Dr. Uma's Mood Foods

Hi ,

Are you looking for ways to naturally boost your mood and emotional wellbeing? Are you interested in making healthy choices now that will benefit your health in the future?

Nutritional Psychiatry focuses not only on how specific foods help improve our mood and reduce stress, but also how to use food to impact our cognitive ability and memory as we age.

Simple adjustments can slowly but steadily become habits to incorporate for the rest of your life in order to create lasting mental fitness. Each week, I’ll share recommendations here using foods you can add to your diet to support your mental health.

Mood: Anxiety
Food: Turmeric

What to know about turmeric and how it can help calm the mind:

Turmeric contains curcumin, a powerful antioxidant that can reduce the damaging effects of oxidative stress in the brain and has been shown to reduce stress and anxiety-like behaviors.

It is a strong anti-inflammatory agent, and can help calm the central nervous system to improve focus and lessen anxiety.

Turmeric helps to regulate neurotransmitter function in the brain, specifically, serotonin and dopamine levels, for improved mood.

Add this MOOD FOOD to your diet:
Turmeric is a versatile spice that is a staple in my kitchen. I enjoy it every morning in a Golden Milk Turmeric Latte to start my day mentally well. It can also be used to add flavor to roasted vegetables, egg frittatas, stews, wild caught salmon and other clean proteins. You can add the root to a blender for a smoothie, or puree it into a sauce or soup. Just always be sure to add a pinch of black pepper to your turmeric as it increases the bioavailability of the curcumin by over 2000%.

How to buy turmeric:
Turmeric can be purchased ground into a powder in most grocery stores in the spice aisle. You can also find it as the whole root form in many specialty markets or farmers markets, or in pre-made products like tea bags or drink mixes in the wellness section of many stores. Be careful– if you are cooking with it, it does stain clothes and countertops.

Wishing you a joyful & calm week,
Dr. Uma Naidoo, MD

This Is Your Brain on Food Full Course + Two Book Bundle

Get a comprehensive introduction to Nutritional Psychiatry in the seminal This Is Your Brain on Food online course from Dr. Uma. Now, when you purchase the full online course, we’re including copies of both of Dr. Uma’s books (This Is Your Brain on Food and Calm Your Mind with Food)! Start the online course now to explore the relationship between food and your mood, and you’ll receive your books in the mail after December 26.