1 00:00:01,400 --> 00:00:04,520 Speaker 1: Hey, it's Gemma and I have something really special to 2 00:00:04,519 --> 00:00:08,559 Speaker 1: share with you. I'm hosting my first ever virtual live 3 00:00:09,039 --> 00:00:13,119 Speaker 1: video podcast. Not a pre recorded episode, not a highlight reel, 4 00:00:13,160 --> 00:00:15,720 Speaker 1: but a real time, face to face moment where we 5 00:00:15,760 --> 00:00:19,720 Speaker 1: get to connect, laugh, and kind of just reflect together 6 00:00:19,760 --> 00:00:22,200 Speaker 1: no matter where you are in the world. Plus, I'm 7 00:00:22,200 --> 00:00:25,079 Speaker 1: hosting a VIP after party for my inner circle. I 8 00:00:25,079 --> 00:00:27,480 Speaker 1: will be answering your questions and getting to talk to 9 00:00:27,520 --> 00:00:30,720 Speaker 1: you guys even more. It's happening August twelfth at seven 10 00:00:30,720 --> 00:00:34,120 Speaker 1: pm Pacific time, or August thirteenth at twelve pm. If 11 00:00:34,159 --> 00:00:36,760 Speaker 1: you live in my hometown of Sydney, you can grab 12 00:00:36,760 --> 00:00:40,040 Speaker 1: your ticket now at pave dot Live. I cannot wait 13 00:00:40,080 --> 00:00:40,720 Speaker 1: to see you there. 14 00:00:45,360 --> 00:00:50,240 Speaker 2: Hello everybody, and welcome back to the Psychology of Your Twenties, 15 00:00:50,880 --> 00:00:53,200 Speaker 2: the podcast where we talk through some of the big 16 00:00:53,440 --> 00:00:57,800 Speaker 2: life changes and transitions of our twenties and what they 17 00:00:57,880 --> 00:01:00,160 Speaker 2: mean for our psychology. 18 00:01:04,040 --> 00:01:07,399 Speaker 1: Hello everybody, Welcome back to the show. Welcome back to 19 00:01:07,480 --> 00:01:11,200 Speaker 1: the podcast. New listeners, old listeners. Wherever you are on 20 00:01:11,240 --> 00:01:13,480 Speaker 1: the world, You guys know the deal. It is so 21 00:01:13,640 --> 00:01:16,240 Speaker 1: great to have you here. Back for another episode as we, 22 00:01:16,319 --> 00:01:21,720 Speaker 1: of course break down the psychology of our twenties. Before 23 00:01:21,720 --> 00:01:23,760 Speaker 1: we get into it, I just want to let you 24 00:01:23,840 --> 00:01:28,919 Speaker 1: know that this episode does touch on disordered eating, weight loss, 25 00:01:29,040 --> 00:01:33,560 Speaker 1: and discussions of food and calories. I know that this 26 00:01:33,600 --> 00:01:36,720 Speaker 1: can be a sensitive topic for some people, so please 27 00:01:37,080 --> 00:01:39,840 Speaker 1: just consider whether you are ready for an episode like this, 28 00:01:39,959 --> 00:01:42,800 Speaker 1: whether it is something you need to hear today. It 29 00:01:42,880 --> 00:01:45,680 Speaker 1: will still be here in a week, in a month, 30 00:01:45,800 --> 00:01:48,200 Speaker 1: in a year when you are ready to hear it, 31 00:01:48,360 --> 00:01:51,600 Speaker 1: but until then, please take care of yourself and we 32 00:01:51,640 --> 00:01:58,160 Speaker 1: will have links to services and resources below. But hello, everybody, Today, 33 00:01:58,360 --> 00:02:02,200 Speaker 1: we are serving up a topic at touches literally everyone, 34 00:02:02,240 --> 00:02:07,320 Speaker 1: every single day, often without us truly grasping its real impact. 35 00:02:07,960 --> 00:02:12,919 Speaker 1: How the very food we eat directly shapes our mood, 36 00:02:13,680 --> 00:02:19,480 Speaker 1: mental clarity, and overall emotional wellbeing. Now, this is something 37 00:02:19,520 --> 00:02:22,520 Speaker 1: that I've been very interested in personally for a while, 38 00:02:22,520 --> 00:02:24,680 Speaker 1: but I've always kind of held off on doing an 39 00:02:24,720 --> 00:02:27,280 Speaker 1: episode about it because I'm not a nutritionist. I'm also 40 00:02:27,800 --> 00:02:30,200 Speaker 1: not a doctor, so I wanted to make sure that 41 00:02:30,240 --> 00:02:33,720 Speaker 1: we got some good researchers in and that we had 42 00:02:33,760 --> 00:02:36,359 Speaker 1: all the essential research together because it is kind of 43 00:02:36,400 --> 00:02:39,080 Speaker 1: a sensitive topic and one that people can very easily 44 00:02:39,560 --> 00:02:44,760 Speaker 1: become misinformed. About. But from a personal level, this is 45 00:02:44,760 --> 00:02:48,640 Speaker 1: something that I endlessly fascinated about. I have spent so 46 00:02:48,720 --> 00:02:54,080 Speaker 1: much time tracking, considering, thinking about what foods make my 47 00:02:54,160 --> 00:02:59,959 Speaker 1: brain feel sharper, lighter, more energized, and what makes me 48 00:03:00,240 --> 00:03:04,240 Speaker 1: feel bad in my body, what scrambles my brain, what 49 00:03:04,360 --> 00:03:08,640 Speaker 1: makes my health feel worse. I have never been one 50 00:03:09,240 --> 00:03:13,400 Speaker 1: to track calories, I probably never will, but I do 51 00:03:13,480 --> 00:03:15,720 Speaker 1: track how my mood responds to what I eat, whether 52 00:03:15,760 --> 00:03:21,400 Speaker 1: I feel foggy, irritable, or alive and present. And turns 53 00:03:21,400 --> 00:03:24,880 Speaker 1: out there's a lot, and I mean a lot of 54 00:03:25,000 --> 00:03:29,760 Speaker 1: science behind these reactions. That is so fascinating to dive into. 55 00:03:30,040 --> 00:03:32,720 Speaker 1: The truth is your brain is not a solo act 56 00:03:32,840 --> 00:03:35,640 Speaker 1: like we typically think that it is. It's actually in 57 00:03:35,840 --> 00:03:41,520 Speaker 1: constant conversation with another major organ, your gut. I think 58 00:03:41,560 --> 00:03:44,240 Speaker 1: a lot of the time we ignore the psychological role 59 00:03:44,280 --> 00:03:48,560 Speaker 1: of food. We say it's just fuel, or it's something 60 00:03:48,560 --> 00:03:51,600 Speaker 1: to restrict for weight loss, or it all comes down 61 00:03:51,680 --> 00:03:56,480 Speaker 1: to calorie content. But your breakfast, you'll launch, your dinner 62 00:03:56,560 --> 00:04:01,280 Speaker 1: choices subtlely impact your daily emotional land escape. There also 63 00:04:01,320 --> 00:04:04,360 Speaker 1: impacts your resilience to stress. It may even impact your 64 00:04:04,440 --> 00:04:09,240 Speaker 1: risk of anxiety and depression. This is all coming down 65 00:04:09,280 --> 00:04:14,400 Speaker 1: to a very emerging field called nutritional psychiatry, which basically 66 00:04:14,440 --> 00:04:18,159 Speaker 1: says that when we examine our food, we learn more 67 00:04:18,240 --> 00:04:21,200 Speaker 1: about how our brain operates the way that it does. 68 00:04:22,040 --> 00:04:25,520 Speaker 1: So in today's episode, we are going to unpack what 69 00:04:25,720 --> 00:04:32,280 Speaker 1: exactly this gut brain axis is, why your microbiome matters 70 00:04:32,360 --> 00:04:34,360 Speaker 1: way more than you think it probably does, why it's 71 00:04:34,400 --> 00:04:36,760 Speaker 1: important to take care of it, how to take care 72 00:04:36,800 --> 00:04:39,760 Speaker 1: of it, and of course, how certain foods on your 73 00:04:39,800 --> 00:04:43,240 Speaker 1: plate might influence your mood in ways that you've never 74 00:04:43,360 --> 00:04:49,160 Speaker 1: even noticed. We're also going to explore how mood affects food, 75 00:04:49,360 --> 00:04:54,080 Speaker 1: so things like comfort food, how community and culture play 76 00:04:54,080 --> 00:04:56,880 Speaker 1: a role, and what foods we choose to consume, and 77 00:04:57,400 --> 00:05:02,760 Speaker 1: the dangers of villainized see certain food. Labeling certain foods 78 00:05:02,839 --> 00:05:07,520 Speaker 1: is either good or bad, and why people may think 79 00:05:07,600 --> 00:05:11,320 Speaker 1: that that represents clean eating, healthy eating a way to 80 00:05:12,440 --> 00:05:16,240 Speaker 1: properly fuel your body, but can actually have the opposite effect. 81 00:05:16,320 --> 00:05:19,440 Speaker 1: How we talk about food, the labels we give it 82 00:05:19,480 --> 00:05:23,760 Speaker 1: impacts our psychology just as much as the nutritional content 83 00:05:23,920 --> 00:05:27,400 Speaker 1: of the food. So there is so much to break down, 84 00:05:27,680 --> 00:05:31,320 Speaker 1: so much to acknowledge in this episode, and I think 85 00:05:31,440 --> 00:05:36,159 Speaker 1: we clocked over like fifty research papers contributing to this 86 00:05:36,520 --> 00:05:38,200 Speaker 1: to this one episode. So you're gonna get a lot 87 00:05:38,200 --> 00:05:40,920 Speaker 1: of information all in one go, which is of course 88 00:05:40,960 --> 00:05:45,120 Speaker 1: always our intentions. So without further ado, let's get into 89 00:05:45,320 --> 00:05:55,680 Speaker 1: how food affects our mood. Stay with us, Okay, So 90 00:05:55,800 --> 00:05:58,960 Speaker 1: if we are going to talk about the psychology of food, 91 00:05:59,440 --> 00:06:02,119 Speaker 1: we actually we have to move away from the brain 92 00:06:02,160 --> 00:06:05,640 Speaker 1: for a second and talk about another essential organ, that 93 00:06:05,720 --> 00:06:09,400 Speaker 1: being the gut. Let's waste no time here. We're going 94 00:06:09,480 --> 00:06:13,919 Speaker 1: to jump straight into this thing called the gut brain axis. 95 00:06:14,520 --> 00:06:17,080 Speaker 1: So the truth is is that we often think about 96 00:06:17,080 --> 00:06:20,039 Speaker 1: our brain as the sole command center for our thoughts 97 00:06:20,520 --> 00:06:22,600 Speaker 1: and our emotions. It's kind of been how we've been 98 00:06:22,640 --> 00:06:26,320 Speaker 1: taught to see it. The truth is your brain and 99 00:06:26,360 --> 00:06:32,080 Speaker 1: your gut and constant communication. The gut brain axis is 100 00:06:32,160 --> 00:06:38,200 Speaker 1: basically this intricate super highway that is constantly filled with 101 00:06:38,240 --> 00:06:43,320 Speaker 1: information traveling in both directions between your digestive system and 102 00:06:43,360 --> 00:06:46,520 Speaker 1: your brain, and it involves several key players which we're 103 00:06:46,560 --> 00:06:50,800 Speaker 1: going to break down. The first is the vagus nerve. 104 00:06:51,360 --> 00:06:55,120 Speaker 1: This is the longest cranial nerve. It runs directly from 105 00:06:55,160 --> 00:06:57,440 Speaker 1: your brain stems, so at the bottom of your skull 106 00:06:58,080 --> 00:07:02,000 Speaker 1: down to your abdomen. You've probably seen people talking about 107 00:07:02,000 --> 00:07:04,479 Speaker 1: this more and more recently. There's been a few very 108 00:07:04,680 --> 00:07:08,000 Speaker 1: famous books on it in recent years and how learning 109 00:07:08,000 --> 00:07:12,080 Speaker 1: more about your vagus nerve can calm your anxiety, calm stress. 110 00:07:12,520 --> 00:07:16,480 Speaker 1: But beyond that, it's basically just a direct, high speed 111 00:07:16,520 --> 00:07:23,360 Speaker 1: information pipeline that transmits signals about gut sensations, information even 112 00:07:23,400 --> 00:07:27,400 Speaker 1: the microbial state, which in turn does end up influencing 113 00:07:27,520 --> 00:07:33,200 Speaker 1: stress response and emotional regulation. For instance, researchers just recently 114 00:07:33,680 --> 00:07:38,080 Speaker 1: suggested and found that disruptions in vagual tone basically that's 115 00:07:38,120 --> 00:07:42,040 Speaker 1: like the activity in the vagus nerve have been implicated 116 00:07:42,200 --> 00:07:47,680 Speaker 1: in anxiety and depression because it has such a critical 117 00:07:47,800 --> 00:07:52,520 Speaker 1: role in physiological and psychological arousal and also in our 118 00:07:52,560 --> 00:07:55,880 Speaker 1: well being. It also plays a really important role in 119 00:07:55,920 --> 00:07:59,920 Speaker 1: the parasympathetic nervous system, which is basically the part of 120 00:08:00,080 --> 00:08:04,680 Speaker 1: our nervous system which helps to regulate stress throughout the body, 121 00:08:04,840 --> 00:08:08,640 Speaker 1: stress and our alarm response. So if something with this 122 00:08:08,800 --> 00:08:12,280 Speaker 1: nerve isn't working, it can make it harder to bring 123 00:08:12,320 --> 00:08:15,400 Speaker 1: ourselves down from a state of alarm, from a state 124 00:08:15,480 --> 00:08:18,880 Speaker 1: of arousal or stress and meaning that our anxiety and 125 00:08:18,920 --> 00:08:23,640 Speaker 1: fear response lasts longer. The next key component of the 126 00:08:23,680 --> 00:08:28,560 Speaker 1: gut brain axis are neurotransmitters, the chemical messages that basically 127 00:08:28,640 --> 00:08:30,600 Speaker 1: allow for the cells and our body to communicate with 128 00:08:30,680 --> 00:08:35,680 Speaker 1: each other. You probably learn about neurotransmitters in science class, 129 00:08:35,760 --> 00:08:40,520 Speaker 1: specifically their role in the brain, but nobody probably told 130 00:08:40,559 --> 00:08:44,319 Speaker 1: you where they actually come from. It was like, they 131 00:08:44,400 --> 00:08:47,160 Speaker 1: exist and then this is their function. You know. For me, 132 00:08:47,280 --> 00:08:49,720 Speaker 1: that was the extent of my curriculum, even when I 133 00:08:49,760 --> 00:08:52,679 Speaker 1: studied psychology at university. Like, I don't think anyone ever 134 00:08:52,720 --> 00:08:56,319 Speaker 1: said in a lecture where neurotransmitters came from. They were 135 00:08:56,360 --> 00:08:59,080 Speaker 1: just kind of existing and we just examined what they did. 136 00:09:00,080 --> 00:09:04,640 Speaker 1: But one guess where neurotransmitters are made. Your gut. Your 137 00:09:04,679 --> 00:09:09,160 Speaker 1: gut produces a significant amount of the very neurotransmitters that 138 00:09:09,240 --> 00:09:14,360 Speaker 1: regulate your mood, specifically around ninety five percent of the 139 00:09:14,400 --> 00:09:20,400 Speaker 1: body's serotonin, basically our feel good hormone. This feel good 140 00:09:20,480 --> 00:09:24,640 Speaker 1: hormone is actually made in the gut by a specific 141 00:09:24,880 --> 00:09:28,880 Speaker 1: kind of cell called ento chromophin cells. I'm going to 142 00:09:28,960 --> 00:09:33,840 Speaker 1: say it again, enter chromophin cells, which basically secrete and 143 00:09:34,120 --> 00:09:40,160 Speaker 1: produce serotonin whilst they are in the gastrointestinal tract. Your 144 00:09:40,200 --> 00:09:44,400 Speaker 1: gut microbes also play a really vital role in producing 145 00:09:44,440 --> 00:09:48,000 Speaker 1: dopamine is another one. Gabba is another one which you've 146 00:09:48,000 --> 00:09:51,880 Speaker 1: probably heard about before. They're all very crucial for mood stability, 147 00:09:52,080 --> 00:09:57,400 Speaker 1: for pleasure motivation, and anxiety regulation. So if your gut 148 00:09:57,440 --> 00:10:02,439 Speaker 1: microbiome is imbalanced, neurotrans a production can suffer, and that's 149 00:10:02,480 --> 00:10:06,840 Speaker 1: what's directly impacting your mood. The third and final component 150 00:10:06,920 --> 00:10:10,000 Speaker 1: in the axis is of course the gut microbiome, which 151 00:10:10,000 --> 00:10:13,760 Speaker 1: we've already kind of mentioned. You may associate like the 152 00:10:13,880 --> 00:10:18,880 Speaker 1: microbiome with things like kombucher, things like Yogi probiotics. It's 153 00:10:18,920 --> 00:10:23,360 Speaker 1: always mentioned in marketing for those kind of products. Basically, 154 00:10:23,400 --> 00:10:26,160 Speaker 1: the way to describe it is that your gut microbiome 155 00:10:26,400 --> 00:10:30,960 Speaker 1: is like a bustling metropolis. It's like a big city 156 00:10:31,080 --> 00:10:36,120 Speaker 1: of trillions of bacteria and fungi and other microorganism in 157 00:10:36,160 --> 00:10:40,640 Speaker 1: your own testines. People always worry about bacteria and they 158 00:10:40,640 --> 00:10:42,520 Speaker 1: think that it's like this terrible thing. That's why we 159 00:10:42,679 --> 00:10:46,079 Speaker 1: use hand sanitizer, that's why we need to wash our hands. Whatever. 160 00:10:46,840 --> 00:10:52,320 Speaker 1: Bacteria is actually very important for our survivalist humans, and 161 00:10:52,360 --> 00:10:55,560 Speaker 1: we have millions, if not billions, of different types of 162 00:10:55,600 --> 00:11:00,200 Speaker 1: bacteria in our body at any given time, including in 163 00:11:00,280 --> 00:11:03,840 Speaker 1: our microbiome. And that's why the microbiome is called the 164 00:11:03,960 --> 00:11:08,600 Speaker 1: second brain, because it's these microbes that actively communicate with 165 00:11:09,240 --> 00:11:13,840 Speaker 1: our central nervous system. They produce various compounds as well, 166 00:11:13,880 --> 00:11:19,720 Speaker 1: including short chain fatty acids. You cannot live and exist 167 00:11:19,800 --> 00:11:23,720 Speaker 1: without these acids, and they also are one of the 168 00:11:23,760 --> 00:11:27,560 Speaker 1: only products that can cross out the blood brain barrier 169 00:11:28,080 --> 00:11:32,079 Speaker 1: to directly influence brain functioning and to directly help with 170 00:11:32,520 --> 00:11:36,360 Speaker 1: inflammation in the brain as well. A lot of very 171 00:11:36,440 --> 00:11:40,600 Speaker 1: long words, very complicated words, but when we talk about 172 00:11:40,640 --> 00:11:42,880 Speaker 1: gut health, I just basically want you to know we're 173 00:11:42,880 --> 00:11:46,720 Speaker 1: not just talking about food. We're not saying candy makes 174 00:11:46,760 --> 00:11:49,720 Speaker 1: me feel bad, and that's just because of what's in it. 175 00:11:49,720 --> 00:11:53,160 Speaker 1: It's because of the interaction it has with our gut. 176 00:11:53,920 --> 00:11:57,000 Speaker 1: This is actually a really foundational pillar of mental well being, 177 00:11:57,040 --> 00:12:00,920 Speaker 1: not not the only pillar, but a very foundational one. 178 00:12:01,040 --> 00:12:04,800 Speaker 1: And knowing about the gut brain link can actually fundamentally 179 00:12:04,960 --> 00:12:09,640 Speaker 1: shift how you approach meals. It's about feeding your mood 180 00:12:09,720 --> 00:12:14,880 Speaker 1: as well as your hunger. So let's explore maybe some 181 00:12:15,000 --> 00:12:19,120 Speaker 1: specific components of things to put on your mood menu. 182 00:12:19,440 --> 00:12:23,040 Speaker 1: What are some of those foods to really lean into 183 00:12:23,240 --> 00:12:27,400 Speaker 1: and to really consume more of. From the perspective of 184 00:12:27,440 --> 00:12:30,520 Speaker 1: providing your brain with the optimal power to support the 185 00:12:30,559 --> 00:12:35,480 Speaker 1: gut brain access, one of the most powerful sources of 186 00:12:35,559 --> 00:12:39,760 Speaker 1: fuel for your brain health is complex carbohydrates, those that 187 00:12:39,760 --> 00:12:43,880 Speaker 1: are found in whole grains like oats, brown rice, in legumes, 188 00:12:43,920 --> 00:12:48,360 Speaker 1: and also the most fruits and vegetables. Unlike really simple sugars, 189 00:12:49,000 --> 00:12:54,559 Speaker 1: carbs that are complex provide a really steady release of glucose. 190 00:12:55,080 --> 00:12:59,440 Speaker 1: Glucose is the brain's primary energy source, so if you 191 00:12:59,520 --> 00:13:02,120 Speaker 1: have a lot lasting source of this, it helps prevent 192 00:13:02,520 --> 00:13:06,040 Speaker 1: blood sugar spikes and crashes that can make us really irritable, 193 00:13:06,440 --> 00:13:09,839 Speaker 1: make you really tired, make you really anxious. Also because 194 00:13:09,840 --> 00:13:13,280 Speaker 1: they're rich in fiber, that also again is beneficial for 195 00:13:13,400 --> 00:13:18,280 Speaker 1: our gut bacteria because it acts as a prebiotic prebiotics 196 00:13:18,320 --> 00:13:20,720 Speaker 1: and probiotics. I think we should actually just take a 197 00:13:20,760 --> 00:13:23,080 Speaker 1: hot moment and give them a dedicated shoutout in this 198 00:13:23,160 --> 00:13:26,880 Speaker 1: episode because they are some of your biggest allies in 199 00:13:26,960 --> 00:13:32,880 Speaker 1: maintaining a really optimal, stable, healthy gut brain relationship. Probiotics 200 00:13:33,320 --> 00:13:36,720 Speaker 1: are like they are live bacteria. It's live bacteria that 201 00:13:36,800 --> 00:13:40,760 Speaker 1: is found in fermented foods like yogit, kimchi, sauer, kraut, 202 00:13:40,800 --> 00:13:45,560 Speaker 1: kom butcher. They actively replenish and diversify your gut microbiome, 203 00:13:45,920 --> 00:13:48,680 Speaker 1: directly supporting your help your health. So think of it 204 00:13:48,760 --> 00:13:52,679 Speaker 1: kind of like watering a plant, watering a plant, fertilizing 205 00:13:52,679 --> 00:13:56,240 Speaker 1: a plant. This is what probiotics are doing. Then, prebiotics 206 00:13:56,720 --> 00:14:01,439 Speaker 1: specific types of dietary fibers that also your gut bacteria. 207 00:14:01,520 --> 00:14:06,520 Speaker 1: It's found in things like garlic and onion leaks, asparagus, 208 00:14:07,320 --> 00:14:10,559 Speaker 1: unrighte bananas. You need that as well. To thrive, you 209 00:14:10,600 --> 00:14:12,679 Speaker 1: need a prebiotic. You need a probiotic, but you can 210 00:14:12,679 --> 00:14:17,000 Speaker 1: also moll often always find them in whole foods. I 211 00:14:17,040 --> 00:14:19,280 Speaker 1: feel like they're often sold to us in a tablet form. 212 00:14:19,880 --> 00:14:22,160 Speaker 1: You don't always need that. You can get it very 213 00:14:22,240 --> 00:14:25,080 Speaker 1: easily from a lot of natural sources. We also have 214 00:14:25,280 --> 00:14:30,000 Speaker 1: amiga three fatty acids. These are essential for brain structure 215 00:14:30,000 --> 00:14:36,400 Speaker 1: connectivity and neuroprotection against inflammation. If you don't have omiga 216 00:14:36,640 --> 00:14:41,000 Speaker 1: three fatty acids, the myelin sheaf on your neurons basically 217 00:14:41,000 --> 00:14:44,920 Speaker 1: on the axon is going to not be able to 218 00:14:44,960 --> 00:14:50,560 Speaker 1: replenish itself as easily, meaning that the connectivity between different 219 00:14:50,560 --> 00:14:55,120 Speaker 1: neurons gets kind of frazzled because the message kind of 220 00:14:55,120 --> 00:14:59,640 Speaker 1: gets lost along the way. So Amiga three fatty acid 221 00:14:59,640 --> 00:15:03,600 Speaker 1: are found in things like salmon, sardines, cheer seeds, walnuts, 222 00:15:03,800 --> 00:15:09,520 Speaker 1: flax seeds also super foundational to brain cell function. Twenty 223 00:15:09,560 --> 00:15:13,880 Speaker 1: twenty three study published in the Journal of Personalized Medicine 224 00:15:14,240 --> 00:15:16,520 Speaker 1: looked at a sample of one hundred and sixty five 225 00:15:16,560 --> 00:15:21,760 Speaker 1: patients suffering from mild to moderate depression. Participants were kind 226 00:15:21,760 --> 00:15:26,120 Speaker 1: of randomized. They either received an Amiga three supplement, an antidepressant, 227 00:15:26,160 --> 00:15:29,760 Speaker 1: or a combination of both. Participants who took both the 228 00:15:29,800 --> 00:15:34,680 Speaker 1: antidepressant and the Amiga three tablet showed a significantly higher 229 00:15:34,720 --> 00:15:38,480 Speaker 1: improvement in depressive symptoms compared to those who just took 230 00:15:38,920 --> 00:15:44,440 Speaker 1: either the supplement or either the antidepressant alone. Basically, it's 231 00:15:44,440 --> 00:15:47,600 Speaker 1: not about only choosing one thing. That's a really important 232 00:15:47,640 --> 00:15:49,320 Speaker 1: thing from this study that I think we can take away. 233 00:15:50,400 --> 00:15:53,360 Speaker 1: Choosing one thing is obviously better than choosing nothing, but 234 00:15:53,440 --> 00:15:56,520 Speaker 1: it's when we combine these different health interventions. It's when 235 00:15:56,560 --> 00:16:03,200 Speaker 1: we combine modern medicine and the ancient medicine of our food. Okay, 236 00:16:03,200 --> 00:16:05,720 Speaker 1: this next thing, I'm going to sound like such a gimbro, 237 00:16:06,440 --> 00:16:08,640 Speaker 1: but you got to lean into your proteins as well. 238 00:16:08,680 --> 00:16:11,080 Speaker 1: They are very crucial for our brain health. They feel 239 00:16:11,080 --> 00:16:14,240 Speaker 1: like protein is having such a moment at the moment, 240 00:16:14,360 --> 00:16:18,600 Speaker 1: things like chicken, eggs, tofu, lentils, beans, turkey. You guys 241 00:16:18,640 --> 00:16:22,080 Speaker 1: know what protein sources are. But the reason they're so 242 00:16:22,520 --> 00:16:26,400 Speaker 1: vital is because protein is broken down into amino acids, 243 00:16:26,800 --> 00:16:29,880 Speaker 1: which are the literal building blocks for your bodies neurotransmitters. 244 00:16:30,200 --> 00:16:33,280 Speaker 1: For example, trip to fan is an amino acid found 245 00:16:33,320 --> 00:16:37,520 Speaker 1: in almost every single protein. It is a direct precursor 246 00:16:37,640 --> 00:16:40,240 Speaker 1: to the creation of serotonin in your gut. You literally 247 00:16:40,280 --> 00:16:44,120 Speaker 1: cannot make serotonin without trip to fan. So having that 248 00:16:44,240 --> 00:16:49,400 Speaker 1: adequate protein intake really rigorously supports stable mood and cognitive function. 249 00:16:49,480 --> 00:16:53,040 Speaker 1: If you're someone like if you're a vegetarian, people are 250 00:16:53,080 --> 00:16:56,800 Speaker 1: always talking about protein in terms of iron and in 251 00:16:56,880 --> 00:17:00,760 Speaker 1: terms of energy levels, but you also need it to 252 00:17:00,840 --> 00:17:03,880 Speaker 1: be happy. You need it so that your mood can 253 00:17:03,920 --> 00:17:09,359 Speaker 1: properly stabilize itself. There's also the essential micronutrients, which I 254 00:17:09,400 --> 00:17:12,040 Speaker 1: feel like don't get enough attention, but are very very 255 00:17:12,119 --> 00:17:15,000 Speaker 1: vital for the biochemical reactions going on in our brain, 256 00:17:15,240 --> 00:17:19,160 Speaker 1: things like B vitamins Vitamin D often called the sunshine vitamin, 257 00:17:19,240 --> 00:17:22,240 Speaker 1: which can reduce inflammation in the brain, support brain development, 258 00:17:22,240 --> 00:17:27,399 Speaker 1: support neurotransmission. Without vitamin D, people sometimes suffer from what 259 00:17:27,440 --> 00:17:30,520 Speaker 1: we know is the winter blues, not just because it's 260 00:17:30,560 --> 00:17:32,800 Speaker 1: depressing when it's dark outside all the time, which is 261 00:17:32,840 --> 00:17:35,720 Speaker 1: like a natural consequence of that, but also because there 262 00:17:35,760 --> 00:17:39,480 Speaker 1: may be a serious vitamin deficiency. Think someone was telling 263 00:17:39,480 --> 00:17:42,800 Speaker 1: me the other day that in the UK, like the 264 00:17:42,960 --> 00:17:46,760 Speaker 1: NHS or like some health body like recommended that everyone 265 00:17:46,840 --> 00:17:49,679 Speaker 1: be taking a vitamin D supplement. I may be totally 266 00:17:49,760 --> 00:17:53,000 Speaker 1: off the mark here, but that is how crucial it is. 267 00:17:53,680 --> 00:17:58,119 Speaker 1: Magnesium as well. I take magnesium supplements for sleep. It 268 00:17:58,240 --> 00:18:02,760 Speaker 1: is like the one supplement I truly swear by. I 269 00:18:02,800 --> 00:18:05,640 Speaker 1: swear by it. When I started taking it, I've never 270 00:18:05,640 --> 00:18:08,760 Speaker 1: slept better and I've never looked back. It is incredible. 271 00:18:09,119 --> 00:18:12,440 Speaker 1: And also the final one for your brain health is zinc, 272 00:18:12,600 --> 00:18:17,360 Speaker 1: which is basically the one ingredient we need for synaptic plasticity. 273 00:18:17,560 --> 00:18:20,800 Speaker 1: It helps our brains adapt, it helps them connect, it 274 00:18:20,880 --> 00:18:25,520 Speaker 1: helps them learn. This sounds overwhelming. I totally get you. 275 00:18:26,240 --> 00:18:28,159 Speaker 1: I feel like I'm sitting in a science or a 276 00:18:28,160 --> 00:18:30,560 Speaker 1: health class and a teacher is at a whiteboard like 277 00:18:31,480 --> 00:18:34,480 Speaker 1: screaming out I don't know like the functions of different 278 00:18:34,520 --> 00:18:36,160 Speaker 1: vitamins to me, and I have to write them down 279 00:18:36,640 --> 00:18:39,200 Speaker 1: on like a que card. But when I first started 280 00:18:39,240 --> 00:18:42,639 Speaker 1: learning about this stuff, I also was like, I have 281 00:18:42,720 --> 00:18:45,359 Speaker 1: no idea what I'm doing. I have no idea how 282 00:18:45,400 --> 00:18:48,080 Speaker 1: I'm gonna remember all of this, no idea what the 283 00:18:48,119 --> 00:18:51,720 Speaker 1: perfect balance is gonna be. I really did think like, oh, 284 00:18:51,720 --> 00:18:54,280 Speaker 1: I need to completely overhaulm my diet, like I need 285 00:18:54,280 --> 00:18:57,359 Speaker 1: to completely change everything. But it's actually a lot less 286 00:18:57,359 --> 00:19:00,720 Speaker 1: complicated than you think. You probably are also, so unless 287 00:19:00,720 --> 00:19:03,280 Speaker 1: you're eating processed food for every single meal, you are 288 00:19:03,280 --> 00:19:08,439 Speaker 1: probably already hitting the majority of these things. It's just 289 00:19:08,520 --> 00:19:11,560 Speaker 1: about fine tuning things, and it's just about coming back 290 00:19:11,560 --> 00:19:15,320 Speaker 1: to these core pillars and just reminding ourselves about why 291 00:19:15,359 --> 00:19:18,840 Speaker 1: they are so important. You just basically you just have 292 00:19:18,880 --> 00:19:22,160 Speaker 1: to find the balance that works for you. Because good food, 293 00:19:22,920 --> 00:19:25,120 Speaker 1: even if it's not the best for you, is also 294 00:19:25,160 --> 00:19:27,119 Speaker 1: a source of community. It's also a source of connection 295 00:19:27,240 --> 00:19:29,760 Speaker 1: and pleasure. It can be a hobby, yes, there is 296 00:19:29,800 --> 00:19:32,439 Speaker 1: some science behind it that is very very important and 297 00:19:32,560 --> 00:19:36,840 Speaker 1: very crucial. The science isn't the only thing that matters, 298 00:19:36,840 --> 00:19:40,040 Speaker 1: and I don't want that to get lost in all 299 00:19:40,040 --> 00:19:44,680 Speaker 1: the scientific terms and all the definitions. So we are 300 00:19:44,680 --> 00:19:46,640 Speaker 1: going to talk about balance. We're going to talk about 301 00:19:46,720 --> 00:19:52,640 Speaker 1: how to integrate a better mixture of ingredients and things 302 00:19:52,640 --> 00:19:57,560 Speaker 1: with nutritional value without losing joy, and also the changes 303 00:19:57,560 --> 00:20:00,879 Speaker 1: in vilifying certain foods, because every single food, unless you 304 00:20:00,920 --> 00:20:04,760 Speaker 1: are allergic to it, does have a place in our 305 00:20:04,840 --> 00:20:06,480 Speaker 1: overall diet. So we're going to talk about all of 306 00:20:06,520 --> 00:20:16,120 Speaker 1: that and more after this short break. Hey, it's Gemma 307 00:20:16,160 --> 00:20:20,040 Speaker 1: and I have something really special to share. I'm hosting 308 00:20:20,080 --> 00:20:24,960 Speaker 1: my first ever virtual live video podcast. Not a pre 309 00:20:24,960 --> 00:20:28,600 Speaker 1: recorded episode, not a highlight reel, but a real time, 310 00:20:28,880 --> 00:20:32,640 Speaker 1: face to face moment where we get to connect, laugh, reflect, 311 00:20:32,680 --> 00:20:35,160 Speaker 1: and honestly just kind of be in it together. No 312 00:20:35,160 --> 00:20:38,040 Speaker 1: matter where you are in the world, if you've ever 313 00:20:38,119 --> 00:20:40,159 Speaker 1: hit play on an episode of the Psychology of Your 314 00:20:40,200 --> 00:20:42,720 Speaker 1: Twenties or Mantra and thought, I really wish I could 315 00:20:42,720 --> 00:20:45,280 Speaker 1: just talk to Gena about this right now, this is 316 00:20:45,320 --> 00:20:49,119 Speaker 1: your chance. We're diving into the messy, beautiful chaos of 317 00:20:49,160 --> 00:20:52,960 Speaker 1: your twenties, your thirties, of life and beyond. And yes, 318 00:20:53,040 --> 00:20:55,399 Speaker 1: you get to be right there with me. There's a 319 00:20:55,400 --> 00:20:58,119 Speaker 1: live chat so we can talk in real time, and afterwards, 320 00:20:58,160 --> 00:21:02,000 Speaker 1: I'm hosting a private VIP par my inner circle we 321 00:21:02,040 --> 00:21:04,760 Speaker 1: would call it, where I'll be answering your questions and 322 00:21:04,800 --> 00:21:08,680 Speaker 1: getting even more personal. It's happening August twelfth at seven 323 00:21:08,720 --> 00:21:12,560 Speaker 1: pm Pacific time, or August thirteenth at twelve pm if 324 00:21:12,560 --> 00:21:16,120 Speaker 1: you're in Sydney or Australia, so mark your calendar, tell 325 00:21:16,160 --> 00:21:19,800 Speaker 1: your friends, grab your ticket now at pave dot Live. 326 00:21:20,359 --> 00:21:26,000 Speaker 1: I can't wait to see you there. When it comes 327 00:21:26,040 --> 00:21:30,439 Speaker 1: down to the psychology of food, people always want to 328 00:21:30,480 --> 00:21:34,240 Speaker 1: know what is the best diet to be on? What 329 00:21:34,320 --> 00:21:36,960 Speaker 1: should I be doing. I kind of hate the word 330 00:21:37,040 --> 00:21:40,359 Speaker 1: diet because it kind of suggests like a fad, crash 331 00:21:40,400 --> 00:21:44,960 Speaker 1: and burnout change that isn't sustainable. So let's say food lifestyle. 332 00:21:45,320 --> 00:21:48,600 Speaker 1: What food lifestyle is the best to emulate. We did 333 00:21:48,640 --> 00:21:51,240 Speaker 1: our research, We looked far and wide, and let me 334 00:21:51,320 --> 00:21:54,520 Speaker 1: tell you, the consensus time and time again is that 335 00:21:54,560 --> 00:21:57,480 Speaker 1: the Mediterranean diet is the one that stands out and 336 00:21:57,640 --> 00:22:00,960 Speaker 1: is also importantly the one that is the least restrictive 337 00:22:01,080 --> 00:22:04,520 Speaker 1: compared to things like quto or whatever else you're thinking of. 338 00:22:05,240 --> 00:22:14,440 Speaker 1: The Mediterranean diet emphasizes whole, unprocessed foods, plenty of fruit, vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds, olive, oil, fish, poultry, 339 00:22:14,800 --> 00:22:17,000 Speaker 1: a little bit of red meat, also like a little 340 00:22:17,040 --> 00:22:21,840 Speaker 1: bit of added sugar. Basically, think foods from Greece, Think Italy, 341 00:22:21,920 --> 00:22:25,920 Speaker 1: Think Spain, including the desserts, including the tasty treats, including 342 00:22:25,960 --> 00:22:29,000 Speaker 1: the pastas and the pizzas, and the big feasts, and 343 00:22:29,040 --> 00:22:32,320 Speaker 1: you are in the right area. This diet is the 344 00:22:32,359 --> 00:22:36,680 Speaker 1: one that delivers a full spectrum of brain support of nutrients, 345 00:22:37,080 --> 00:22:40,359 Speaker 1: and it's really great, not just forell you physically, but 346 00:22:40,440 --> 00:22:43,200 Speaker 1: for you mentally. For example, a two thousand and nine 347 00:22:43,240 --> 00:22:47,240 Speaker 1: study from researchers at the University of Nevara looked at 348 00:22:47,359 --> 00:22:51,400 Speaker 1: the dietary patterns of over ten thousand university students ten 349 00:22:51,440 --> 00:22:55,040 Speaker 1: thousand over a period of four years, and what they 350 00:22:55,160 --> 00:22:58,480 Speaker 1: found is that students who most closely stuck to a 351 00:22:58,560 --> 00:23:02,880 Speaker 1: Mediterranean Mediterranean die pattern had a forty two percent reduced 352 00:23:02,960 --> 00:23:07,800 Speaker 1: risk of developing depression. It's not just a collection of 353 00:23:07,840 --> 00:23:12,000 Speaker 1: healthy foods. It is a synergistic way of eating that 354 00:23:12,119 --> 00:23:16,040 Speaker 1: can really nourish your brain and your mood. I think 355 00:23:16,440 --> 00:23:20,560 Speaker 1: also beyond just making certain dietary choices and food choices, 356 00:23:20,920 --> 00:23:23,480 Speaker 1: it's also about being more connected to our food as 357 00:23:23,480 --> 00:23:27,719 Speaker 1: a whole and noticing instead of ignoring, when you have 358 00:23:27,760 --> 00:23:31,320 Speaker 1: a certain reaction or a mood shift after a certain meal. 359 00:23:32,119 --> 00:23:35,040 Speaker 1: Do like your own test if you're unsure whether this 360 00:23:35,119 --> 00:23:38,000 Speaker 1: is right for you, whether this food lifestyle is right 361 00:23:38,040 --> 00:23:41,639 Speaker 1: for you. Have a Mediterranean based meal for try to 362 00:23:41,680 --> 00:23:45,160 Speaker 1: eat in a Mediterranean manner for a day, then eat 363 00:23:45,200 --> 00:23:47,200 Speaker 1: how you normally would for the next day, and then 364 00:23:47,240 --> 00:23:51,520 Speaker 1: try something completely different and just run your own experiment 365 00:23:51,560 --> 00:23:55,800 Speaker 1: on yourself. Was there a change, And if there is, surely, 366 00:23:56,000 --> 00:23:58,200 Speaker 1: if it's a positive change, that's something you want to 367 00:23:58,240 --> 00:24:01,720 Speaker 1: continue to do. If you have the opportunity to feel 368 00:24:02,119 --> 00:24:05,680 Speaker 1: less crap, surely that's the avenue that you want to take. 369 00:24:06,720 --> 00:24:08,640 Speaker 1: I feel like people can say all that they want, 370 00:24:08,680 --> 00:24:13,520 Speaker 1: people can make recommendations. I can make recommendations, and yet 371 00:24:13,600 --> 00:24:15,159 Speaker 1: if it doesn't work for you, it doesn't work for you. 372 00:24:15,960 --> 00:24:19,639 Speaker 1: So if you're unsure, try it out on yourself. Just 373 00:24:19,880 --> 00:24:22,119 Speaker 1: see how it shifts your mood, see how it shifts 374 00:24:22,119 --> 00:24:25,000 Speaker 1: your comfort levels, your energy levels, and then you can 375 00:24:25,040 --> 00:24:29,160 Speaker 1: base your own behaviors based on the results of how 376 00:24:29,240 --> 00:24:33,399 Speaker 1: you've like conducted this on yourself. Now, we've talked a 377 00:24:33,400 --> 00:24:36,919 Speaker 1: lot about how food affects our mood and which foods 378 00:24:37,000 --> 00:24:40,080 Speaker 1: kind of do that best, But this is bidirectional, So 379 00:24:40,119 --> 00:24:45,280 Speaker 1: how does mood affect our food choices. We've all, I think, 380 00:24:45,720 --> 00:24:49,520 Speaker 1: found ourselves reaching for a specific food when we are stressed, 381 00:24:49,840 --> 00:24:51,520 Speaker 1: when we are sad, when we are bored, when we 382 00:24:51,560 --> 00:24:55,679 Speaker 1: are overwhelmed, not primarily because we're physically hungry, but because 383 00:24:55,720 --> 00:24:59,879 Speaker 1: we are seeking comfort or distraction. This is emotional eating. 384 00:25:00,080 --> 00:25:03,640 Speaker 1: It serves as a coping mechanism or a learned response, 385 00:25:03,680 --> 00:25:07,680 Speaker 1: where food becomes something that offers I don't know, I 386 00:25:07,720 --> 00:25:11,920 Speaker 1: guess emotional comfort, and it becomes a stand in for 387 00:25:12,560 --> 00:25:17,160 Speaker 1: more adaptive ways of processing difficult emotions. On a deeper level, 388 00:25:17,240 --> 00:25:19,879 Speaker 1: it actually seems that our brains and our bodies crave 389 00:25:20,119 --> 00:25:25,760 Speaker 1: certain foods more based on our emotional state. For example, 390 00:25:25,880 --> 00:25:28,880 Speaker 1: when we're stressed, studies have shown we have an increased 391 00:25:28,920 --> 00:25:33,280 Speaker 1: appetite for sugary and fatty foods, probably because these are 392 00:25:33,320 --> 00:25:35,720 Speaker 1: easier for our body to convert into energy, which of 393 00:25:35,720 --> 00:25:39,199 Speaker 1: course it needs. More of when it's understress. Chocolate in 394 00:25:39,280 --> 00:25:43,560 Speaker 1: particular is like the one food our brain really wants 395 00:25:43,600 --> 00:25:47,040 Speaker 1: us to eat more of, possibly because it's got fat, 396 00:25:47,080 --> 00:25:51,879 Speaker 1: it's got sugar, it's delicious, it's high in calories. And again, understress, 397 00:25:51,920 --> 00:25:54,720 Speaker 1: our brain requires i think about twelve percent more energy 398 00:25:54,760 --> 00:25:57,719 Speaker 1: than normal. Something that's high in fat and high in sugar, 399 00:25:58,160 --> 00:26:02,360 Speaker 1: high in high in glucose is a great source of that. 400 00:26:03,000 --> 00:26:06,080 Speaker 1: When our mood is really low and really sad, we're 401 00:26:06,080 --> 00:26:09,479 Speaker 1: also more drawn to carbs as well. There was this 402 00:26:09,560 --> 00:26:13,600 Speaker 1: research from twenty twenty twelve, twenty twelve, twenty twelve that 403 00:26:13,680 --> 00:26:17,440 Speaker 1: basically said things like pizza, potatoes, pasta, they're all comfort 404 00:26:17,480 --> 00:26:21,119 Speaker 1: foods and they do actually kind of improve our mood, 405 00:26:21,320 --> 00:26:23,240 Speaker 1: but only for a second. Then they can lead to 406 00:26:24,160 --> 00:26:26,399 Speaker 1: sugar spikes. They can lead to glucose spikes, which make 407 00:26:26,480 --> 00:26:29,520 Speaker 1: us more irritated or more tired. And the problem is 408 00:26:29,520 --> 00:26:32,199 Speaker 1: is that that can become a cycle. And it's this 409 00:26:32,280 --> 00:26:34,840 Speaker 1: weird question that a lot of people in like the 410 00:26:34,960 --> 00:26:38,919 Speaker 1: nutritional psychiatry space have, is that is it the food 411 00:26:39,080 --> 00:26:41,639 Speaker 1: affecting the mood or is it the mood affecting the food. 412 00:26:42,000 --> 00:26:44,320 Speaker 1: And it's kind of like a chicken and an egg problem. 413 00:26:44,400 --> 00:26:48,440 Speaker 1: If you're saying that someone's diet is contributing to their depression, 414 00:26:48,840 --> 00:26:51,400 Speaker 1: but their depression is contributing to their eating choices, which 415 00:26:51,440 --> 00:26:54,840 Speaker 1: is contributing to their depression. Like, firstly, where do you 416 00:26:54,920 --> 00:26:57,600 Speaker 1: intercept in that place? And also how do you know 417 00:26:57,640 --> 00:27:00,600 Speaker 1: where that started? Was it that the mental health disorder 418 00:27:00,640 --> 00:27:04,199 Speaker 1: already existed or was it that the diet came first? 419 00:27:04,359 --> 00:27:08,639 Speaker 1: So it's important not just to draw immediate conclusions from 420 00:27:08,720 --> 00:27:11,800 Speaker 1: this research and suggests that it's saying, yes, if I 421 00:27:11,880 --> 00:27:14,480 Speaker 1: eat processed food of I eat sugar, I am going 422 00:27:14,520 --> 00:27:16,680 Speaker 1: to be depressed or I am going to be anxious, 423 00:27:16,680 --> 00:27:21,800 Speaker 1: because it is again bidirectional. There's also a science as 424 00:27:21,800 --> 00:27:24,000 Speaker 1: to why we feel drawn to specific foods when we 425 00:27:24,080 --> 00:27:27,480 Speaker 1: want comfort, and why each of us kind of has 426 00:27:27,560 --> 00:27:31,399 Speaker 1: a really nice personal preference for our favorite meal and 427 00:27:31,440 --> 00:27:33,000 Speaker 1: what we want on a rainy day, and what we 428 00:27:33,040 --> 00:27:35,200 Speaker 1: want on our birthdays, and what we want when we're 429 00:27:35,240 --> 00:27:37,920 Speaker 1: going through a breakup, and it's driven by a combination 430 00:27:38,000 --> 00:27:41,159 Speaker 1: of factors. Firstly, obviously we really love things that are 431 00:27:41,200 --> 00:27:44,280 Speaker 1: high sugar, high fat content, but we also really like 432 00:27:44,359 --> 00:27:48,760 Speaker 1: satisfying textures, so creamy or Crunchy foods typically are those 433 00:27:48,840 --> 00:27:52,119 Speaker 1: that show up more on comfort food items, and also 434 00:27:52,720 --> 00:27:56,679 Speaker 1: foods that have a strong association with positive past memories, 435 00:27:57,320 --> 00:28:01,720 Speaker 1: particularly you know, your grandma's apple pie, your dad's spaghetti 436 00:28:01,760 --> 00:28:02,479 Speaker 1: bowling naize. 437 00:28:03,320 --> 00:28:03,480 Speaker 2: Oh. 438 00:28:03,600 --> 00:28:07,360 Speaker 1: They did this research I think don't remember the exact year, 439 00:28:07,440 --> 00:28:09,879 Speaker 1: but they did this research that basically said that the 440 00:28:09,920 --> 00:28:12,520 Speaker 1: comfort food we had as children typically ends up being 441 00:28:12,520 --> 00:28:14,600 Speaker 1: the same comfort food we have as an adult, which 442 00:28:15,320 --> 00:28:18,000 Speaker 1: I think is quite beautiful. A lot of the food 443 00:28:18,000 --> 00:28:20,560 Speaker 1: that we eat that we really enjoy is often deeply 444 00:28:20,600 --> 00:28:24,360 Speaker 1: tied to positive memories from our past. These conditioned kind 445 00:28:24,359 --> 00:28:27,960 Speaker 1: of associations mean that simply you know, the site, the smell, 446 00:28:28,400 --> 00:28:31,800 Speaker 1: even the thought of these foods can evoke feelings of 447 00:28:31,840 --> 00:28:36,639 Speaker 1: security and love and happiness, and they act as really 448 00:28:36,680 --> 00:28:40,640 Speaker 1: powerful emotional anchors. And this is when it's important to 449 00:28:40,680 --> 00:28:45,480 Speaker 1: acknowledge that food enjoyment, the happiness that is brought from food, 450 00:28:46,280 --> 00:28:49,560 Speaker 1: isn't just limited to healthy items, all those high in 451 00:28:49,600 --> 00:28:54,360 Speaker 1: a specific nutritional value. There is a lot of happiness 452 00:28:54,480 --> 00:28:58,280 Speaker 1: and joy and legitimate pleasure to be found in foods 453 00:28:58,320 --> 00:29:03,720 Speaker 1: that technically might be described vis indulgent or unhealthy, and 454 00:29:03,760 --> 00:29:06,520 Speaker 1: it would be shortsighted to ignore those foods and say 455 00:29:06,560 --> 00:29:09,360 Speaker 1: that someone you could have someone who eats like the 456 00:29:09,520 --> 00:29:13,280 Speaker 1: cleanest that you have ever seen, but actually maybe less 457 00:29:13,600 --> 00:29:16,640 Speaker 1: healthy in terms of their mental health than someone who 458 00:29:17,040 --> 00:29:20,640 Speaker 1: eats completely clean but then also really enjoys eating like 459 00:29:20,960 --> 00:29:23,880 Speaker 1: their mum's carbonara, or really loves to indulge in like 460 00:29:24,000 --> 00:29:27,200 Speaker 1: chocolate cake, I don't know, once a week, twice a week, 461 00:29:27,240 --> 00:29:31,640 Speaker 1: because that brings them happiness. Sometimes food can be nourishing, 462 00:29:31,680 --> 00:29:33,880 Speaker 1: not just because of nutritional value, is basically what I'm 463 00:29:33,920 --> 00:29:36,080 Speaker 1: trying to say. It can be nourishing because of the 464 00:29:36,160 --> 00:29:38,520 Speaker 1: memories attached to it, but also because of like the 465 00:29:38,600 --> 00:29:40,920 Speaker 1: company that you're in when you're eating it. Like it 466 00:29:41,000 --> 00:29:43,760 Speaker 1: has the power to nourish the body and the mind 467 00:29:44,280 --> 00:29:46,880 Speaker 1: and the soul. That's why it's such a beautiful, powerful 468 00:29:46,960 --> 00:29:51,000 Speaker 1: kind of medicine. I think at this point, I do think, 469 00:29:51,080 --> 00:29:53,880 Speaker 1: you know, we can't go any further without saying whilst 470 00:29:53,960 --> 00:29:57,719 Speaker 1: the food we eat is important, it is incredibly dangerous 471 00:29:58,400 --> 00:30:01,400 Speaker 1: to suggest or to swing to far the other way 472 00:30:01,480 --> 00:30:05,360 Speaker 1: and attribute everything about our mood or our mental health 473 00:30:05,960 --> 00:30:08,800 Speaker 1: solely to diet, and therefore feel like if we ever 474 00:30:09,080 --> 00:30:12,840 Speaker 1: touch anything with artificial sugar or anything that is processed. 475 00:30:12,880 --> 00:30:16,800 Speaker 1: You know, our brain is doomed. Food is medicine, but 476 00:30:16,840 --> 00:30:20,360 Speaker 1: it's not just medicine, and it's not the only medicine. 477 00:30:20,880 --> 00:30:22,680 Speaker 1: And if we believe that it is, I think we 478 00:30:22,800 --> 00:30:27,320 Speaker 1: risk really overlooking complex, underlying health issues that demand professional 479 00:30:27,320 --> 00:30:31,560 Speaker 1: medical intervention and not just dietary change. I'll say, I 480 00:30:31,560 --> 00:30:34,680 Speaker 1: think I eat very very healthy. I eat mainly hold foods. 481 00:30:35,440 --> 00:30:38,880 Speaker 1: I still have OCD and I still have depression, and 482 00:30:39,800 --> 00:30:43,560 Speaker 1: I take my supplements. Those things didn't like aren't going 483 00:30:43,600 --> 00:30:45,880 Speaker 1: to cure me because this is a chronic illness that 484 00:30:45,920 --> 00:30:48,880 Speaker 1: I have. And I wouldn't want anyone to take what 485 00:30:48,920 --> 00:30:52,480 Speaker 1: I'm saying here and say, well, obviously that means that 486 00:30:52,520 --> 00:30:55,040 Speaker 1: anyone who has a mental health condition could change it 487 00:30:55,080 --> 00:30:57,840 Speaker 1: and they're choosing not to. If their diet is in 488 00:30:57,880 --> 00:31:01,960 Speaker 1: their power, which again it sometimes is an always, well, 489 00:31:02,080 --> 00:31:06,280 Speaker 1: then what's their excuse If someone is genuinely suffering and 490 00:31:06,760 --> 00:31:10,120 Speaker 1: is told, you know, just eat clean and you'll feel better, 491 00:31:10,600 --> 00:31:13,880 Speaker 1: when they're actually grappling with a severe depressive episode or 492 00:31:14,320 --> 00:31:19,120 Speaker 1: an undiagnosed chronic illness. It's very harmful, and this oversimplification 493 00:31:19,320 --> 00:31:23,240 Speaker 1: can lead to I think significant delays in receiving appropriate care, 494 00:31:23,600 --> 00:31:27,480 Speaker 1: prolonged suffering, and it can potentially even worseen the conditions 495 00:31:27,480 --> 00:31:31,960 Speaker 1: trajectory and also someone's trust in the medical system. Imagine experiencing, 496 00:31:31,960 --> 00:31:36,680 Speaker 1: you know, debilitating fatigue and mood swings, and all you're 497 00:31:36,680 --> 00:31:40,680 Speaker 1: told repeatedly is just to eat more greens, cut out 498 00:31:40,680 --> 00:31:43,520 Speaker 1: all sugar, and then you do that, but nothing changes. 499 00:31:44,920 --> 00:31:48,320 Speaker 1: Then A sometimes you're going to have that experience where 500 00:31:48,440 --> 00:31:51,040 Speaker 1: you know a medical professional doesn't even believe that you're 501 00:31:51,080 --> 00:31:54,200 Speaker 1: doing those things, so you feel dismissed because they are 502 00:31:54,240 --> 00:31:56,880 Speaker 1: so sure that diet will change things for you. And 503 00:31:56,880 --> 00:31:58,800 Speaker 1: then when it doesn't, well, you must be the factor 504 00:31:58,880 --> 00:32:02,560 Speaker 1: that has gone wrong. In that equation. B you can 505 00:32:02,600 --> 00:32:05,000 Speaker 1: feel hopeless that you've done what was asked of you 506 00:32:05,040 --> 00:32:07,480 Speaker 1: and it didn't help, so there's no future hope for 507 00:32:07,560 --> 00:32:10,160 Speaker 1: you to do anything else. And see, you can also 508 00:32:10,280 --> 00:32:12,920 Speaker 1: cut too much out and end up with malnutrition or 509 00:32:12,920 --> 00:32:16,200 Speaker 1: a whole other series of problems. It kind of reminds 510 00:32:16,240 --> 00:32:19,400 Speaker 1: me of one of my friends who she was diagnosed 511 00:32:19,440 --> 00:32:21,440 Speaker 1: with chronic fatigue a few years back, and I'm sure 512 00:32:21,480 --> 00:32:23,800 Speaker 1: she doesn't mind me talking about it here, but she 513 00:32:23,880 --> 00:32:25,720 Speaker 1: started to go to therapy to be able to deal 514 00:32:25,760 --> 00:32:29,240 Speaker 1: with the emotional weight of it all. All the therapists 515 00:32:29,280 --> 00:32:31,280 Speaker 1: seem to be able to talk about whether or not 516 00:32:31,320 --> 00:32:34,959 Speaker 1: she was taking her vitamins, like literally every session. Not 517 00:32:35,640 --> 00:32:37,760 Speaker 1: let's talk about the huge weight of this condition and 518 00:32:37,800 --> 00:32:40,320 Speaker 1: how it's impacting you and how you feel like you're 519 00:32:40,360 --> 00:32:43,160 Speaker 1: behind and you're missing out on your twenties. Not you know, 520 00:32:43,200 --> 00:32:45,880 Speaker 1: how does this impact your relationships your social life. It 521 00:32:45,960 --> 00:32:49,320 Speaker 1: was just like, have you taken your vitamins? Are you 522 00:32:49,360 --> 00:32:52,360 Speaker 1: putting in like proactive steps? And it was like she was, 523 00:32:53,080 --> 00:32:55,360 Speaker 1: and they weren't helping, and she would actually just like 524 00:32:55,840 --> 00:32:59,120 Speaker 1: come away from every session feeling a lot of guilt 525 00:32:59,200 --> 00:33:03,480 Speaker 1: and a lot of shame. This feeling of being unheard 526 00:33:03,720 --> 00:33:07,120 Speaker 1: of having your suffering minimized. Like I said, it can 527 00:33:07,160 --> 00:33:10,080 Speaker 1: deeply erode your trust in the medical system, and it 528 00:33:10,120 --> 00:33:14,720 Speaker 1: can leave people feeling really, really isolated and really hopeless. 529 00:33:14,720 --> 00:33:17,200 Speaker 1: And if we over attribute everything to diet, this is 530 00:33:17,280 --> 00:33:20,560 Speaker 1: going to happen more. Also, we have to be careful 531 00:33:20,600 --> 00:33:25,040 Speaker 1: about talking about good versus bad foods when we talk 532 00:33:25,080 --> 00:33:28,800 Speaker 1: about the psychology of food and how it affects our mood. 533 00:33:29,320 --> 00:33:33,240 Speaker 1: Even when an approach with the best intentions laboring foods 534 00:33:33,320 --> 00:33:37,840 Speaker 1: is good or bad can quickly slide into a very problematic, 535 00:33:38,520 --> 00:33:45,200 Speaker 1: psychologically confusing, psychologically damaging arena where we are attaching morality 536 00:33:45,240 --> 00:33:48,960 Speaker 1: to nanimate items. When certain foods are deemed as bad 537 00:33:49,080 --> 00:33:53,480 Speaker 1: or dirty and others grouped as good, we inadvertently start 538 00:33:53,680 --> 00:33:59,479 Speaker 1: moralizing our eating habits, pure versus dirty, good versus bad. 539 00:34:00,400 --> 00:34:04,000 Speaker 1: This isn't just about nutritional science anymore. It's about right 540 00:34:04,040 --> 00:34:07,280 Speaker 1: and wrong. The food you eat reflects your moral character. 541 00:34:08,000 --> 00:34:13,480 Speaker 1: It reflects how sinful you are your virtue like moral decisions, 542 00:34:13,560 --> 00:34:16,560 Speaker 1: and that can really damage our psychological relationship with food, 543 00:34:16,680 --> 00:34:22,160 Speaker 1: and it can be really judgmental, really really judgmental. It 544 00:34:22,280 --> 00:34:26,680 Speaker 1: also might trigger avoidance of certain foods or certain of 545 00:34:26,760 --> 00:34:30,400 Speaker 1: certain social events or spaces where those foods are present, 546 00:34:30,560 --> 00:34:33,719 Speaker 1: which means that, yeah, you're gonna suffer. Even if you're 547 00:34:33,760 --> 00:34:36,759 Speaker 1: eating all these amazing whole foods that are good for 548 00:34:36,840 --> 00:34:40,280 Speaker 1: your brain and you're eating the quote unquote good, clean, 549 00:34:40,480 --> 00:34:43,959 Speaker 1: pure foods, your mental health could still suffer because you're 550 00:34:44,480 --> 00:34:46,920 Speaker 1: missing out on the richness of life in other areas 551 00:34:47,840 --> 00:34:52,520 Speaker 1: and you're restricting but particularly like insidious consequence of these 552 00:34:52,600 --> 00:34:58,520 Speaker 1: restrictions can include progressively more disordered eatings such as orthorexia nevosa. 553 00:34:59,120 --> 00:35:03,439 Speaker 1: Orthorexia it's not yet a formal diagnosis in the DSM five, 554 00:35:03,960 --> 00:35:07,080 Speaker 1: but it is a proposed eating disorder that is characterized 555 00:35:07,080 --> 00:35:14,080 Speaker 1: by unhealthy, obsessive preoccupation with healthy or pure eating and often. 556 00:35:14,560 --> 00:35:17,759 Speaker 1: I was reading this account from someone who works in 557 00:35:18,520 --> 00:35:21,600 Speaker 1: eating disorder woods in the UK. She says a lot 558 00:35:21,600 --> 00:35:26,239 Speaker 1: of people who have anorexia nervosa or bolimia nervosa end 559 00:35:26,320 --> 00:35:33,560 Speaker 1: up developing orthorexia nervosa as they slowly exit that previous 560 00:35:33,560 --> 00:35:37,799 Speaker 1: disorder because orthorexia is kind of easier to disguise and 561 00:35:37,840 --> 00:35:42,120 Speaker 1: more socially acceptable. It's just replacing one type of restriction 562 00:35:42,280 --> 00:35:46,520 Speaker 1: for another. But because we've attached all these moral ideas 563 00:35:46,520 --> 00:35:48,360 Speaker 1: to what kind of foods we should eat and we 564 00:35:48,360 --> 00:35:52,440 Speaker 1: shouldn't eat, sometimes people don't notice that being obsessed with 565 00:35:52,520 --> 00:35:56,960 Speaker 1: clean eating is just as sometimes problematic as being obsessed 566 00:35:57,040 --> 00:36:00,600 Speaker 1: with not eating at all, or being a sessed with 567 00:36:01,520 --> 00:36:06,640 Speaker 1: food in any kind of psychologically damaging way. So if 568 00:36:06,719 --> 00:36:13,680 Speaker 1: diet advice is absolutely everywhere, and sometimes even unhelpful or harmful, 569 00:36:14,200 --> 00:36:18,479 Speaker 1: how do we effectively deal with people who seemingly think 570 00:36:18,520 --> 00:36:20,880 Speaker 1: they know what's best for us, when it comes to 571 00:36:20,920 --> 00:36:24,960 Speaker 1: our diet, it can feel incredibly invalidating, It can feel intrusive, 572 00:36:25,000 --> 00:36:28,080 Speaker 1: It can frankly feel pretty annoying if you have an 573 00:36:28,280 --> 00:36:31,040 Speaker 1: invited commentary on it. Now, if you're at your doctor's 574 00:36:31,080 --> 00:36:33,239 Speaker 1: office and you're saying, I want to make changes, or 575 00:36:33,280 --> 00:36:36,440 Speaker 1: can you make suggestions for areas where I may have 576 00:36:36,560 --> 00:36:41,200 Speaker 1: nutritional deficits or may need to increase the intake of 577 00:36:41,239 --> 00:36:44,840 Speaker 1: certain things, Obviously that's not going to be harmful. Not 578 00:36:44,960 --> 00:36:48,839 Speaker 1: every mention of diet or food is going to harm 579 00:36:48,880 --> 00:36:52,239 Speaker 1: every single person. We're talking about strangers, we're talking about 580 00:36:52,280 --> 00:36:56,080 Speaker 1: family members, we're talking about friends who just kind of 581 00:36:56,120 --> 00:36:58,480 Speaker 1: can't keep their mouths shut when it comes to what 582 00:36:58,560 --> 00:37:02,400 Speaker 1: you're putting inside your body. When someone comments directly on 583 00:37:02,440 --> 00:37:03,920 Speaker 1: what you're eating or takes like a bit of a 584 00:37:03,960 --> 00:37:07,720 Speaker 1: superiority stance on how their diet is so much healthier 585 00:37:07,719 --> 00:37:10,880 Speaker 1: than yours, it just you've got to know that it 586 00:37:10,920 --> 00:37:14,880 Speaker 1: comes from a place of insecurity and potentially over monitoring 587 00:37:15,840 --> 00:37:19,560 Speaker 1: from them. If they're commenting and trying to control what 588 00:37:19,600 --> 00:37:23,400 Speaker 1: you're consuming, you can only imagine how much they're controlling 589 00:37:23,440 --> 00:37:27,560 Speaker 1: and restricting their own diet, Because, honestly, who really cares 590 00:37:27,680 --> 00:37:31,400 Speaker 1: enough to outwardly comment on what other people's eating behaviors reflect, 591 00:37:31,480 --> 00:37:33,680 Speaker 1: unless they are the ones who are consumed by it 592 00:37:33,680 --> 00:37:39,120 Speaker 1: in their personal lives. Providing someone with unsolicited advice is 593 00:37:39,200 --> 00:37:44,160 Speaker 1: everything about them, about their beliefs about food, about their 594 00:37:44,239 --> 00:37:47,000 Speaker 1: consumption of diet, culture, about what others have maybe said 595 00:37:47,040 --> 00:37:50,160 Speaker 1: to them in the past, and very little to do 596 00:37:50,320 --> 00:37:53,320 Speaker 1: with you, because also they don't have the full picture. 597 00:37:53,920 --> 00:37:56,920 Speaker 1: We are all so incredibly unique. We all have different 598 00:37:56,960 --> 00:38:01,960 Speaker 1: deficiencies and nutrition levels and underling health differences or in tolerances, 599 00:38:02,360 --> 00:38:07,000 Speaker 1: underlying relationships with food, either positive or negative. It is 600 00:38:07,080 --> 00:38:09,400 Speaker 1: no one's business to give you advice on something you 601 00:38:09,520 --> 00:38:13,720 Speaker 1: never asked for, especially not something as emotionally charged as food. 602 00:38:14,400 --> 00:38:16,920 Speaker 1: If someone offers you this kind of interjection, it might 603 00:38:16,960 --> 00:38:20,560 Speaker 1: be worth responding something like, that's an interesting perspective for 604 00:38:20,680 --> 00:38:23,320 Speaker 1: me personally, I'm just focused on what makes my body 605 00:38:23,320 --> 00:38:27,040 Speaker 1: feel good these days, or saying something like, oh, I 606 00:38:27,080 --> 00:38:29,160 Speaker 1: know you mean well, but comments about eating on my 607 00:38:29,200 --> 00:38:32,080 Speaker 1: body aren't particularly helpful for me, so could we change 608 00:38:32,560 --> 00:38:36,719 Speaker 1: the topic. You don't owe anyone an elaborate explanation on 609 00:38:36,760 --> 00:38:40,920 Speaker 1: your food choices, your body, your choices, your health journey. 610 00:38:41,239 --> 00:38:44,000 Speaker 1: The most powerful tool is often to just really set 611 00:38:44,000 --> 00:38:48,319 Speaker 1: a clear, kind but firm boundary that allows you to 612 00:38:48,320 --> 00:38:51,400 Speaker 1: reclaim autonomy over your personal health narrative. Same goes for 613 00:38:51,880 --> 00:38:54,960 Speaker 1: commentary on the internet. So how can we translate all 614 00:38:54,960 --> 00:38:58,520 Speaker 1: of this knowledge into actionable steps? How do we continue 615 00:38:58,520 --> 00:39:00,880 Speaker 1: to build a relationship with food that truly supports our 616 00:39:00,920 --> 00:39:05,400 Speaker 1: mental well being from our gut to our culture to 617 00:39:05,480 --> 00:39:09,239 Speaker 1: our personal choices. I think it's about moving away from 618 00:39:09,640 --> 00:39:16,320 Speaker 1: rigid rules more towards a place of intuition, respect, information, education, 619 00:39:16,400 --> 00:39:20,480 Speaker 1: and just like holistic balance. The more you know about this, 620 00:39:20,760 --> 00:39:24,040 Speaker 1: starting with resources like this podcast, starting with books from 621 00:39:24,160 --> 00:39:28,200 Speaker 1: health professionals, starting with reading the academic research yourself, the 622 00:39:28,239 --> 00:39:31,120 Speaker 1: more you're able to make informed choices, the more you 623 00:39:31,160 --> 00:39:34,319 Speaker 1: actually just notice your own body as well. That's like 624 00:39:34,400 --> 00:39:38,680 Speaker 1: your biggest source of data, that's your biggest the best 625 00:39:38,760 --> 00:39:42,080 Speaker 1: research that you can kind of perform is on yourself. 626 00:39:42,840 --> 00:39:45,480 Speaker 1: I think a great way to embrace this is through 627 00:39:45,520 --> 00:39:50,320 Speaker 1: mindful eating, through just slowing down, not restricting, not cutting 628 00:39:50,360 --> 00:39:54,400 Speaker 1: anything out, just paying attention to your body's signals of hunger, 629 00:39:54,520 --> 00:40:00,880 Speaker 1: signals of fullness, signals of energy, signals of sluggishness, savor 630 00:40:00,920 --> 00:40:06,160 Speaker 1: the textures, savor the smells, savor the taste. Put away 631 00:40:06,200 --> 00:40:09,200 Speaker 1: distractions like your phone or your TV. Do not eat 632 00:40:09,960 --> 00:40:13,480 Speaker 1: watching YouTube. I'm sorry, but it is so such an 633 00:40:13,520 --> 00:40:17,360 Speaker 1: easy way to disconnect you from the natural feelings and 634 00:40:17,400 --> 00:40:19,400 Speaker 1: relationship we have with our food. Same with eating in 635 00:40:19,440 --> 00:40:22,160 Speaker 1: front of a TV. I've been trying so hard to 636 00:40:22,200 --> 00:40:24,920 Speaker 1: do this. I also have this practice that I've been 637 00:40:24,960 --> 00:40:28,759 Speaker 1: trying recently where every time I take the first bite 638 00:40:28,800 --> 00:40:31,560 Speaker 1: of my food, I try and imagine what it would 639 00:40:31,560 --> 00:40:33,880 Speaker 1: taste like, Like I try and imagine this is the 640 00:40:33,880 --> 00:40:37,520 Speaker 1: first ever food I've tried, Like this is the first 641 00:40:37,560 --> 00:40:41,040 Speaker 1: time I'm experiencing any of these new flavors, any of 642 00:40:41,080 --> 00:40:44,680 Speaker 1: these new sensations, Like I'm an alien who is trying 643 00:40:44,719 --> 00:40:48,600 Speaker 1: their first ever like human earth meal, And it kind 644 00:40:48,600 --> 00:40:52,040 Speaker 1: of like it's strange, it's fun, which is also always 645 00:40:52,120 --> 00:40:55,640 Speaker 1: good to bring some fun into any thing in your life. 646 00:40:55,960 --> 00:40:58,560 Speaker 1: And it really reconnects me with like my body's wisdom 647 00:40:58,680 --> 00:41:02,879 Speaker 1: and like it's natural enjoyment and curiosity around food and 648 00:41:02,880 --> 00:41:05,719 Speaker 1: what it wants to enjoy, what it wants to eat, 649 00:41:05,800 --> 00:41:09,440 Speaker 1: what it wants to feel me and what it doesn't. Also, 650 00:41:09,600 --> 00:41:12,560 Speaker 1: let's just really try to consciously change the language we 651 00:41:12,640 --> 00:41:14,719 Speaker 1: use to describe food. I need to do this as well. 652 00:41:14,760 --> 00:41:17,719 Speaker 1: I'm sure I've slipped up during this episode. But just 653 00:41:18,400 --> 00:41:22,280 Speaker 1: actively identify and question any things that you call good 654 00:41:22,400 --> 00:41:29,560 Speaker 1: versus bad, pure versus evil, clean versus dirty, any of 655 00:41:29,560 --> 00:41:33,319 Speaker 1: the labels that you've assigned to food. All foods can 656 00:41:33,360 --> 00:41:37,760 Speaker 1: fit into a balanced diet. Releasing those moral judgments about 657 00:41:37,760 --> 00:41:41,720 Speaker 1: eating will also significantly reduce feelings of guilt and shame 658 00:41:42,600 --> 00:41:47,600 Speaker 1: really foster and more peaceful, sustainable relationship with food. They say, 659 00:41:47,640 --> 00:41:50,520 Speaker 1: the easiest way to let something control you is to 660 00:41:50,640 --> 00:41:53,279 Speaker 1: try not to think about it and to try and 661 00:41:53,320 --> 00:41:56,000 Speaker 1: avoid it. So if you're constantly trying to avoid a 662 00:41:56,040 --> 00:41:59,600 Speaker 1: food you deem as bad as bad, or I don't know, 663 00:41:59,680 --> 00:42:03,840 Speaker 1: dirt or not clean, like, it's gonna constantly be popping 664 00:42:03,920 --> 00:42:06,080 Speaker 1: up in your mind and it's actually going to control 665 00:42:06,120 --> 00:42:08,960 Speaker 1: you more compared to if you just freely let it 666 00:42:08,960 --> 00:42:11,640 Speaker 1: be part of your life and just enjoyed it every 667 00:42:11,680 --> 00:42:14,640 Speaker 1: now and again. Okay, we are going to take another 668 00:42:15,000 --> 00:42:18,600 Speaker 1: short break, but when we return, we have some very 669 00:42:18,600 --> 00:42:22,239 Speaker 1: interesting listener questions, including where the men and women should 670 00:42:22,280 --> 00:42:26,759 Speaker 1: approach their diets slash food lifestyles. Differently, whether there are 671 00:42:26,760 --> 00:42:31,160 Speaker 1: certain foods that make our mood worse, and where alcohol 672 00:42:31,360 --> 00:42:34,400 Speaker 1: kind of plays a role in this equation. So stay 673 00:42:34,440 --> 00:42:44,439 Speaker 1: with us for more after this short break, welcome back. 674 00:42:44,600 --> 00:42:48,640 Speaker 1: We have three really great listener questions today to finish 675 00:42:48,680 --> 00:42:51,000 Speaker 1: off our episode on the psychology of food and how 676 00:42:51,040 --> 00:42:54,839 Speaker 1: it affects our mood, questions that cover topics and cover 677 00:42:55,520 --> 00:42:57,680 Speaker 1: kind of avenues of this topic that we have not 678 00:42:57,760 --> 00:43:00,839 Speaker 1: even discussed yet. So this is a whole you, whole 679 00:43:00,920 --> 00:43:03,919 Speaker 1: new level to this topic. Beginning with this first question 680 00:43:03,960 --> 00:43:07,320 Speaker 1: from Isabelle in Vancouver. There is so much noise online 681 00:43:07,400 --> 00:43:10,839 Speaker 1: about the harms of ultraprocessed food, food, diyes, sodas, etc. 682 00:43:11,239 --> 00:43:14,520 Speaker 1: And I was wondering is there actually science to whether 683 00:43:14,560 --> 00:43:17,560 Speaker 1: this food makes our mental health worse? Or is it 684 00:43:17,640 --> 00:43:20,440 Speaker 1: just classic online fear mongering. I know you'll get to 685 00:43:20,440 --> 00:43:24,240 Speaker 1: the bottom of it. Love the podcast, Thank you, Thank you, Isabelle. 686 00:43:24,719 --> 00:43:27,040 Speaker 1: Let's break this question down, like you said, based on 687 00:43:27,080 --> 00:43:30,239 Speaker 1: the evidence, based on the science. Firstly, when we're talking 688 00:43:30,360 --> 00:43:35,440 Speaker 1: ultraprocessed food, think packaged candy, instant noodle's, fast food. These 689 00:43:35,520 --> 00:43:38,840 Speaker 1: have been linked in multiple studies to poor mental health outcomes. 690 00:43:38,880 --> 00:43:42,360 Speaker 1: We're just going to start from there. Now we know 691 00:43:42,440 --> 00:43:47,200 Speaker 1: that correlation doesn't mean causation, and so to blame mental 692 00:43:47,200 --> 00:43:53,000 Speaker 1: health issues squarely on ultraprocessed foods is probably not correct, 693 00:43:53,080 --> 00:43:55,040 Speaker 1: but there have been a few studies which do say 694 00:43:55,040 --> 00:43:58,320 Speaker 1: it increases the risk, including a twenty twenty two study 695 00:43:58,320 --> 00:44:00,799 Speaker 1: published in Public Health Nutrition that found that people who 696 00:44:00,880 --> 00:44:04,920 Speaker 1: consumed the highest amounts of ultra processed foods had a 697 00:44:05,000 --> 00:44:10,840 Speaker 1: significantly higher rate of experiencing depression and anxiety symptoms. They 698 00:44:11,000 --> 00:44:15,040 Speaker 1: kind of linked that mechanism to blood sugar spikes and crashes, 699 00:44:15,080 --> 00:44:19,160 Speaker 1: to clock chronic inflammation, and of course disruptions in the 700 00:44:19,200 --> 00:44:22,680 Speaker 1: gut microbiome. That's what they were saying. The food was, 701 00:44:23,560 --> 00:44:26,000 Speaker 1: that was what it was responsible for creating, which then 702 00:44:26,160 --> 00:44:31,440 Speaker 1: created the depression or the anxiety. So it's a mediating factor. Basically. 703 00:44:31,520 --> 00:44:33,960 Speaker 1: You know, our guts are these very ancient systems and 704 00:44:34,000 --> 00:44:37,000 Speaker 1: they aren't meant to process strange chemicals that don't exist 705 00:44:37,080 --> 00:44:41,239 Speaker 1: in the real world, and so when our guts, you know, 706 00:44:41,360 --> 00:44:43,279 Speaker 1: encounter these chemicals, they kind of don't really know what 707 00:44:43,280 --> 00:44:44,919 Speaker 1: to do with it, and they can become a little 708 00:44:44,920 --> 00:44:49,480 Speaker 1: bit confused. That is what causes like the uproar in 709 00:44:49,520 --> 00:44:52,760 Speaker 1: the stomach and that is what causes What this study 710 00:44:52,800 --> 00:44:56,600 Speaker 1: suggested is the issues later on with psychological symptoms and 711 00:44:56,600 --> 00:45:01,120 Speaker 1: psychological arousal. Another study from twenty twenty three, This study, 712 00:45:01,160 --> 00:45:03,960 Speaker 1: I think is more rigorous. It had about twenty three 713 00:45:03,960 --> 00:45:07,320 Speaker 1: thousand participants and it did also find that a diet 714 00:45:07,400 --> 00:45:12,000 Speaker 1: high in ultraprocessed food elevated psychological distress in participants, which, 715 00:45:12,040 --> 00:45:15,080 Speaker 1: as a result, is a precursor to depression. So again 716 00:45:15,120 --> 00:45:18,400 Speaker 1: it's not a direct factor. It's a mediating or moderating factor, 717 00:45:19,000 --> 00:45:22,160 Speaker 1: primarily because of what they said was increased inflammation in 718 00:45:22,200 --> 00:45:25,880 Speaker 1: the brain. But it's also hard to rule out other factors, 719 00:45:26,160 --> 00:45:30,799 Speaker 1: like is it because people who are living in poverty objectively, 720 00:45:31,800 --> 00:45:34,880 Speaker 1: you know, don't have as much money for whole foods 721 00:45:34,920 --> 00:45:38,040 Speaker 1: and for fresh fruits and vegetables, so they rely more 722 00:45:38,040 --> 00:45:40,760 Speaker 1: on ultra processed foods. But also because they're living in poverty, 723 00:45:40,920 --> 00:45:43,319 Speaker 1: they're also more likely to have higher rates of mental 724 00:45:43,400 --> 00:45:48,560 Speaker 1: health disorders. So it's not the food that's causing the depression, 725 00:45:48,680 --> 00:45:51,560 Speaker 1: it's the poverty that's creating both the depression and the 726 00:45:51,600 --> 00:45:54,919 Speaker 1: food choices. Or is it because people with depression find 727 00:45:54,920 --> 00:45:57,600 Speaker 1: it easier to rely on ultraprocessed food because it requires 728 00:45:57,680 --> 00:46:01,439 Speaker 1: less effort when everything else in they're life feels very 729 00:46:01,480 --> 00:46:04,920 Speaker 1: hard to accomplish. So again, it's not that the food 730 00:46:05,000 --> 00:46:08,080 Speaker 1: is creating the depression or the food is creating the anxiety, 731 00:46:08,719 --> 00:46:12,320 Speaker 1: but other factors. I also think with all the stuff 732 00:46:12,360 --> 00:46:16,239 Speaker 1: online that we hear about ultra processed foods, obviously it's 733 00:46:16,239 --> 00:46:18,719 Speaker 1: important to consider the science and the fact that there 734 00:46:18,760 --> 00:46:23,200 Speaker 1: is evidence to suggest that ultra process food doesn't exactly 735 00:46:23,760 --> 00:46:27,640 Speaker 1: help us. But at what level does it start to 736 00:46:27,800 --> 00:46:31,319 Speaker 1: harm us? That's another question that researchers haven't really been 737 00:46:31,360 --> 00:46:34,319 Speaker 1: able to answer. Is it any process food? Is it 738 00:46:34,360 --> 00:46:37,000 Speaker 1: once a week? Is it twice a week? The fact 739 00:46:37,080 --> 00:46:41,440 Speaker 1: that there isn't like a specific level upon which ultraprocessed 740 00:46:41,480 --> 00:46:44,319 Speaker 1: food and its contribution to your diet becomes dangerous and 741 00:46:44,640 --> 00:46:46,839 Speaker 1: people haven't been able to target that shows that this 742 00:46:46,920 --> 00:46:51,320 Speaker 1: is still very much based on so many other individual factors. 743 00:46:51,840 --> 00:46:54,480 Speaker 1: So my advice would be to consult a dietitian. If 744 00:46:54,480 --> 00:46:56,719 Speaker 1: you think ultra process food is an issue for you, 745 00:46:57,719 --> 00:47:01,520 Speaker 1: consult a registered dietitian as well. But otherwise, take what 746 00:47:01,560 --> 00:47:04,560 Speaker 1: you read online with a large pinch of salt, especially 747 00:47:04,600 --> 00:47:07,640 Speaker 1: if people are only talking about their own experience, because 748 00:47:07,680 --> 00:47:10,200 Speaker 1: as we can see, it is going to differ from 749 00:47:10,239 --> 00:47:13,680 Speaker 1: person to person. And ask people their sources. If they're 750 00:47:13,680 --> 00:47:18,160 Speaker 1: gonna make large scale claims, make sure they have evidence 751 00:47:18,239 --> 00:47:21,360 Speaker 1: to back it up, and investigate the evidence as well, 752 00:47:21,719 --> 00:47:23,640 Speaker 1: and just do what's best for you. You know, a candy 753 00:47:23,680 --> 00:47:25,920 Speaker 1: bar isn't gonna kill you unless you choke on the wrapper. 754 00:47:26,719 --> 00:47:29,719 Speaker 1: A can of Coke zero or sprite or whatever it 755 00:47:29,800 --> 00:47:32,680 Speaker 1: is isn't gonna kill you. I know it's gonna sound 756 00:47:32,719 --> 00:47:36,880 Speaker 1: so cliche, but again, it's all about balance. Next question 757 00:47:37,000 --> 00:47:40,160 Speaker 1: comes from David. If our brains and stomachs are connected, 758 00:47:40,239 --> 00:47:43,280 Speaker 1: surely when we get drunk, digesting alcohol the next morning 759 00:47:43,360 --> 00:47:47,440 Speaker 1: also contributes to us feeling bad. What's the impact of 760 00:47:47,600 --> 00:47:51,560 Speaker 1: booze in this situation? You know what, David, great question. 761 00:47:51,640 --> 00:47:54,120 Speaker 1: I had. Honestly never thought about this. I kind of 762 00:47:54,120 --> 00:47:57,640 Speaker 1: always just thought of alcohol as influencing the mind only, 763 00:47:58,200 --> 00:48:01,759 Speaker 1: But I went searching for an X one A. So alcohol, 764 00:48:02,000 --> 00:48:07,719 Speaker 1: as you may know, increases intestinal permeability. Basically, it's you 765 00:48:07,800 --> 00:48:10,799 Speaker 1: might know it as leaky gut. Leaky gut is what 766 00:48:10,880 --> 00:48:16,759 Speaker 1: allows toxins and inflammatory molecules to enter the bloodstream into 767 00:48:16,840 --> 00:48:21,840 Speaker 1: kind of trigger a systemic inflammatory response. This inflammation is 768 00:48:21,840 --> 00:48:26,359 Speaker 1: what affects the brain via the gut brain axis, and 769 00:48:26,400 --> 00:48:31,479 Speaker 1: it can worsen symptoms like anxiety, like fatigue and brain fog. 770 00:48:31,600 --> 00:48:34,839 Speaker 1: Studies have also shown the alcohol can alter the gut 771 00:48:34,920 --> 00:48:39,920 Speaker 1: microbiome and damages the gut lining. Alcohol is also quite acidic, 772 00:48:40,239 --> 00:48:43,200 Speaker 1: so when it sits in the stomach, not that it 773 00:48:43,200 --> 00:48:45,000 Speaker 1: can damage it, but it is a little bit harder 774 00:48:45,040 --> 00:48:49,040 Speaker 1: to process. Think about how our body process is something 775 00:48:49,040 --> 00:48:52,759 Speaker 1: that's acidic, it has to find another an equally kind 776 00:48:52,760 --> 00:48:57,440 Speaker 1: of counterbalancing like chemical with inscidity in it, or acid 777 00:48:58,120 --> 00:49:01,359 Speaker 1: or bile, and so it can kind of just lead 778 00:49:01,400 --> 00:49:03,520 Speaker 1: to an imbalance of a lot of different things in 779 00:49:03,560 --> 00:49:07,080 Speaker 1: your stomach. It's probably one of the major reasons why 780 00:49:07,120 --> 00:49:10,680 Speaker 1: hangovers feel so physically and mentally brutal. I feel like 781 00:49:10,760 --> 00:49:13,560 Speaker 1: also TMI, but if you get really drunk, like you 782 00:49:13,600 --> 00:49:16,760 Speaker 1: can kind of notice that in terms of your bow movements, 783 00:49:16,840 --> 00:49:19,920 Speaker 1: movements like the next day, so there's obviously something going on. 784 00:49:20,480 --> 00:49:23,799 Speaker 1: And if you're throwing up, if you're feeling really ill 785 00:49:23,880 --> 00:49:27,839 Speaker 1: the next morning, if you're nauseous, like, all of those 786 00:49:27,880 --> 00:49:31,760 Speaker 1: are signals from your gut to your brain like something 787 00:49:31,880 --> 00:49:35,280 Speaker 1: is wrong. And so if you can consciously tell something 788 00:49:35,360 --> 00:49:38,080 Speaker 1: is wrong, that means your brain is seriously like in 789 00:49:38,200 --> 00:49:40,400 Speaker 1: over drape up there trying to control whatever's going on 790 00:49:40,400 --> 00:49:43,799 Speaker 1: in your stomach. So a paper I did read, though, 791 00:49:43,920 --> 00:49:47,040 Speaker 1: said this is not pleasant and it's not comfortable. In 792 00:49:47,080 --> 00:49:50,040 Speaker 1: the short term, it might contribute to why you feel 793 00:49:50,200 --> 00:49:54,080 Speaker 1: terrible the day after you drink, but it does take 794 00:49:54,360 --> 00:49:57,719 Speaker 1: a lot of drinking for this to become severe, and 795 00:49:57,760 --> 00:50:01,399 Speaker 1: for alcohol to truly damage your your intestinal track and 796 00:50:01,480 --> 00:50:05,560 Speaker 1: your stomach and your gut. You have to be engaging 797 00:50:05,560 --> 00:50:08,279 Speaker 1: in some pretty significant alcohol consumption over a number of 798 00:50:08,360 --> 00:50:11,759 Speaker 1: years to really mess up the gut brain access. But 799 00:50:11,840 --> 00:50:14,799 Speaker 1: it does still happen, and especially with the amount of 800 00:50:14,800 --> 00:50:17,120 Speaker 1: like binge drinking that goes on in our twenties. If 801 00:50:17,160 --> 00:50:21,600 Speaker 1: you're worried about it, trust your intuition there and maybe 802 00:50:21,640 --> 00:50:24,640 Speaker 1: pull back. But yeah, great question. And we have one 803 00:50:24,680 --> 00:50:28,160 Speaker 1: final question actually from an anonymous listener. I feel like 804 00:50:28,280 --> 00:50:30,640 Speaker 1: different food affects me at different times based on where 805 00:50:30,640 --> 00:50:33,319 Speaker 1: I am in my menstrual cycle, especially since I have 806 00:50:33,400 --> 00:50:36,520 Speaker 1: pretty bad PMS. Is there any research on what foods 807 00:50:36,520 --> 00:50:38,920 Speaker 1: to eat depending on which phase you're in? Just had 808 00:50:38,920 --> 00:50:41,200 Speaker 1: to sneak this one in here because I feel like 809 00:50:41,280 --> 00:50:44,200 Speaker 1: this is a really great example of a question that 810 00:50:44,239 --> 00:50:49,840 Speaker 1: combines food, combines hormones, and combines our mind and the brain. 811 00:50:49,920 --> 00:50:52,120 Speaker 1: And the answer is that, yes, the foods you meet 812 00:50:52,160 --> 00:50:55,920 Speaker 1: at different phases does impact how you're going to feel. 813 00:50:56,400 --> 00:50:59,479 Speaker 1: This is where the concept of cycle sinking with your 814 00:50:59,520 --> 00:51:02,640 Speaker 1: food comes in. Some people do it with their exercise, 815 00:51:02,719 --> 00:51:06,040 Speaker 1: but basically, cycle sinking is where you change your daily 816 00:51:06,120 --> 00:51:09,520 Speaker 1: routines and your daily behaviors based on kind of which 817 00:51:09,560 --> 00:51:12,719 Speaker 1: phase you're in, because often our moods and how our 818 00:51:12,760 --> 00:51:15,040 Speaker 1: body feels can be a great indicator of what our 819 00:51:15,120 --> 00:51:18,680 Speaker 1: body actually needs from us in terms of fuel. In 820 00:51:18,719 --> 00:51:21,520 Speaker 1: the mental phase, when you're on your period, estrogen and 821 00:51:21,640 --> 00:51:26,440 Speaker 1: progesterone at their lowest, and that often leads to lower energy, fatigue, 822 00:51:26,920 --> 00:51:30,600 Speaker 1: potential mood dips. That's why we really crave things like 823 00:51:30,719 --> 00:51:34,600 Speaker 1: chocolate and fatty foods and sugary foods. As we said before, 824 00:51:34,680 --> 00:51:38,640 Speaker 1: they have a natural comfort element to them. But of course, 825 00:51:38,719 --> 00:51:41,640 Speaker 1: because blood is also being lost around this time, our 826 00:51:41,760 --> 00:51:45,680 Speaker 1: levels of iron are also depleted, so you want foods 827 00:51:45,760 --> 00:51:49,680 Speaker 1: rich and iron like red meat, lentils, spinach. They're really recommended, 828 00:51:50,120 --> 00:51:53,680 Speaker 1: and also foods rich in magnesium can actually support muscle 829 00:51:53,760 --> 00:51:59,040 Speaker 1: relaxation reduce cramping, so think dark leafy greens and nuts, 830 00:51:59,080 --> 00:52:02,680 Speaker 1: but also things that are high in natural sugar so 831 00:52:02,800 --> 00:52:06,200 Speaker 1: fructose or just the occasional treat because it's going to 832 00:52:06,280 --> 00:52:08,520 Speaker 1: make it feel a little bit easier and make it 833 00:52:08,560 --> 00:52:11,600 Speaker 1: more enjoyable for you. As you move to the follicular 834 00:52:11,600 --> 00:52:18,080 Speaker 1: phase after your period and until ovulation, estrogen slowly rises again, 835 00:52:18,440 --> 00:52:21,960 Speaker 1: bringing with it increased mental clarity. You're in a better mood, 836 00:52:22,480 --> 00:52:26,760 Speaker 1: probably feeling pretty sexy, feeling pretty I don't know, feeling 837 00:52:26,760 --> 00:52:30,440 Speaker 1: pretty romantic. Here. Your body is in need of lighter 838 00:52:30,480 --> 00:52:35,759 Speaker 1: and vibrant, more vibrant foods, so broccoli, cauliflower, hail berries, 839 00:52:36,280 --> 00:52:41,160 Speaker 1: which can help with hormone regulation and metabolism. Also lean 840 00:52:41,200 --> 00:52:43,759 Speaker 1: into your proteins, lean into your complex carbs. They're really 841 00:52:44,560 --> 00:52:48,560 Speaker 1: key for supporting rising energy levels for the ovulation phase 842 00:52:48,600 --> 00:52:52,960 Speaker 1: when obviously estrogen and energy levels peak you It's really 843 00:52:52,960 --> 00:52:56,120 Speaker 1: important to feed your body easily digestible foods like fresh 844 00:52:56,160 --> 00:53:00,400 Speaker 1: fruit and vegetables. The key here is really colorful produce 845 00:53:00,480 --> 00:53:04,160 Speaker 1: to help support your cells and to support the growth 846 00:53:04,160 --> 00:53:07,240 Speaker 1: of new cells as you finally move into your luteal phase, 847 00:53:07,320 --> 00:53:12,480 Speaker 1: where progesterone is dominant estrogen dips. This is obviously the 848 00:53:12,520 --> 00:53:16,360 Speaker 1: phase that is most commonly associated with PMS symptoms like 849 00:53:16,480 --> 00:53:22,280 Speaker 1: mood swings, irritability, anxiety, fatigue. Within this phase, research shows 850 00:53:22,360 --> 00:53:26,600 Speaker 1: us that you're really gonna want something salty, You're really 851 00:53:26,640 --> 00:53:31,280 Speaker 1: gonna want complex carbs, things like oats, things like sweet potatoes, 852 00:53:31,320 --> 00:53:34,560 Speaker 1: things like dark chocolate. They are all recommended to help 853 00:53:34,560 --> 00:53:38,880 Speaker 1: support the production of serotonin and prevent rapid sugar dips 854 00:53:38,920 --> 00:53:42,399 Speaker 1: that could just make your irritability and just all those 855 00:53:42,400 --> 00:53:46,000 Speaker 1: emotions that you're feeling worse. I think it's just really 856 00:53:46,000 --> 00:53:49,400 Speaker 1: empowering to know how to work with our bodies and 857 00:53:49,440 --> 00:53:53,320 Speaker 1: adapting our nutrition to our personal needs and what could 858 00:53:53,360 --> 00:53:56,839 Speaker 1: nourish us without being restrictive. So as we finish up 859 00:53:56,840 --> 00:53:58,720 Speaker 1: this episode, I just want to make it very clear. 860 00:53:59,200 --> 00:54:02,160 Speaker 1: Food and moved are linked through the gut brain access. 861 00:54:02,280 --> 00:54:05,040 Speaker 1: We know that it's very complex. It is not the 862 00:54:05,040 --> 00:54:07,439 Speaker 1: only thing going on. Our brain is also an organ 863 00:54:07,480 --> 00:54:09,640 Speaker 1: that has things going on separate to the stomach that 864 00:54:09,680 --> 00:54:13,959 Speaker 1: can impact the mental health issues that we're facing and 865 00:54:14,719 --> 00:54:18,480 Speaker 1: the mood and stabilities that are afflicting us. So if 866 00:54:18,520 --> 00:54:22,040 Speaker 1: anyone ever says you can change your entire brain and 867 00:54:22,080 --> 00:54:24,360 Speaker 1: your whole life just with food, unless you have a 868 00:54:24,400 --> 00:54:28,279 Speaker 1: severe allergy, that's probably not the case. Make sure that 869 00:54:28,320 --> 00:54:36,480 Speaker 1: this is part of a very holistic and diverse, nuanced 870 00:54:36,520 --> 00:54:39,719 Speaker 1: perspective on this. Don't let people shame you for your 871 00:54:39,760 --> 00:54:42,560 Speaker 1: food choices. As much as we've had very in depth 872 00:54:42,600 --> 00:54:44,880 Speaker 1: discussion here, none of this is prescriptive. If it doesn't 873 00:54:44,880 --> 00:54:48,160 Speaker 1: work for you, it doesn't work for you. And that 874 00:54:48,320 --> 00:54:50,560 Speaker 1: doing what's best for you is always going to be 875 00:54:50,560 --> 00:54:53,640 Speaker 1: better than any recommendation that someone might give you that 876 00:54:53,760 --> 00:54:57,879 Speaker 1: isn't individualized and isn't personalized. So just keep that in mind. 877 00:54:57,880 --> 00:54:59,800 Speaker 1: But I do hope this episode at least gave you 878 00:54:59,840 --> 00:55:02,480 Speaker 1: some to think about, gave you some more information. I 879 00:55:02,520 --> 00:55:05,239 Speaker 1: want to thank Elizabeth Colbert, our research assistant, for her 880 00:55:05,360 --> 00:55:08,719 Speaker 1: contributions to this episode and all the papers and all 881 00:55:08,719 --> 00:55:11,239 Speaker 1: the research that she looked into to make this as 882 00:55:11,280 --> 00:55:14,799 Speaker 1: comprehensive as possible. If you did enjoy the episode, make 883 00:55:14,840 --> 00:55:17,880 Speaker 1: sure to share it with a friend, share it online 884 00:55:18,120 --> 00:55:22,799 Speaker 1: on Instagram, I don't know, on LinkedIn, Pinterest, wherever you 885 00:55:22,880 --> 00:55:25,839 Speaker 1: share the things that have inspired you recently, so that 886 00:55:25,880 --> 00:55:28,759 Speaker 1: we can bring some new listeners to the show. Make 887 00:55:28,760 --> 00:55:31,279 Speaker 1: sure you get your tickets for my virtual live show, 888 00:55:31,320 --> 00:55:34,960 Speaker 1: which is happening next week. I literally cannot wait. I 889 00:55:34,960 --> 00:55:37,480 Speaker 1: could meet as many of you as I possibly can 890 00:55:37,800 --> 00:55:40,839 Speaker 1: in that virtual room, and so I hope to see 891 00:55:40,840 --> 00:55:43,759 Speaker 1: as many of you there as possible, and ensure that 892 00:55:43,800 --> 00:55:47,000 Speaker 1: you are following me on Instagram at that Psychology podcast. 893 00:55:47,360 --> 00:55:49,759 Speaker 1: If you want a summary of this episode, if you 894 00:55:49,800 --> 00:55:52,120 Speaker 1: want to be able to contribute a listener question, or 895 00:55:52,480 --> 00:55:54,640 Speaker 1: for whatever reason, if you've made it this far, I 896 00:55:54,680 --> 00:55:57,440 Speaker 1: want you to leave a broccoli emoji down below. Actually no, 897 00:55:57,560 --> 00:55:59,960 Speaker 1: we did that one the other day. Guys, I'm losing track. 898 00:56:00,960 --> 00:56:03,000 Speaker 1: What's another food that we talked about here? Leave a 899 00:56:03,000 --> 00:56:05,279 Speaker 1: little dark chocolate emoji down below. I feel like dark 900 00:56:05,320 --> 00:56:08,680 Speaker 1: chocolate was the star of this episode. And until next time, 901 00:56:08,760 --> 00:56:11,360 Speaker 1: stay safe, be kind, be gentle with yourself. Don't let 902 00:56:11,440 --> 00:56:14,120 Speaker 1: anyone tell you what to eat or when to eat 903 00:56:14,160 --> 00:56:17,080 Speaker 1: it unless they are a very qualified doctor or a 904 00:56:17,160 --> 00:56:21,080 Speaker 1: very qualified individual. And we will talk very very soon.