EPI 244: Harvard Trained Psychiatrist On Foods & Habits That Fight Depression & Anxiety Without Medication. With Dr. Uma Naidoo

EPI 244: Harvard Trained Psychiatrist On Foods & Habits That Fight Depression & Anxiety Without Medication. With Dr. Uma Naidoo

March 24, 2026 · 46 min

About this episode

Dr. Uma Naidoo discusses the impact of nutrition and lifestyle on mental health, offering insights on foods and habits that can help fight depression and anxiety without medication.

Show notes: (0:00) Intro (1:04) Dr. Naidoo's background and why she joined nutrition psychiatry (4:27) Real patient story on anxiety, travel, and gut imbalance (9:17) Foods that harm gut and mental health (13:47) CALMS foods that support anxiety and mood (16:39) Lifestyle habits that improve mental health (26:16) Her honest view on SSRIs and safe deprescribing (31:08) The S.A.W. method for feeling better every day (35:38) Going extremely low carb (42:04) Where to find Dr. Uma (42:39) Outro Who is Dr. Uma Naidoo? Dr. Uma Naidoo is a trained psychiatrist, professional chef, and nutrition specialist who serves as Director of Nutritional & Metabolic Psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital and Director of Nutritional & Lifestyle Psychiatry at the Massachusetts General Hospital Psychiatry Academy. She is also an Instructor in the Department of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. In her role as a clinical scientist, she founded and directs the first hospital-based clinical service in Nutritional Psychiatry in the United States. Dr. Naidoo is also the author of This Is Your Brain on Food and Calm Your Mind with Food. Connect with Dr. Uma Website: https://umanaidoomd.com/ LinkedIn…

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Guest: Dr Uma Naidoo

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Mentioned in this episode

Products: This Is Your Brain on Food, Calm Your Mind with Food

Books & works: This Is Your Brain on Food

Places: the United States

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