Calm Your Mind with Food: A Revolutionary Guide to Controlling Your Anxiety

by Uma Naidoo

Relieve your anxiety through food with this "groundbreaking," full-body approach to mental health (Mark Hyman, MD), from bestselling author and nutritional psychiatrist Uma Naidoo, MD

In this groundbreaking guide, Dr. Uma Naidoo presents cutting-edge research about the ways anxiety is rooted in the brain, gut, immune system, and metabolism. Drawing on the latest science on the connection between diet and anxiety, Dr. Naidoo shows us how to effectively use food and nutrition as essential tools for calming the mind.

In Calm Your Mind with Food, you’ll How inflammation affects everything from anxiety and depression to Alzheimer’s disease How the trillions of bacteria living in your gut are key to controlling anxiety The six pillars for calming the mind What to eat to balance leptin, a key link between the central nervous system and metabolic processes How to incorporate anxiety-busting foods into your diet, from the obscure (ashwagandha) to the ubiquitous (vitamin C)   The best diets for managing symptoms of anxiety and depression  
Along with guidelines for creating your own personal anti-anxiety meal plan and dozens of supernutrient-forward, delicious recipes, Calm Your Mind with Food will help you boost your immunity, reduce anxiety, and enhance your overall mental well-being.

Genres: Health, Nonfiction, Food, Nutrition, Audiobook, Mental Health, Self Help

279 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 26, 2023

About the author

Dr Uma Naidoo, Director of Nutritional and Lifestyle Psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital, is a Harvard trained Psychiatrist and one of the pioneers in the more newly recognized field of Nutritional Psychiatry. Dr Uma is also a Professional Chef and a trained Nutrition Specialist. Featured in the Wall Street Journal, ABC News, Harvard Health Press, Goop, and many others, Dr Uma has a special interest on the impact of food on mood and other mental health conditions.

In her book, This Is Your Brain On Food, Dr Uma shows the cutting-edge science explaining the ways in which food contributes to our mental health and how a sound diet can help treat and prevent a wide range of psychological and cognitive health issues, from ADHD to anxiety, depression, OCD, and others.

Reviews

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you have never read a nutrition book, this may be very helpful. However, it is basically a whole foods, mainly plant based diet, which is nothing revolutionary. The author says anxiety is connected to gut health and blood sugar, so you should eat healthier to feel better, and its basically up to you to figure out which foods make you feel good or bad. There are a few recipes to try, which are mostly a "MediterrAsian" fusion style.

[Andi · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book could be subtitled “Food for mood“ or “Power at the end of your fork.” Overall, I believe it tries to cover too much ground and ends up giving a lot of information with somewhat broad and shallow strokes. The basic message is eat Whole Foods (literally, not necessarily from the store!) Duh.

That being said, the author makes some interesting points, although not as many as I expected after having heard her on a podcast.

An anxious brain can distort something positive (like an opportunity to meet Prince Charles), but retraining the brain to construct positive emotions can change “anxious” to “excited and present.” Nothing to do with food, but I love the royal family reference.

Importance of the gut micro biome: your microbiota outnumber your human cells 10 to one. They contain anywhere from 2,000,000 to 12,000,000 genes while the human genome contains an estimated 20,000 to 25,000 genes. In other words the Microbiome can represent up to 99.9% of the genetic material in the human body. Interestingly, any two people share 99.9% of their human genome, but could have up to a 90% difference in the composition of their gut microbiome, which is heavily individualized.

She has some catchy names for her food rules, using the acronym CALM FOODS, or the Power Nine:
Cruciferous vegetables
Anti-inflammatory and antioxidant foods
Legumes and leafy greens
Micronutrients

Fiber and fermented foods
Omega-3 fatty acids
Oil
Dark chocolate
Spices and herbs

This list contains the usual suspects of broccoli, kale, berries, nuts, seeds, beans, lentils, spinach, yogurt, salmon, extra-virgin olive oil. it is great to consider dark chocolate, a health food and anti-anxiety aid.

From the blue zone research, she particularly recommends beans (Loma Linda), only eating until you are 80% full and only having a small evening meal (Okinawa), and red wine no more than four times a week for women (this seems like too much).

There are also the Six Pillars:

Eat whole to be whole (unprocessed)
Calming kaleidoscope plate (variety is valuable)
Magnify micronutrients
Prioritize healthy fats (olive and avocado oils)
Avoid anxiety triggering foods (high GI refined carbs, added sugars, packaged snacks, and deep-fried/fast foods) Again, duh. If we could all do that, we would not need the book.
Find consistency and balance (stick with a healthy eating plan)

For a lot of these recommendations, the author relies on health/depression studies and extrapolates them to anxiety treatment. But they are all common sense. French fries aren’t healthy. Cookies, cakes, candies, chips, crackers, processed meat, and soda are all on the Always Avoid list. All can be major anxiety triggers.

One final useful tip: use a serrated knife to cut dark chocolate!

[Zibby Owens · Rating 5 out of 5]

Calm Your Mind with Food: A Revolutionary Guide to Controlling Your Anxiety by bestselling author and nutritional psychiatrist Uma Naidoo MD is a groundbreaking guide that draws on the latest science on the connection between diet and anxiety. In her new book, Dr. Naidoo shows us how to effectively use nutrition as an essential tool for calming the mind. She shares her personal experience using food to manage anxiety, notably as she overcame cancer, and then provides practical tips, such as mindful practices, a glass of water in the morning, gradual diet changes, and outdoor time for anxiety relief.
Dr. Naidoo practices what she calls nutritional psychiatry, which I didn't even realize existed. She explains the correlation between anxiety and gut health and anxiety and inflammation. She offers helpful solutions, eating suggestions, and even recipes. She explains that even a lack of water can exacerbate anxiety. She admits that none of us eats perfectly, so she tackles diet mindfully. Her approach is holistic and integrated. It's more about mindset, staying positive and focusing on what's ahead. Calm Your Mind with Food is a practical roadmap to treating your anxiety and overall well-being with diet and nutrition.

To listen to my interview with the author, go to my podcast at:
https://www.momsdonthavetimetoreadboo...

[Melany · Rating 4 out of 5]

While the dieting/nutritional information wasn't new to me, the reasoning behind it scientifically was intriguing to learn. "The why" factor in a deep sense. I enjoyed hearing this plus learning Uma Naidoo's life experiences along the way.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have mixed feelings about this one. It's an interesting concept and the food advice seems pretty standard. I am just hesitant because I worry other people may take this as a scientifically backed alternative to what could be life saving medications.

The gut health to brain health idea is a relatively new and underdeveloped field of science. Most studies are small and not always with a control group. So when she says this study says this or this study says that…I advise you to go look up the study and see for yourself. I found that she tends to misquote/embellish papers findings, and scientists involved with the study. That is a huge red flag for me considering this is a person who graduated from Harvard Medical. That gives her clout, that I worry she is using in murky waters to make people think “oh well it must be right, she’s a doctor!”

That said, knowing that upon a little research into the author, her books, and the research she ‘used’, I took everything in this book with a grain of salt. But in general this books is, well, super general anyways. I guess you could sum it up as easily as saying, she recommends a mostly plant based and whole foods diet, with little to no sugar or processed foods….like almost every single diet book out there. Oh, and drink water. Cause lack of water can make you more anxious... Other than that, you are mostly left to mix and match until you find things that work for you. Maybe sit with a pen and paper while reading so you can write down some of her food suggestions, because there is no clear summary. She does give some recipes…but I doubt I’ll try any of them.

She does make suggestions and tells you stories (the fact she started off with all the president stuff felt a tiny bit like bragging to give her more credit, to me, but she does try to relate it back into her on ‘journey’ to eating her way healthy). I don’t agree with some of her statements, and I do feel like this book could be damaging to certain people who will just think if they eat better, practice mindfulness techniques and spend some time outside they’ll be cured. That isn’t always the case. Sometimes you need professional medical help to overcome things. And sometimes drugs are the answer. It’s dangerous to claim diet can ‘fix’ things. Maybe if you have a milder case this will help and maybe if you have a severe case this will help along with your meds. Like a team. But ultimately you have to remember this is a very holistic approach to anxiety. But I digress.

Conclusion

Take the claims with a grain of salt. If you haven’t read anything nutrition this book may help you out in general, but I wouldn’t say it’s a cure all for anxiety. Maybe more a support method.

[Rosie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Naidoo brings together new studies on the connections between food and the mind to argue that all it takes to be anxiety-free is a controlled and specific diet. The recommendations ultimately seemed common sense to me: eat nuts, fruits and vegetables, don't eat processed food, stay away from sugar, limit meat and dairy but some is OK, use olive oil for salad, use avocado oil for cooking with heat, vitamins and minerals etc. I balked at a few pieces of advice, namely eating only one piece of bread PER WEEK (never going to happen, I can do 1 per day but that's pushing it) and the suggestion that a head of sauteed broccoli is a reasonable dinner centerpiece (this woman loves broccoli). I think her meal plans will make you lose weight whether or not that's your goal, which is to say they seemed slightly under-nourishing to me. I appreciated that she didn't push a certain particular diet but kept it open to encourage readers to do whatever is right for their own individual physiology.

[Iseult · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think I'd give this a 3 if the reader didn't know what basic principles of healthy food were, but we all know by now, especially readers of books like this, regardless of if we follow it.

First off, do not bother with this book if you have Irritable Bowel Syndrome. I thought it would at least be talked about in its own section given the high prevalence of depression and anxiety with IBS and how it is an obvious manifestation of problems in the gut/brain connection, but it was only mentioned briefly in the beginning. All of her advice on what to eat is not geared toward people with IBS. In fact, many of these "healthy" foods might make me feel physically awful.

A major problem I find in American media is that commercials, talk shows, and even books like this one basically assume you are overweight or are always just about to be, assume you love to binge eat french fries and ice cream, and are looking to lose a few to twenty pounds or more. I sympathize with people who struggle with this, but it's mentally unhealthy to talk as if this applies to everyone. I grew up underweight and hearing these messages as if eating fat is dangerous because then it will be so hard to lose because it's assumed everyone has a few extra pounds when I actually should have eaten more was not good.

I also thought it was odd for a book about mental illness, specifically anxiety, and food to almost never mention eating disorders, which are anxiety-based. Only in the back for 2 or 3 pages did she talk about orthorexia and how it's unhealthy to overrestrict (and then goes on to recommend a LOT of restrictions.) She did say she cannot treat people with eating disorders because they need a separate team with physical monitoring, which is understandable, but I would have been curious how she thinks someone with anorexia should eat when she recommends so many vegetables and low glycemix index food. This book largely talks as though the cause of some people's anxiety is prediabetes or metabolic syndrome. Personally I know mine is genetic and environmental, but I was interested in this book to see if I could incorporate any foods I hadn't heard of that might lessen anxiety.

Beyond that, I found some of the suggestions in the back ridiculous, and I'm not the only one judging by the reviews. What is most surprising is that while she recommends severe restriction of foods many people eat everyday in the name of "fighting anxiety," when it comes to caffeine consumption, she says to limit coffee to "2-3 cups per day." It doesn't make sense to only eat one slice of bread per week and have no ice cream or candy to help anxiety if you are going to ingest a drug that causes anxiety multiple times a day. She recommends no more than one SLICE of bread per WEEK. I read in the earlier section about limiting simple carbs, but I didn't know she meant such severe restriction. I thought it might be a typo until she said it again. Judging by that standard, all sandwiches lean towards unhealthy for her. (Also, practically, are you going to buy/bake a whole loaf and only eat one slice? There are more slices per loaf than people in an average household.) She even says to limit oatmeal, which according to many other sources is very healthy.

It was also contradictory how she says that traditional healthy diets like from Japan regularly eat rice, sometimes with every meal, and yet it should still be restricted like bread. I get occasional hypoglycemia and I don't understand how someone could follow all her suggestions of intermittent fasting, eating a light dinner, AND limiting all of the higher glycemic index carbs and still get enough calories and feel full. Not to mention suggesting that broccoli can be a main course (not that she's the first person to suggest this. I've heard of cauliflower "steaks" before.)

I know all I've done is complain. I was still able to finish the book. Most of the book was okay before the suggestions on restriction. I liked the scientific explanations in the beginning, and I appreciated that there were sources listed. But I feel the book was less about anxiety and more about how to keep your blood sugar and weight low.

[Raluca Oana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cine nu a suferit vreodată de anxietate? Cine nu s-a simțit anxios?

Am avut și eu momente în care am fost anxioasă, dar nu foarte grav.

Dar ce mă bucură cel mai tare e că citind această carte m-a ajutat să văd felul în care anxietatea poate fi ameliorată doar prin simplul fapt să ai grijă de ce mănânci.

Știai că intestinul e legat de creier? Și că tot ce se petrece acolo se transmite creierului?

Prin această carte poți învăța cum să abordezi diferitele alimente, astfel încât acestea să te ajute la ameliorarea anxietății.

O carte foarte interesantă atât despre anxietate, cat și despre depresie. Dar în special, această carte se axează pe anxietate.

Ce mi-a plăcut enorm de mult la această carte, e că odată cu sfaturile despre ce alimentație să alegi, astfel încât corpul tău să fie bine, a venit cu o mulțime de exemple de întâmplări ale unor persoane care s-au înfruntat cu anxietatea.

Merită citită! ❤️

5/5 ⭐️

[Becca · Rating 4 out of 5]

I appreciate this book and the knowledge it is giving me to make some changes to my diet - and hopefully my anxiety! I feel prepared to go to the grocery store and get the necessary items to start. However, the book doesn’t make it easy to sort which foods are worth prioritizing and which aren’t. I ended up pulling up my laptop and having a document open next to me while reading the book so that I could plug in foods (both to focus on and foods to avoid) as I came across them. I’d highly recommend you have a list that you keep as you read as well.

I am not one who is known for cooking so I was intimidated to look at the recipes she provides, but after reading through them they seem like recipes that even I can accomplish!

[Marike · Rating 2 out of 5]

I bought this book because I really liked het previous book Brain Food. I was hoping to find out more in-depth information about te relation between anxiety and the way we eat, especially the gut-mind axis. This book contained little new information and recommendations were very general. Basically anything except sugar and fried or processed food and you’re good. Not very helpful.

[Hugo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was told that my eating habits could not be considered "healthy". This may have something to do with the 38 Uber Eats bags piled up in my apartment, also called the Wall of shame.
Although I love supporting small local restaurateurs, a change had become necessary. So when I saw Tom Brady promote this book, I knew it was for me (sexiest man alive imo).
The book addresses the problems of nutrition in two stages, a first explanatory part and a second providing solutions, namely concrete recipes.
I still have to test all the recipes in the book, so my rating is likely to change.
I will see you again in several months to judge the relevance (and taste) of these recipes. But so far, it gives me hope.

TLDR: self help book, but make it yummy.

[Analie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really like the author's holistic approach to psychiatry. I came away inspired to eat well and learned a few facts about the relationship between gut health and mental health. Unfortunately, little of the dietary information was new. It felt like common sense that I didn't need a book for.

[Cathy Panik · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book had a lot of well researched and technical facts about how foods affect the body and how your gut and brain are connected. I will be making some changes in my diet after reading this. There are some good recipes at the end. I made one of them, and it was tasty and healthy.

[Cee · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is definitely not a quick, easy read. But it makes so much sense and certainly explains a lot in terms of food and anxiety. Chapter 5 on leptin is very interesting. I appreciated the non-divisive attitude on the vegan/carnivore issue. Also the fact that medicine and therefore food, is very individualized. There’s quite a bit of food tips that I found very interesting. For instance, cooling pasta and potatoes after cooking and then reheating to lower their GI. Such an easy thing to do with such an important outcome!
There are also quite a few amazing recipes including some breakfast ones that can be made ahead.

[Ella Droste · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Calm Your Mind With Food" offers a valuable exploration into the connection between nutrition and anxiety, earning a solid 4 stars from me.

The author presents a well-researched and accessible guide that navigates the intricate relationship between our dietary choices and mental well-being. The book seamlessly combines scientific insights with practical advice, making it a useful resource for those seeking a holistic approach to managing anxiety through nutrition.

While the content is insightful and the writing engaging, I found some sections a tad dense, requiring a bit more effort to absorb. Nonetheless, the inclusion of actionable steps added a practical dimension to the book, making it a worthwhile read for individuals interested in a mindful and nourishing approach to mental health.

A sincere appreciation to the author for providing a balanced and informative guide on this crucial subject. "Calm Your Mind With Food" is a recommended read for anyone seeking a path to greater calmness through dietary choices. 🌱📚

I'd like to express my gratitude for having received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

[Cam Rasp · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was definitely a little repetitive and I think it was mostly saying the same thing over and over. Some of the anecdotes were really far-fetched. Has some cool recipes in the back, though!

[wordsofluss · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nu există urmă de îndoială, “Hrană pentru o minte liniștită” 🧠🍽️ intră în top 3 cele mai bune nonficțiuni parcurse anul acesta!

Cartea e plină de informații extrem de utile despre cât de profund este legată anxietatea de creierul și corpul nostru. 📖✍️ Dr. Uma Naidoo ne arată cum putem folosi forța din vârful furculiței pentru a ne hrăni ca să ne liniștim mintea și să ne îmbunătățim sănătatea.

Ce schimbări m-a determinat cartea aceasta să fac❔

1️⃣ Am renunțat la îndulcitori.

Nu sunt adepta zahărului, în schimb, foloseam Xylitol pentru îndulcirea cafelei ☕️. Când am aflat că deși corpul nu procesează sub formă de calorii îndulcitorii artificiali, aceștia afectează microbiomul intestinal, am decis să rup relația💔 pe care o aveam cu individul Xylitol de ceva vreme.

2️⃣ Am regândit modul în care îmi alimentez corpul.

Am observat îndeaproape cum mă influențau alimentele procesate. Nu de puține ori, acestea m-au făcut să mă simt lipsită de energie, stresată, agitată, cu un mood tare bad.
💡 Concluzia: Nu merită să producem un dezechilibru organismului pe termen lung, pentru o plăcere pe termen scurt.

3️⃣ Am renunțat la acel “cheat”.

A trișa înseamnă a renunța să port respect corpului care mă menține în viață. Putem fi satisfăcuți pe deplin de alimentația noastră, dacă știm cum să mixăm ingredientele care ne fac bine 🥦🥑🥥🍍.

4️⃣ În final, mă simt cu adevărat mai bogată după parcurgerea acestei cărți 📖. Port apreciere mai multă corpului meu. Sunt mai responsabilă. Sunt mai plină de energie. Sunt mai bine cu mine 🧘🏼‍♀️.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is definitely more of a book for beginners. The title is also slightly misleading. I was expecting to find specific foods that were good for anxiety, but it's really more about how a healthy diet in general helps lower anxiety. I still found it interesting.

She does an excellent job with the scientific parts. I've read whole books on some of the things that she manages to adequately cover in just one chapter or less. I loved how she broke down macronutrients, micronutrients, vitamins, minerals, supplements etc. This is the strongest part of the book IMO.

Even though I liked the book, it wasn't the most helpful for me other than to reinforce some valuable things about diet and nutrition. I was hoping to get some new recipes at least, but the only ones that looked appealing were very similar to some already in my arsenal. The others seemed laced with garlic and cilantro. No thanks. 3.75 stars

[Petruta · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dr. Um Naidoo ne explică legătura surprinzătoare dintre anxietate, imunitate și alimentele pe care le consumăm. Vine către noi cu sfaturi alimentare pentru ameliorarea anxietății. 

Există o legătură strânsă între minte și intestin, deși cercetătorii au crezut că intestinul, creierul și sistemul imunitar sunt entități distincte. 

A fost o lectură interesantă, dar care nu mi-a adus ceva nou. Dacă ai citit Revoluția glucozei, probabil vei spune același lucru. Dacă nu ai citit încă o carte despre nutriție, aceasta poate fi de mare ajutor. 

Ideea este că anxietatea este legată de sănătatea intestinului (aici poate mă repet) și de zahărul din sânge și că ar trebui să mâncam mai sănătos (o alimentație bazată pe plante, în principal) pentru a ne simți mai bine.

[Rachel · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was nothing revolutionary as far as “nutrition” goes. I found it extremely bias to how the author herself eats based on her lifestyle and perhaps culture. For example, when speaking of the blue zones where people live the longest she agrees with some components but rejects others when in fact the purpose is showing that all these countries have this in common and perhaps contribute to longevity.
There’s also the catch all though that’s “everyone is different so you will have to find what works for you.”

[Lynn Dupuis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book! Easy to read - I liked how Dr. Naidoo laid out all of the science behind her recommendations before getting into the foods to focus on. Some of the recipes are a bit too adventurous for me, but I get the basics of focusing on eating whole foods. I’ll for sure be using this book as a reference.

[Brooke Ryan · Rating 3 out of 5]

there’s about 75 pages of this books that’s awesome and something everyone should read and be aware of, also something I will think of for a long time. However, the rest of it I thought was just unnecessary filler or extremely repetitive.

[Allison Berkowitz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Useful!

[Cassidy DeStefano · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good reminder that the brain and gut are very connected, containing practically suggestions for getting macro/micro nutrients and supplements. Helpful in charting the course to eat for anxiety control. Much of the info was known to me, but still helpful.

[Susan Aldridge · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely book on healthy eating, with recipes, from a leading nutritional psychiatrist.

[Jodi Eastwood · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some of the information was common knowledge, but there were some new insights too. The scientific studies to back the information were fascinating and eye-opening.

[Serena Jayde · Rating 3 out of 5]

After reading Dr. Naidoo’s last book, I was super excited to get my hands on this one since I knew it would be more helpful to what I need. I found her last book extremely insightful and the research between our gut and brain very fascinating. I’m not sure exactly why, but this book fell a little short for me in comparison. I was hoping for more in depth takes on specific foods and I felt like some of that was only just skimmed at surface level. I’m excited to give some of her recipes a shot, though!

[Hedayat Reda · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you don’t have anxiety this book will give you anxiety.

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good information for someone who isn’t familiar with diets for mental well-being, or if a refresher is needed. Some of the recommendations and recipes were impractical for me as a mom of young kids, or when viewed through the lens of food access. Overall, I think the work she’s doing is important and I’ll continue to follow her!

[Farah G · Rating 4 out of 5]

However resistant we may be to the idea (and until a couple of years ago, I was pretty resistant myself), recent developments in science have made it pretty evident that it's not so much that we *are* what we eat, but more that *how we feel* is hugely influenced by what we eat. That realisation applies not only to issues such as maintaining a healthy weight or avoiding chronic disease such as cardiac issues, but also to mental health and wellbeing wrt depression and anxiety.

I have come across Dr Naidoo's work before, so was eager to get a closer look at this latest book. And it does not disappoint.

Step by step, she takes you through the process of understanding the way that food creates or impacts anxiety, how to regulate the kind of food you eat in order to minimise or cure such illnesses, and how to ensure that you can live your best life through making better food choices.

Dr Naidoo's advice includes the six pillars she has developed on how to plan your food to maximize your health outcomes and to calm the mind, the role of your microbiome in promoting your overall health, and how to free yourself from the inflammation that can adversely impact your physical and mental wellbeing. This is a terrific book to read and learn from if you are struggling with anxiety. Highly recommended.

I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review