. Anger, fear, anxiety. Those things can cause 191 00:11:11,063 --> 00:11:15,773 problems in the gut, vise versa. When the gut feels bad, it can 192 00:11:15,773 --> 00:11:20,205 cause anxiety and other emotional issues. Understanding that might 193 00:11:20,205 --> 00:11:23,817 give new meaning to phrases like, having "butterflies in your stomach" 194 00:11:23,817 --> 00:11:27,783 when you're nervous, or a quote, unquote "gut feeling" about a person or 195 00:11:27,783 --> 00:11:28,903 a situation. 196 00:11:29,272 --> 00:11:33,785 This is why Doctor Naidoo's work is so important and intriguing. She says, 197 00:11:33,785 --> 00:11:38,370 "It is possible for food to impact how well our brain functions and how we 198 00:11:38,370 --> 00:11:43,515 feel mentally." For example, some ultra processed foods have been linked to 199 00:11:43,515 --> 00:11:48,034 disrupting the gut microbiome in a way that increases the risk for depression. 200 00:11:48,034 --> 00:11:52,975 In contrast, some whole foods such as bananas help trigger the production 201 00:11:52,975 --> 00:11:56,568 of important chemicals in the gut such as the molecule, serotonin. 202 00:11:56,568 --> 00:12:00,945 But again, remember this point. Much of the serotonin made 203 00:12:00,945 --> 00:12:05,314 in the gut cannot cross the blood brain barrier and that is why 204 00:12:05,314 --> 00:12:08,506 Dr. Naidoo says we need to focus on the precursors to 205 00:12:08,506 --> 00:12:12,830 serotonin, which can then cross more easily and be assembled 206 00:12:12,830 --> 00:12:18,017 in the brain. Think of it like this, there are certain foods, for example, 207 00:12:18,017 --> 00:12:23,272 ones that are rich in the amino acid tryptophan, that when eaten interact 208 00:12:23,272 --> 00:12:25,531 with the gut microbiome. You with me? 209 00:12:25,531 --> 00:12:29,782 And they become then the precursor or building blocks for serotonin. 210 00:12:29,782 --> 00:12:35,979 And then these building blocks cross into the brain, get converted to 211 00:12:35,979 --> 00:12:40,516 serotonin, and exert their influence. The reason that I'm repeating this 212 00:12:40,516 --> 00:12:43,637 so many times is because it is so important. What does 213 00:12:43,637 --> 00:12:47,902 this all mean? Eating foods like, salmon or pineapple, ones that 214 00:12:47,902 --> 00:12:52,690 are loaded with tryptophan, could help you feel happier and calmer. 215 00:12:52,690 --> 00:12:55,738 That is a better definition of brain food. 216 00:12:57,648 --> 00:13:01,129 UN: Another fascinating but odd research that is coming through is 217 00:13:01,129 --> 00:13:06,754 several microbiome companies testing the microbiome. So, they are looking 218 00:13:06,754 --> 00:13:11,571 more deeply into what's in the microbiome and what you may need 219 00:13:11,571 --> 00:13:15,447 to eat versus what I might need to eat because our microbiome is so 220 00:13:15,447 --> 00:13:20,148 sort of unique. Whether you take that substance as a supplement, or you 221 00:13:20,148 --> 00:13:24,983 take it as a guidance around food, it can really help us more finely tune 222 00:13:24,983 --> 00:13:26,713 the way that we can be eating. 223 00:13:27,441 --> 00:13:32,494 SG: What level of evidence to you rely on to make your recommendations 224 00:13:32,494 --> 00:13:36,175 when it comes to food? How do you collect that data and that evidence? 225 00:13:36,175 --> 00:13:41,209 UN: So, I try to keep current with whatever the new research is. For 226 00:13:41,209 --> 00:13:45,056 example, there was a fascinating study done recently and all of these years 227 00:13:45,056 --> 00:13:48,746 I've been encouraging my patients to eat foods that are rich in vitamin A. 228 00:13:48,746 --> 00:13:54,478 And this particular study show that actually vitamin A rich foods are not 229 00:13:54,478 --> 00:13:59,176 that helpful for mood or for your brain health. Another interesting 230 00:13:59,176 --> 00:13:59,876 study... 231 00:13:59,876 --> 00:14:03,601 SG: What are those foods? Not to cut you off, but what kinds of foods are we 232 00:14:03,601 --> 00:14:04,301 talking about? 233 00:14:04,301 --> 00:14:09,135 UN: So, you know, eggs, milk, fish oils beef liver, tomatoes, red bell pepper. 234 00:14:09,135 --> 00:14:12,510 Now, does it mean that those foods are foods I will tell my patients not 235 00:14:12,510 --> 00:14:16,714 to eat? Absolutely not. Uh, like, the new research about serotonin. It's 236 00:14:16,714 --> 00:14:20,780 more that I would have emphasized eating vitamin A rich foods along with 237 00:14:20,780 --> 00:14:25,311 that nutritional psychiatry plate. And I most importantly feel that 238 00:14:25,311 --> 00:14:30,885 what's been my secret sources has been integrating the actual literature 239 00:14:30,885 --> 00:14:34,624 the research and what I do clinically with seeing patients and 240 00:14:34,624 --> 00:14:39,484 being able to monitor them you know and see how they do. Because I think, 241 00:14:39,610 --> 00:14:42,940 please know that I come at this with great humility. I don't feel that 242 00:14:42,940 --> 00:14:47,378 because whatever I've studied that you know, that I have the way to make 243 00:14:47,378 --> 00:14:50,675 everyone feel better. But I have certainly seen my patients improve. 244 00:14:50,975 --> 00:14:54,293 SG: You know, when I was growing up, um, maybe you heard this as well 245 00:14:54,293 --> 00:14:58,283 when you were a child, but there were certain foods that were "brain foods" 246 00:14:58,283 --> 00:15:01,483 Fish for example was sort of considered a brain food. 247 00:15:01,483 --> 00:15:02,344 UN: Nuts, almonds. 248 00:15:02,344 --> 00:15:04,112 SG: Nuts, you know. And my mom would 249 00:15:04,112 --> 00:15:06,124 always, you know, "If you eat this, you'll 250 00:15:06,124 --> 00:15:08,030 be smart." You know, that was always the 251 00:15:08,030 --> 00:15:10,363 encouragement. But what of it, though? Are 252 00:15:10,363 --> 00:15:17,618 there foods that can reliably help our brains? What are they, and why? 253 00:15:17,809 --> 00:15:21,439 UN: So, one of the groups I'll start with, because people are pretty familiar 254 00:15:21,439 --> 00:15:24,581 with this, that the foods rich in omega-3. So, things like fatty 255 00:15:24,581 --> 00:15:28,805 fish. There's a mnemonic for the fish that are top of the list, "SMASH". Salmon, 256 00:15:28,805 --> 00:15:36,338 Mackerel, Anchovies, Sardines, and Herring. Um, because they contain 257 00:15:36,338 --> 00:15:43,542 forms of uh EPAJHA that are actually helpful um for the brain and will 258 00:15:43,542 --> 00:15:47,454 actually make a difference. And they have anti Primatene and antioxidant 259 00:15:47,454 --> 00:15:53,696 properties. Then, you know people who don't consume seafood can rely on the 260 00:15:53,696 --> 00:15:58,318 plant based sources like chia seeds, flax seeds, almonds. Having a vegan 261 00:15:58,318 --> 00:16:02,691 supplement or an algal oil supplement made from sea algae is something that 262 00:16:02,691 --> 00:16:05,982 you can do to improve your brain performance if you feel you're not 263 00:16:05,982 --> 00:16:10,284 getting enough nutrition from food. So that's one very big group. Another 264 00:16:10,284 --> 00:16:13,642 group of foods that I think people tend to just think of only as a 265 00:16:13,642 --> 00:16:17,227 supplement, but is actually available in our everyday foods, are prebiotics 266 00:16:17,227 --> 00:16:18,275 and probiotics. 267 00:16:19,668 --> 00:16:23,706 SG: Ok, I want to pause here again to offer a crash course in pre and 268 00:16:23,706 --> 00:16:29,506 probiotics. Terms you've probably heard about. Probiotics are "live bacteria" that 269 00:16:29,506 --> 00:16:33,623 may offer health benefits when consumed in adequate numbers. 270 00:16:33,623 --> 00:16:37,630 You can find them in things like fermented foods. Yogurt, kimchee. 271 00:16:37,630 --> 00:16:43,513 You can buy them in pill form. Prebiotics on the other hand, are food for your 272 00:16:43,513 --> 00:16:48,632 microbiome. These are the organisms that are living in your gut and prebiotic 273 00:16:48,632 --> 00:16:52,440 foods are usually higher in certain types of fiber and include items like 274 00:16:52,440 --> 00:16:57,242 fruit and veggies and whole grains. Now, as Dr. Naidoo said, it is hard 275 00:16:57,242 --> 00:17:02,030 to prescribe these foods to an exact timing or an exact dosage, but at the 276 00:17:02,030 --> 00:17:04,824 time, we have been making a lot of progress there as well. 277 00:17:05,685 --> 00:17:09,640 UN: So when we think about food groups, Omega 3, those probiotics and prebiotics, 278 00:17:09,640 --> 00:17:15,621 those fermented foods, all can actually be helpful in reducing things like anxiety 279 00:17:15,621 --> 00:17:16,928 and depression. 280 00:17:16,928 --> 00:17:19,207 SG: We'll be right back. 281 00:17:27,276 --> 00:17:31,182 SG: And now back to Chasing Life and my conversation with nutritional psychiatrist 282 00:17:31,555 --> 00:17:37,182 Dr. Uma Naidoo. Now that I have a better sense of which, and how, certain foods 283 00:17:37,182 --> 00:17:40,840 might impact my mood, what I wanted to know is how food might affect my 284 00:17:40,840 --> 00:17:42,419 general brain health. 285 00:17:43,116 --> 00:17:47,769 UN: So just, you know, having a dairy and non-dairy plain yogurt with live active 286 00:17:47,769 --> 00:17:55,410 cultures does help your gut. Probiotics were actually tested in the study and the 287 00:17:55,410 --> 00:18:01,880 use of probiotics were compared to a dose of an SSRI, and the probiotics showed 288 00:18:01,880 --> 00:18:06,349 a better effect. So, not to single out just one study, it has been shown again, 289 00:18:06,349 --> 00:18:13,878 but I think that's compelling information, that a person who is consuming something 290 00:18:13,878 --> 00:18:18,565 like yogurt, or say a fermented food is adding these probiotics and live cultures 291 00:18:18,565 --> 00:18:24,449 to their gut, could in fact be helping the gut microbes, helping the serotonin 292 00:18:24,449 --> 00:18:30,183 formation there. We don't know the exact mechanisms of everything, but we can tell 293 00:18:30,183 --> 00:18:33,898 by the improvements in symptoms. For example, if I am assessing someone in my 294 00:18:33,898 --> 00:18:38,503 clinic, I have to go by their report, which may or may not be 100% accurate 295 00:18:38,503 --> 00:18:44,088 sometimes, but that happens with all of us, but also to check the improvement of 296 00:18:44,088 --> 00:18:49,838 their mood. Improvement in anxiety. That is one way to assess how they're doing and 297 00:18:49,838 --> 00:18:52,587 if these foods are making a difference. 298 00:18:52,587 --> 00:18:55,221 SG: So, you're comparing yogurt to an antidepressant. 299 00:18:55,221 --> 00:18:56,826 UN: That's right. 300 00:18:56,826 --> 00:19:01,856 SG: I mean, that, I know it's almost comical to reflect on, but I mean look, we 301 00:19:01,856 --> 00:19:06,962 take too many pills, ya know? And these pills have side-effects, and so the idea 302 00:19:06,962 --> 00:19:12,528 that yogurt could, and I don't want to overstate this, Dr. Naidoo, so you tell 303 00:19:12,528 --> 00:19:16,899 me. What do they find when they compare yogurt to an antidepressant in a study? 304 00:19:16,899 --> 00:19:22,658 UN: So, they found that individuals who consumed yogurt along with, say, a 305 00:19:22,658 --> 00:19:28,110 selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitor had a better response and improvement in 306 00:19:28,110 --> 00:19:34,541 mood. So, it offered us a guidance in this area to basically think that, you know, we 307 00:19:34,541 --> 00:19:39,601 can use these inventions around the gut microbiome, and the use of things like 308 00:19:39,601 --> 00:19:43,824 probiotics. Which, you know, I think most of my patients would rather reach for 309 00:19:43,824 --> 00:19:46,158 a yogurt than, you know, an antidepressant. 310 00:19:46,603 --> 00:19:53,388 SG: If I was to describe to my three teenage girls a well nourished brain, 311 00:19:53,388 --> 00:19:58,618 like, I think we can describe a healthy body, right? We can say, "You don't have 312 00:19:58,618 --> 00:20:02,355 plaques in your blood vessels, you have good blood pressure, heart rate.." all 313 00:20:02,355 --> 00:20:08,341 that sort of stuff. How, Dr. Naidoo, would you describe a well nourished brain? 314 00:20:08,411 --> 00:20:10,062 What do you get in return? 315 00:20:10,062 --> 00:20:17,242 UN: For one thing, you focus, your energy, your ability to get through your day, not 316 00:20:17,242 --> 00:20:21,327 having that afternoon slump where you're not quite sure but you're sluggish and 317 00:20:21,327 --> 00:20:25,665 you need another cup of coffee or candy bar or something more. If you're athletic, 318 00:20:25,665 --> 00:20:29,883 if you're engaged in sports or other activities, if you're having fun with your 319 00:20:29,883 --> 00:20:33,581 friends and going out and doing things, you're going to have the energy to do 320 00:20:33,581 --> 00:20:37,272 that. Plus, you're going to be able to actually manage your schoolwork because 321 00:20:37,272 --> 00:20:40,848 your brain being optimized, eating in a healthy way will mean you can manage 322 00:20:40,848 --> 00:20:46,225 your schedule, you can multitask, you can engage in other activities and still get 323 00:20:46,225 --> 00:20:48,235 through school okay and do well. 324 00:20:48,522 --> 00:20:53,972 SG: 80% of people over the age of 60 put "fear of loss of memory" as one of their 325 00:20:53,972 --> 00:20:59,499 top concerns, fear of dementia of some sort. Are there foods that can help stave 326 00:20:59,499 --> 00:21:01,510 off diseases like dementia? 327 00:21:01,510 --> 00:21:07,368 UN: Yes. Certainly, there's some guidance around what food to eat and how to eat it, 328 00:21:07,368 --> 00:21:15,371 so foods that will help cognition, we actually go back to those Omega 3's. 329 00:21:15,371 --> 00:21:22,033 It's a group that's featured very frequently. Olive oil is also one that we 330 00:21:22,033 --> 00:21:28,590 lean into. The herbs and spices that showed up doing well for cognition, and 331 00:21:28,590 --> 00:21:32,831 for thinking, and for memory are turmeric with a pinch of black pepper, which makes 332 00:21:32,831 --> 00:21:41,160 it much more bioavailable. Cinnamon, saffron, rosemary, ginger, sage. Then 333 00:21:41,160 --> 00:21:48,352 some guidances around coffee was thought, if you keep your caffeine consumption and 334 00:21:48,352 --> 00:21:54,876 your coffee consumption under 400mg a day was thought to be healthy, but for me, 335 00:21:54,876 --> 00:22:00,129 this is some guidance, while I know that those foods have been identified as 336 00:22:00,129 --> 00:22:04,652 healthy, it's also part of an overall plate, right? It's not just eating the 337 00:22:04,652 --> 00:22:08,320 nuts or eating the olive oils, it's putting that together in a meal that's 338 00:22:08,320 --> 00:22:11,740 still tasty that makes a very big difference to balancing that out for 339 00:22:11,740 --> 00:22:12,705 people. 340 00:22:13,682 --> 00:22:20,857 SG: I'm very interested in trying to stay as mentally sharp as possible, as long as 341 00:22:20,857 --> 00:22:28,027 possible. My life, I'm in my early 50's now, I mean. You've talked about the 342 00:22:28,027 --> 00:22:32,333 specific food groups and things that are probably going to be the ones I 343 00:22:32,333 --> 00:22:36,327 should gravitate toward, but could you just, like, what's an ideal breakfast, an 344 00:22:36,327 --> 00:22:40,038 ideal lunch, and an ideal dinner? Should I be having all three meals, should I 345 00:22:40,038 --> 00:22:43,287 intermittently fast? Snacks? How would you put it together? 346 00:22:43,462 --> 00:22:48,094 UN: Right, so, with intermittent fasting or with fasting in general, for my 347 00:22:48,094 --> 00:22:52,521 patients, we usually really see what their body intelligence is. What I mean by that 348 00:22:52,521 --> 00:22:56,471 is how they respond to food. Do they wake up hungry? Do they need to take medication 349 00:22:56,471 --> 00:23:01,160 in the morning that require them to eat? Some people naturally get up and they're 350 00:23:01,219 --> 00:23:06,123 not hungry, and then we lean more into intuitive eating, lean into what your body 351 00:23:06,123 --> 00:23:11,006 pattern is. I like people to have snacks because I'd rather they have some healthy 352 00:23:11,006 --> 00:23:15,645 nuts or a little bit of berries that will nurture them through. Great breakfasts, 353 00:23:15,645 --> 00:23:21,539 things like a chia pudding rich in protein, fiber, easy to make, has Omega 354 00:23:21,539 --> 00:23:28,731 3's in it, and can be prepared ahead. Things like if you consume eggs with lots 355 00:23:28,731 --> 00:23:32,488 of veggies in them, or a vegetarian version of that would be a tofu scramble, 356 00:23:32,488 --> 00:23:36,656 again lean into the spices, your fresh herbs, because that's a great 357 00:23:36,656 --> 00:23:40,749 way to go. I'm a fan of avocado toast, I love sourdough bread, because it has a 358 00:23:40,749 --> 00:23:46,380 fermented starter, so the natural process of it is it has a slightly lower sugar 359 00:23:46,380 --> 00:23:53,248 content. I slice tomato on it. The lycopene from tomato are super healthy 360 00:23:53,248 --> 00:23:57,574 for the brain and it actually turns out that much of the lycopene is from the 361 00:23:57,574 --> 00:24:02,435 skin. So, you know, slice your tomatoes and leave the skin on. For lunch, I like 362 00:24:02,435 --> 00:24:06,447 to lean into a really big salad and then put my favorite proteins with that. So, 363 00:24:06,447 --> 00:24:13,647 lentils, legumes, and some tofu or other things which flavor it up, and make an 364 00:24:13,647 --> 00:24:18,443 interesting dressing that will make that enjoyable for you. Nuts and seeds are 365 00:24:18,443 --> 00:24:22,786 another great way to lean into it. Then, one of my other favorite afternoon snacks, 366 00:24:22,786 --> 00:24:27,458 and it's funny because I learned that chocolate and citrus, like clementines or 367 00:24:27,458 --> 00:24:32,914 oranges, pair well from a flavor profile in culinary school, but I recently, over 368 00:24:32,914 --> 00:24:37,771 the last few years, discovered there's actual science behind it. Extra dark 369 00:24:37,771 --> 00:24:43,210 chocolate is the highest source of plant- based iron. Cool reason to eat dark 370 00:24:43,210 --> 00:24:44,082 chocolate. 371 00:24:44,082 --> 00:24:47,658 SG: Look, I'm never going to eat dark chocolate the same way again! I will 372 00:24:47,658 --> 00:24:51,339 always have it with a little citrus. I love little tips like that, that's 373 00:24:51,339 --> 00:24:52,213 fantastic. 374 00:24:52,213 --> 00:24:55,848 UN: Exactly. Then, in the evening is when I'll usually end up having a bigger 375 00:24:55,848 --> 00:25:01,984 meal. Like, I'll do a cauliflower steak, but I'll use the spices from tikka 376 00:25:01,984 --> 00:25:06,082 masala. So, you know, someone else in my family may have the chicken version, but 377 00:25:06,082 --> 00:25:10,073 I'll have the cauliflower version. I can do it air fried or grilled, but I always 378 00:25:10,073 --> 00:25:15,609 add in veggies around that, so a salad. I find that to be satiating, I know it's 379 00:25:15,609 --> 00:25:20,558 helping my metabolism, but it's a green. So the green beans, or the brussel sprouts 380 00:25:20,558 --> 00:25:23,968 or whatever it is, I add spices to them so that they're more flavorful. 381 00:25:23,968 --> 00:25:26,327 SG: So, I didn't hear any meat? 382 00:25:26,327 --> 00:25:30,757 UN: So, I was born into a vegetarian family, so I'm vegetarian. 383 00:25:30,757 --> 00:25:32,217 SG: Should I be a vegetarian? 384 00:25:32,217 --> 00:25:36,403 UN: (Laughs) No, I think people should eat what they enjoy eating. I just think they 385 00:25:36,403 --> 00:25:40,234 should eat healthy versions. I happen to be in a family where everyone else eats 386 00:25:40,234 --> 00:25:47,430 meat, so I think that meat has a place on that diet, and I feel like the B vitamins 387 00:25:47,430 --> 00:25:52,078 from meat are something that as a vegetarian, I supplement. I think there is 388 00:25:52,078 --> 00:25:54,102 also a place for plant-based eaters. 389 00:25:54,102 --> 00:25:55,874 SG: What about carbs? 390 00:25:55,874 --> 00:26:00,364 UN: I think that carbs are important. They're really important for our brain, 391 00:26:00,364 --> 00:26:03,916 they're really important for our body, but it's where we obtain our carbs. 392 00:26:03,916 --> 00:26:10,289 SG: A lot of messaging seems to indicate that they're toxic because of the glycemic 393 00:26:10,289 --> 00:26:13,691 index, the sugar, these types of things, the calories. 394 00:26:13,691 --> 00:26:19,163 UN: Right. So, all of those, there's truth to many of those factors, but I think it's 395 00:26:19,163 --> 00:26:25,169 the messaging has also got to show people that you need carbs for your body and for 396 00:26:25,169 --> 00:26:30,195 your brain to function. It's where you obtain your carbs; if you're eating a 397 00:26:30,195 --> 00:26:35,759 sugary donut with a coffee laced with highly processed cream and eight sugars, 398 00:26:35,759 --> 00:26:43,219 that's very different from a avocado toast on sourdough bread, maybe with some smoked 399 00:26:43,219 --> 00:26:49,606 salmon or a tofu scramble with tons of spinach and vegetables in it. A totally 400 00:26:49,606 --> 00:26:52,588 different product. They break down differently in your body. 401 00:26:52,588 --> 00:26:57,037 SG: Yeah, the healthy carbs vs. the healthy proteins vs. the healthy fats, you 402 00:26:57,037 --> 00:27:04,162 know, these big categories of food. We know that myelin coats the nerves and it's 403 00:27:04,162 --> 00:27:08,143 kind of like the coating on a wire. A wire doesn't conduct as well unless it has the 404 00:27:08,143 --> 00:27:12,469 coating on it. Myelin is sort of like that coating on nerves, and that's made up 405 00:27:12,469 --> 00:27:17,461 primarily of fat, and there's been people that I have talked to that have said you 406 00:27:17,461 --> 00:27:22,215 really need to focus on eating those fats to get that myelin. I would put that at 407 00:27:22,215 --> 00:27:25,950 he top of my list in terms of brain foods. Maybe not the healthiest 408 00:27:25,950 --> 00:27:31,618 cardiovascular, although again, these are good fats, not the bad trans fats. If you 409 00:27:31,618 --> 00:27:36,232 look at healthy proteins, healthy fats, healthy carbs, how to you sort of think 410 00:27:36,232 --> 00:27:38,661 about it with regard to impact on the brain? 411 00:27:39,386 --> 00:27:43,889 UN: So I think that balance is really important. I ask people to lean into all 412 00:27:43,889 --> 00:27:48,198 the different vegetables, and I'm not leading with potatoes and sweet potatoes. 413 00:27:48,198 --> 00:27:52,416 I'm leading with cruciferous vegetables and leafy greens, and legumes, lentils, 414 00:27:52,416 --> 00:27:56,897 and beans. Then you want to think of your olive oil, your avocado, your salmon, and 415 00:27:56,897 --> 00:28:01,691 your other healthy fats. You want to think about, what I like to say, your "clean" 416 00:28:01,691 --> 00:28:11,309 source of protein, and all I mean by that is have, you know, stir-fry tofu in a 417 00:28:11,309 --> 00:28:18,278 healthy way, or air fry something instead of deep fried fish, for example. The fish 418 00:28:18,278 --> 00:28:23,323 itself may be healthy, but the method is not. Now, once in a while, of course, but 419 00:28:23,323 --> 00:28:28,468 not as your everyday meal. Then, I don't forget fruit. So, some berries, you know, 420 00:28:28,468 --> 00:28:32,167 a couple servings of fruit is super important to get those natural sugars into 421 00:28:32,167 --> 00:28:36,965 your body rather than reaching for the candy bar that we know is not the 422 00:28:36,965 --> 00:28:38,590 healthiest choice. 423 00:28:38,590 --> 00:28:43,443 SG: So what about sugar? And, let me preface it by saying this; I did a piece 424 00:28:43,443 --> 00:28:47,923 for 60 Minutes years ago called "The Toxic Truth", and we thought long and hard about 425 00:28:47,923 --> 00:28:51,589 what to title this, because I didn't want it to be unfairly or unnecessarily 426 00:28:51,589 --> 00:28:55,746 alarmist. But, when I talked to some of the nutritionists when we were 427 00:28:55,746 --> 00:29:01,804 interviewing them, they said this is an appropriate title. The way we humans 428 00:29:01,804 --> 00:29:08,669 consume sugar is toxic. We consume too much, our livers don't know what to do 429 00:29:08,669 --> 00:29:13,581 with it, it hits our bodies like a tsunami wave, and churns out these low-density 430 00:29:13,581 --> 00:29:17,117 lipoproteins, the bad kind of cholesterol, which I thought was really 431 00:29:17,117 --> 00:29:21,620 interesting. The brain, when it's exposed to too much sugar, the receptors will 432 00:29:21,620 --> 00:29:26,241 actually start to shut down. So, you could be in a situation, as they outlined it to 433 00:29:26,241 --> 00:29:30,357 me, where you're stuffing the body and starving the brain essentially at the 434 00:29:30,357 --> 00:29:34,035 same time, and that's because you're eating too much sugar. We know it's a 435 00:29:34,035 --> 00:29:37,503 problem, but how bad is sugar for our brain? 436 00:29:37,503 --> 00:29:42,857 UN: So, sugar is a problem, but I also want people to understand we need sugar 437 00:29:42,857 --> 00:29:46,715 for our bodies and our brains, so it's where you get the sugar that's important. 438 00:29:46,715 --> 00:29:52,058 Metabolic health, you know, with the rising in type 2 diabetes, insulin 439 00:29:52,058 --> 00:29:57,849 resistance in this country, the fact that we have common overweight and obesity in 440 00:29:57,849 --> 00:30:03,567 the country, there's a reason. I do think there's so much sugar in our everyday 441 00:30:03,567 --> 00:30:08,251 foods, including our savory foods, like our ketchup, pasta sauces, salad 442 00:30:08,251 --> 00:30:13,334 dressings. French fries at fast food restaurants are engineered to contain 443 00:30:13,334 --> 00:30:18,074 sugar. You don't taste it, but they are really engineered to tap into our 444 00:30:18,074 --> 00:30:18,860 cravings. 445 00:30:18,860 --> 00:30:24,774 SG: That sounds kind of sinister when you put it like that. I realize that this 446 00:30:24,774 --> 00:30:29,072 isn't opioids we're talking about, but the idea of tapping into our cravings.. 447 00:30:29,072 --> 00:30:38,599 UN: The research has shown that foods, ultra processed and processed, have a 448 00:30:38,599 --> 00:30:45,147 significant amount of brain science behind how they tap into cravings. I think 449 00:30:45,147 --> 00:30:48,472 that, the more that people should understand the amount of sugar in our 450 00:30:48,472 --> 00:30:54,312 food. So, I teach all my patients that 4 grams of sugar is 1 teaspoon, because our 451 00:30:54,312 --> 00:31:01,009 food labels are in grams and we cook and bake all our U.S. cookbooks in pounds and 452 00:31:01,009 --> 00:31:07,819 ounces. So, if a person goes to a yogurt, and it's 6oz or 4oz, it could have 24g of 453 00:31:07,819 --> 00:31:11,820 sugar in it. You'd think, "Oh, that's not bad." When actually, you wouldn't put that 454 00:31:11,820 --> 00:31:14,430 number of teaspoons into your plain yogurt. 455 00:31:14,564 --> 00:31:18,491 SG: So, if you see 4g of sugar on the food label, imagine you're seeing a full 456 00:31:18,491 --> 00:31:24,520 teaspoon of sugar in it. You see 12g, 3 teaspoons. So, it's a good visual. Let me 457 00:31:24,520 --> 00:31:32,146 ask you real quick, coffee/caffeine is something that seems to come on and off 458 00:31:32,146 --> 00:31:36,051 the favored list. Where do you land on that, when it comes to the brain? 459 00:31:36,051 --> 00:31:39,873 UN: I like coffee, and I think that coffee has a lot of health benefits in 460 00:31:39,873 --> 00:31:44,745 it. It's actually rich in plant polyphenols. The caffeine, my patients 461 00:31:44,745 --> 00:31:48,986 with anxiety can be sensitive to, so it depends on what their tolerance is. 462 00:31:48,986 --> 00:31:58,106 Interestingly, studies of ADHD in adults show that coffee can help focus, so it's a 463 00:31:58,106 --> 00:32:02,142 certain amount of coffee, not too much, so my patients who are struggling with 464 00:32:02,142 --> 00:32:06,829 ADHD or some issues around focus, I like to encourage them, if they can tolerate 465 00:32:06,829 --> 00:32:10,757 coffee and they don't become jittery or uncomfortable. You know, have it early in 466 00:32:10,757 --> 00:32:16,120 the day, don't go more than 2-3 cups, have them be small cups. Also, clean up 467 00:32:16,120 --> 00:32:20,178 the coffee, meaning, you know, have it the way that you'd like, but if you're putting 468 00:32:20,178 --> 00:32:24,680 1/2 cup of processed cream and 8 sugars, you're not helping your brain. 469 00:32:24,680 --> 00:32:31,234 SG: Can we manage anxiety with food? This is the topic of your new book coming out 470 00:32:31,234 --> 00:32:33,060 just in time for the holidays, right? 471 00:32:33,060 --> 00:32:37,732 UN: It is. My new book is "Calm Your Mind With Food" because during the pandemic, 472 00:32:37,732 --> 00:32:42,843 that's what I saw. People really struggling at all ages, all demographics, 473 00:32:42,843 --> 00:32:48,008 with anxiety and we know that even coming out of Covid, that numbers are increased. 474 00:32:48,008 --> 00:32:55,674 So, I feel that if we looked at an integrated approach to really using 475 00:32:55,674 --> 00:33:02,016 anxiety more as a strength and using food to harness how we can feel better, I think 476 00:33:02,016 --> 00:33:04,048 it'll help a lot of us. 477 00:33:04,048 --> 00:33:08,861 SG: I would like to imagine a world where we just wouldn't have to take many of the 478 00:33:08,861 --> 00:33:14,597 medications that we take. I mean, I'm a doctor, you're a doctor, there's a role, 479 00:33:14,597 --> 00:33:20,300 but we spend $4 trillion on health care, and an increasingly large amount of that 480 00:33:20,300 --> 00:33:25,304 is on prescription drugs. Food is the only signal we give the inside of our body from 481 00:33:25,304 --> 00:33:31,803 the outside world on a daily basis and it can be therapeutic. It can make us feel 482 00:33:31,803 --> 00:33:36,458 better, and I just really, really love the work that you do, Dr. Naidoo. I really 483 00:33:36,458 --> 00:33:37,232 admire it. 484 00:33:37,412 --> 00:33:42,231 UN: Thank you so much. Thank you for having me back, it's always great to talk 485 00:33:42,231 --> 00:33:44,894 to you. You always have fascinating questions, I love it. 486 00:33:46,749 --> 00:33:50,873 SG: We talked for a long time, Dr. Naidoo and I, and she goes into even more depth 487 00:33:50,873 --> 00:33:54,782 in this connection between diet and anxiety in her new book, which is coming 488 00:33:54,782 --> 00:33:59,236 out in December. As I've told her, it's an idea that I find really fascinating. 489 00:33:59,236 --> 00:34:05,777 It makes sense that food affects our bodies. It also affects our brains, and 490 00:34:05,777 --> 00:34:09,788 it does so quickly, so it makes total sense that it would affect our mental 491 00:34:09,788 --> 00:34:15,241 health as well. Food is more than just calories; it's a signal. It's a message. 492 00:34:15,241 --> 00:34:18,928 It affects more than your weight and whether you have a flat stomach or not. 493 00:34:18,928 --> 00:34:24,563 Food can be a medicine. It can help stave off disease, manage our moods, help us 494 00:34:24,563 --> 00:34:30,297 think more clearly. So, chew on that the next time you want to feel smarter, or 495 00:34:30,297 --> 00:34:35,895 calmer. Next time on Chasing Life, we have a very special episode for you. We're 496 00:34:35,895 --> 00:34:40,883 going to be talking about the frightened brain. What happens when we get scared, 497 00:34:40,883 --> 00:34:45,407 and why do some people like feeling that way? Who better to answer those questions 498 00:34:45,407 --> 00:34:49,240 than the king of horror himself: Stephen King. 499 00:34:49,240 --> 00:34:55,585 Stephen King: Everything is out to get you. You see, that's the dark side of the 500 00:34:55,585 --> 00:35:01,854 imagination. But, the good side of it is that you're able to take reasonable 501 00:35:01,854 --> 00:35:09,779 precautions and watch out for either Coronavirus, or Jason in the Friday the 502 00:35:09,779 --> 00:35:12,395 13th movies. They both go together. 503 00:35:12,395 --> 00:35:15,589 SG: Thanks for listening. 504 00:35:20,899 --> 00:35:25,415 Chasing life is a production of CNN Audio. Our podcast is produced by Eryn 505 00:35:25,415 --> 00:35:31,400 Mathewson, Madeleine Thompson, David Rind, and Grace Walker. Our senior producer and 506 00:35:31,400 --> 00:35:35,788 show runner is Felicia Patinkin. Andrea Kane is our medical writer, and Tommy 507 00:35:35,788 --> 00:35:41,057 Barbarian is our engineer. Dan Dzula is our technical director, and the executive 508 00:35:41,057 --> 00:35:45,498 producer of CNN audio is Steve Lickteig. Special thanks to Ben Tinker, Amanda Sealy 509 00:35:45,498 --> 00:35:49,065 and Nadia Kounang of CNN Health.