#315 How to Heal the Modern Brain with Food, Grounding and Gratitude | Dr Drew Ramsey MD

What if there were chemicals in the air and energy charges in the ground that benefit your brain for better clarity and protection against mental illness? This is what today’s guest has written about in his research and why his prescriptions for better mental health include nature, food, movement, and gratitude.In this episode I’m joined by Dr. Drew Ramsey, board-certified psychiatrist, author, and pioneer in nutritional psychiatry, to talk about how we can strengthen our mental fitness in today’s world.We explore: 🌳 Why modern city living takes a toll on the brain and how green spaces restore it 🥦 The power of food and myokines from exercise to fight inflammation 🙏 Simple grounding practices, purpose, and gratitude as medicine for the mind 🌄 Drew’s personal journey moving to the mountains and finding balance with his familyDr. Ramsey shares practical, science-backed tools for building resilience, protecting your mental health, and reconnecting with what matters most.Learn how to start your own “outdoor prescription” and build lasting mental fitness for the modern brain.DREW RAMSEY, MD is a board-certified psychiatrist, author, and leading voice in Nutritional Psychiatry and integrative mental health. He is a Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association and the founder of the Brain Food Clinic and Spruce Mental Health. For twenty years, he served as an assistant clinical professor of psychiatry at Columbia University, where he taught and supervised psychotherapy and nutritional psychiatry.🎬 Watch the podcast on YouTube here📱 Download The Doctor’s Kitchen app🌐 View full show notes, including guest details, on our website☕️ Try Exhale Coffee here🥗 Join the newsletter and receive a 7 day meal plan📷 Follow on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today I’m speaking with world-leading gastroenterologist Dr Will Bulsiewicz about how to heal your gut and keep it working at its best. We get into what inflammation really is, why it matters, and how the food you eat can help you find the right balance.In this episode…What inflammation actually is and why it’s more than just a buzzwordThe hidden signs of inflammation that most people don’t connect with their gutWhat is “leaky gut”How modern life drives chronic inflammation and what you can do about itWhy fibre is the cornerstone of gut health and how to add it sensiblyThe power of short-chain fatty acids like butyrate to heal the gut and calm inflammationHow sugar, salt and fat fuel inflammationSupplements vs whole foods for gut health and when fibre supplements may helpHow much fibre you really need each day and how to increase it without discomfortSimple, practical food swaps and recipes Dr B uses himself (including chia seed bread!)Dr. Will Bulsiewicz, or "Dr. B," is a celebrated gastroenterologist and gut health expert, founder of popular microbiome nutrition company 38TERA, the New York Times bestselling author of two books, the U.S. Medical Director for ZOE and Adjunct Assistant Professor at Emory School of Medicine. He is a champion for preventing and reversing disease through microbiome optimisation and shares his expertise via social media and at theguthealthmd.com.I’m super excited about his next book coming out in January 2026, Plant-Powered Plus!🎬 Watch the podcast on YouTube here📱 Download The Doctor’s Kitchen app🌐 View full show notes, including guest details, on our website☕️ Try Exhale Coffee here🥗 Join the newsletter and receive a 7 day meal plan📷 Follow on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dementia is a disease of lifestyle. That’s what my guest Dr Louisa believes, and it’s her mission to get everyone up to speed on the science so we can delay or entirely prevent dementia around the globe.Today we’re diving into supplements like creatine, omega 3 and vitamin D as they relate to brain health optimisation and prevention of one of the biggest killers in the UK, Dementia. I now personally take these supplements regularly as part of my daily routine and while I don’t necessarily feel immediate benefits, the research is solid enough for me to make this decision.Dr Louisa specialises in neurophysiology, Alzheimer’s disease prevention, and the science of brain optimisation. Her mission is to live in a world where Alzheimer’s no longer exists. Louisa graduated from the University of Sydney Medical School, where her doctoral focus in neurophysiology spotlighted lifestyle interventions and neurodegeneration. After relocating to New York, she advanced her research career by working alongside world-class neurosurgeons, contributing to clinical investigations in cranioplasty and post-neurosurgical outcomes, with a particular emphasis on the role of exercise and nutrition in recovery and brain health.A trusted advisor to high-performing athletes and healthcare professionals, Louisa translates complex neuroscience into actionable strategies for longevity, brain health, and performance. 🎬 Watch the podcast on YouTube here📱 Download The Doctor’s Kitchen app🌐 View full show notes, including guest details, on our website☕️ Try Exhale Coffee here🥗 Join the newsletter and receive a 7 day meal plan📷 Follow on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

🎙️ In today’s episode, I’m joined by Professor Ailsa Welch, a leading expert in nutritional epidemiology at the University of East Anglia. We explore the silent yet powerful changes that begin in midlife how aging affects our muscles, bones, and metabolism, and why prevention in your 40s, 50s and 60s is key. From sarcopenia and osteoporosis to frailty and fracture risk, we unpack how these conditions interact with one another, and what the latest science says about maintaining strength and vitality as we age.We discuss ..How muscle and bone structure evolve with ageThe role of skeletal muscle in metabolising carbs, fats, and proteinKey mechanisms of aging:Chronic low-grade inflammationOxidative stressMitochondrial declineThe impact of diet on these processes, including nutrients like:Magnesium 🧂Vitamin C & E 🍊Carotenoids 🥕Protein 🥩Calcium, B12, Iron & Vitamin D💡 Most importantly, we offer practical, evidence-based advice for people in midlife and beyond: what to eat, how to move, and what to look out for when it comes to micronutrient deficiencies and supplementation.Professor Ailsa Welch led the development of dietary assessment methods for the EPIC-Study (European Prospective Investigations into Cancer and Nutrition) between 1993 & 2007. She has more than 23,000 citations!🎬 Watch the podcast on YouTube here📱 Download The Doctor’s Kitchen app🌐 View full show notes, including guest details, on our website☕️ Try Exhale Coffee here🥗 Join the newsletter and receive a 7 day meal plan📷 Follow on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

You may have heard of the liver king, but today we have the sprout king on the show. Doug Evans is the Founder and CEO of The Sprouting Company. He was a former paratrooper in the U.S. Army’s 82nd Airborne Division and an early pioneer in the natural food industry, he authored the national bestseller The Sprout Book, and he now lives in Wonder Valley Hot Springs in Southern CaliforniaDoug is on a mission to make sprouting mainstream. After learning about sprouts as the most nutritious food on the planet, he wants everyone to get as excited about sprouting as he is.This is a fun episode where we break down a little bit about the science but also the joy around creating your own food on a counter top with the most potent ingredient we have access to. The seed.Unlocking the benefits of seeds via sprouting has been a game changer for me and my health. I use lentil, mung bean, broccoli and sunflower sprouts weekly in my meals and whenever I share them online, I always get asked about where they come from. I spoke about how to sprout in my first cook book, but now you can sprout your own using handy tools like Doug's Sprouting jars (that you can see for yourself on YouTube). You can find them in health food stores, but they’re so easy to make yourself at home, giving you access to nature's true multivitamin!🎬 Watch the podcast on YouTube here📱 Download The Doctor’s Kitchen app🌐 View full show notes, including guest details, on our website☕️ Try Exhale Coffee here🥗 Join the newsletter and receive a 7 day meal plan📷 Follow on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Longevity is exploding in popularity. On my recent trip to LA it’s very apparent that bio hacking has morphed into a genuine branch of medicine that legitimate medical researchers and doctors are practicing. One of those people at the forefront is Dr Darshan Shah, a board certified surgeon who has performed over 20,000 surgical operations, including trauma and complex reconstructive procedures. As a Longevity Medicine specialist, he has advised thousands of patients on how to optimize their well-being and extend their healthspan and lifespan.Dr. Shah earned his medical degree at the age of 21, becoming one of the youngest doctors in the United States. He continued his training at the Mayo Clinic, has authored numerous papers and patented medical devices. Dr. Shah’s belief in continual education and self-improvement has earned him alumni status at Harvard Business School, Singularity University, and other prestigious institutions.Today I sat down with Darshan at one of his Next Health Clinic branches in West Hollywood to discuss the 4 pillars of longevity, which are …Lifestyle Medicine - diet, sleep and exerciseFunctional Medicine - detoxification, emotional health, hormones, inflammationPreventative Medicine -  screening for heart health, brain health and cancerLongevity medicine - peptides, supplements, IVs and more🎬 Watch the podcast on YouTube here📱 Download The Doctor’s Kitchen app🌐 View full show notes, including guest details, on our website☕️ Try Exhale Coffee here🥗 Join the newsletter and receive a 7 day meal plan📷 Follow on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Could modern life be a little too comfortable for our ancient bodies? This week, I’m exploring the idea that our 21st-century lifestyle might be mismatched with what our biology evolved for and how reintroducing a few ancient challenges could help you feel sharper, calmer, and more resilient.Without going full caveman, there are a few mild and ‘natural’ stressors that may have benefits to our bodies and considering how comfortable our lives are today, would require us to purposely reintroduce.I dive into:🍽️ Why mild hunger and thirst may be benefit (Not every craving needs a snack—your stress hormones might thank you.)🌿 How plant “toxins” are misunderstood heroes From broccoli to turmeric, these phytochemicals can trigger powerful cell protection pathways.🔥❄️ Whether saunas & cold plunges are worth the hype How short exposures to heat or cold, separately,  might boost metabolism, improve circulation, and even support brain health.Today’s episode was influenced by the conversation I had with Dr Leo Pruimboom about the science of ‘intermittent living’. The benefit of these challenges isn’t in the challenge itself, it’s in the recovery. And fasting, movement, temperature, and more mirror the environments we evolved in.To enjoy the benefits of these, I don’t think it requires a complete lifestyle overhaul, I see these as gentle nudges to remind your body what it was built for. The key is dose. Not too much, not too little. Remember, this isn’t a one-size-fits-all formula. It’s a curious invitation to explore how mild, short-term stressors can unlock long-term health. These aren’t replacements for healthy habits, just small extras that might make a big difference.This area of research is still evolving. Not all ancient humans lived the same way. There wasn’t one perfect lifestyle. And while the theory behind intermittent living is fascinating, it’s not a prescription.Think of it as adding a few evolutionary ingredients back into your modern life!🎬 Watch the podcast on YouTube here📱 Download The Doctor’s Kitchen app🌐 View full show notes, including guest details, on our website☕️ Try Exhale Coffee here🥗 Join the newsletter and receive a 7 day meal plan📷 Follow on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nutrition today is noisy. If you spend five minutes on Instagram or YouTube, you’ll see someone telling you that seed oils are poison, soy will mess up your hormones or butter in your coffee will make you live forever.The truth is, fear sells really well. But real life is usually a bit more simple and a lot more nuanced.So, how do we make sense of all this in our day-to-day lives? That’s what we’re tackling today. I’ve got Max Lugavere with me. He’s a health and science journalist and New York Times best-selling author on a crusade to help you live longer and feel better.We don’t agree on everything, which is exactly why this will be a good one to listen to. We’re going to unpack some of the biggest myths that confuse people right now, where these ideas come from, what current research actually shows and what both of us think is a reasonable middle ground.If you’ve ever stood in the oil aisle wondering if sunflower oil is going to kill you or if you should swap it for beef tallow, stick around. Let’s get into it.🎬 Watch the podcast on YouTube here📱 Download The Doctor’s Kitchen app🌐 View full show notes, including guest details, on our website☕️ Try Exhale Coffee here🥗 Join the newsletter and receive a 7 day meal plan📷 Follow on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode is for anyone whose life doesn’t always follow a perfect routine. Shift workers, new parents, students, frequent flyers... basically, all of us at some point. 💤🌍✈️If you’ve ever felt out of sync, foggy, tired at odd hours, or struggled with digestion or mood your circadian rhythm might be to blame. Today I dive into …🧠 How your body clock governs everything From digestion, hormones, and metabolism to brain performance, mood, and sleep quality, your circadian rhythm is your internal conductor.💡 Why modern life throws us off Artificial light at night, late-night meals, inconsistent sleep and screen time.🌙 Simple, practical tips for shift workers 🕐 When to sleep 🍽️ What to eat (and when) 🌞 How to recover and realign when your schedule gets messy🥦 Nutrition strategies to support your rhythm Learn how to time meals, caffeine, and light exposure to protect your energy, digestion, and mental clarity even during chaotic weeks.We can’t always control our schedule but we can work with our biology, not against it.🎬 Watch the podcast on YouTube here📱 Download The Doctor’s Kitchen app🌐 View full show notes, including guest details, on our website☕️ Try Exhale Coffee here🥗 Join the newsletter and receive a 7 day meal plan📷 Follow on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“You can take a human out of being in nature, but you can’t take nature out of the human being” This is the statement I pose to Dr Leo right at the beginning of our chat today, and I think it encapsulates the essence of our conversation.Today we’re going to discuss the comfort crisis and the importance of ‘ancient stressors’ to support modern health.To give some context to this discussion, it seems like we’ve made life easier than ever. Meals on demand, warmth at the press of a button, and barely a reason to move. But this relentless convenience could be silently eroding our health. In this episode, we ask the provocative question: Has modern comfort become our newest disease? In other words, our biology still expects challenge. When we remove all friction from daily life, we also remove the very triggers that kept us metabolically flexible, mentally sharp, and emotionally resilient.From fasting and thirst to cold plunges and plant toxins, we explore the science of intermittent living, the idea that reintroducing short bursts of ancient stressors might act like a vaccine against the chronic diseases of modern life.We unpack:Why stress isn’t always the enemy but a tool, when used wiselyHow ancient triggers like hunger, cold, and heat can reboot resilienceWhat it means to recover well, and how purpose, stillness, and nature complete the cycleWhether biomarkers like CRP or HRV really change with these practicesHow to start your own intermittent living journey safely and simplyDr Leo Pruimboom is a physiologist, medical biochemist, who has dedicated hislife to the development of PNI as a clinical science converting a translationalmedical science into a solution focused discipline in which the body is considereda complete interconnected soma in which everything is everywhere at the sametime. In 1987 he established the European Academy of CPNI and collaborated withmultiple international Universities. Today, Pruimboom Institute holds 10 differentCampuses worldwide to provide specialised CPNI training to medical professionalsand other healthcare practitioners.Throughout his career, Dr Pruimboom has helped thousands of patients fromaround the world and has become an internationally recognised researcher andlecturer. 🎬 Watch the podcast on YouTube here📱 Download The Doctor’s Kitchen app🌐 View full show notes, including guest details, on our website☕️ Try Exhale Coffee here🥗 Join the newsletter and receive a 7 day meal plan📷 Follow on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.