Anxiety is one of the most pressing mental health issues plaguing our society. And in recent years, the rates of diagnosed anxiety have skyrocketed. On today’s show, you’re going to learn about how your gut bacteria impacts your mental health, and the most important nutrition principles for reducing anxiety.  Dr. Uma Naidoo is a Harvard trained psychiatrist, nutritional specialist, and a professional chef. Her work is focused on Nutritional Psychiatry, the intersection of mental health and food. In her groundbreaking new book, Calm Your Mind with Food, Dr. Naidoo outlines how to use nutrition as a powerful tool for healing anxiety and calming the mind. Today, Dr. Uma Naidoo is back on The Model Health Show to share the latest research on the gut-brain connection, and how the Standard American Diet is causing high rates of anxiety and other mental health conditions. She’s sharing practical tips for improving your mental health, what to include on your plate to fend off anxiety, and the pillars to creating a calm state of mind. I hope you enjoy this conversation with the one and only, Dr. Uma Naidoo! In this episode you’ll discover: How your diet impacts your neurotransmitters. The connection between physical pain and mental health. Which mental health condition is the most prevalent. How the pandemic impacted the demand for and access to SSRIs. Why medications alone often don’t offer lasting relief to mental health conditions. How the American food system is purposely engineered to create cravings. The link between sugar, inflammation, and anxiety. Hidden sources of sugar in our food supply. The importance of finding healthier alternatives to your favorite foods. How a diet largely made up of ultraprocessed food affects children. Why gut bacteria play an important role in warding off anxiety. The critical role of iron for mental health. Specific foods that can help improve your mental health. What leptin resistance is and how it works. The two hot spots for anxiety in the brain. How to build an anti-anxiety plate. Why we need to have grace with each other, regarding diets, health, and bodies. Some of the pillars of calming anxiety. Items mentioned in this episode include: HVMN.com/model -- Save 30% on your first subscription order of Ketone-IQ! DrinkLMNT.com/model -- Get a FREE sample pack with any order! Calm Your Mind with Food by Dr. Uma Naidoo Connect with Dr. Uma Naidoo Website / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram Join TMHS Facebook community - Model Nation  Be sure you are subscribed to this podcast to automatically receive your episodes:  Apple Podcasts Stitcher Spotify Soundcloud   Thanks to our Sponsors! This episode is brought to you by HVMN. it's important to understand that our capacity, our mental health, our physical health, these are all driven by energy and having energy allotted, energy available to literally think the thoughts that we want to think, to be able to have more self-control and self-management of our minds, of our thoughts. We can get depleted very quickly, you know, especially in today's society. Again there's so much coming at us. And so having some supportive nutrition is obviously critical. And right now with innovation there are some things that are kind of head and shoulders above other things when it comes to energy, and in particular numerous studies, including a study published by the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology, AKA the FASEB journal, have found that exogenous ketones can be up to twenty-eight-percent more efficient in generating energy than glucose alone. Plus studies have found up to a 15% increased mean power output After recovery when utilizing ketones, helping our bodies to heal and to recover. There's something really special about these exogenous ketones, but we've taken a mighty jump from the conventional ketone esters. When we now are able to utilize ketone IQ, go to hvmn.com/model and get your hands on ketone IQ. I've personally experienced keto