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Healing the Modern Brain: Nine Tenets to Build Mental Fitness and Revitalize Your Mind―A Comprehensive Guide to Cultivating Mental Fitness and Revitalizing Brain Health
In this essential guide, the groundbreaking author of Eat to Beat Depression and Anxiety and The Happiness Diet explores the ten tenets vital to cultivating Mental Fitness and provides direct, actionable techniques to improve brain function and emotional health.
The human brain—the complex organ responsible for our thoughts, feelings, and actions—has long been misunderstood. Dr. Drew Ramsey argues that to heal our brains, we must start considering conditions like depression, anxiety, ADHD and addiction—and the patients living with them—more holistically.
Healing the Modern Brain offers a new approach to revitalizing and protecting mental health and achieving Mental Fitness. Simply defined, Mental Fitness is the knowledge, patterns, habits, and skills that culminate in a more mentally healthy an approach to living that takes into consideration the unrealistic demands of modern living, time, choice, genetics, lifestyle, diet, habits, chemistry, movement, rest, and mindset. It is a process that will put your brain in a perpetual state of self-repair and evolution, and ensure it has the support it needs to overcome daily stress, decision-fatigue, and uncertainty.
Clear and straightforward, Healing the Modern Brain provides the knowledge and tools needed to nurture Mental Fitness—bringing together the latest scientific research with results from Dr. Ramsey’s clinical practice to show us how we can put ourselves on the road to healing anxiety and depression, and better care for our miraculous, modern brains.
The human brain—the complex organ responsible for our thoughts, feelings, and actions—has long been misunderstood. Dr. Drew Ramsey argues that to heal our brains, we must start considering conditions like depression, anxiety, ADHD and addiction—and the patients living with them—more holistically.
Healing the Modern Brain offers a new approach to revitalizing and protecting mental health and achieving Mental Fitness. Simply defined, Mental Fitness is the knowledge, patterns, habits, and skills that culminate in a more mentally healthy an approach to living that takes into consideration the unrealistic demands of modern living, time, choice, genetics, lifestyle, diet, habits, chemistry, movement, rest, and mindset. It is a process that will put your brain in a perpetual state of self-repair and evolution, and ensure it has the support it needs to overcome daily stress, decision-fatigue, and uncertainty.
Clear and straightforward, Healing the Modern Brain provides the knowledge and tools needed to nurture Mental Fitness—bringing together the latest scientific research with results from Dr. Ramsey’s clinical practice to show us how we can put ourselves on the road to healing anxiety and depression, and better care for our miraculous, modern brains.
240 pages, Hardcover
Published March 25, 2025
78 people are currently reading
3038 people want to read
About the author
Drew Ramsey
9 books58 followers(From official website)
Drew Ramsey, M.D. is a psychiatrist, author, and farmer. He is a clear voice in the mental health conversation and one of psychiatry’s leading proponents of using nutritional interventions. He is an assistant clinical professor of psychiatry at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons.
He founded the Brain Food Clinic in New York City, offering treatment and consultation for depression, anxiety and emotional wellness concerns. The clinic incorporates evidence-based nutrition and integrative psychiatry treatments with psychotherapy, coaching, and responsible medication management. Using the latest in brain science, nutrition and mental health research, and an array of delicious food, the clinic helps people live joyful, fulfilled lives. His recently launched ecourse Eat To Beat Depression helps patients and families boost mood and their brains nutrition.
Dr. Ramsey is a compelling keynote speaker and conducts workshops nationally. His media work includes three recent TEDx talks, a video series with Big Think, and the BBC documentary Food on the Brain. His work and writing have been featured by The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Huffington Post, Atlantic.com, Prevention, Lancet Psychiatry, and NPR, which named him a “kale evangelist.” He is a member of the Well+Good Wellness Council, the editorial board of Medscape Psychiatry, the advisory board of Men’s Health, and the co-founder of National Kale Day.
He is the author of three books, most recently the award-winning cookbook Eat Complete: The 21 Nutrients that Fuel Brain
Power, Boost Weight Loss and Transform Your Health (HarperWave 2016). His recent bestseller 50 Shades of Kale (HarperWave 2013) made this superfood accessible to thousands. The Happiness Diet: A Nutritional Prescription for a Sharp Brain, Balanced Mood and Lean, Energized Body (Rodale 2011) explores the impact of modern diets on brain health.
Dr. Ramsey is a diplomate of the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology. He completed his specialty training in adult psychiatry at Columbia University and the New York State Psychiatric Institute, received an M.D. from Indiana University School of Medicine and is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Earlham College. He lives with his wife and two children in New York City and on their 127 acre organic farm in rural Indiana.
Drew Ramsey, M.D. is a psychiatrist, author, and farmer. He is a clear voice in the mental health conversation and one of psychiatry’s leading proponents of using nutritional interventions. He is an assistant clinical professor of psychiatry at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons.
He founded the Brain Food Clinic in New York City, offering treatment and consultation for depression, anxiety and emotional wellness concerns. The clinic incorporates evidence-based nutrition and integrative psychiatry treatments with psychotherapy, coaching, and responsible medication management. Using the latest in brain science, nutrition and mental health research, and an array of delicious food, the clinic helps people live joyful, fulfilled lives. His recently launched ecourse Eat To Beat Depression helps patients and families boost mood and their brains nutrition.
Dr. Ramsey is a compelling keynote speaker and conducts workshops nationally. His media work includes three recent TEDx talks, a video series with Big Think, and the BBC documentary Food on the Brain. His work and writing have been featured by The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Huffington Post, Atlantic.com, Prevention, Lancet Psychiatry, and NPR, which named him a “kale evangelist.” He is a member of the Well+Good Wellness Council, the editorial board of Medscape Psychiatry, the advisory board of Men’s Health, and the co-founder of National Kale Day.
He is the author of three books, most recently the award-winning cookbook Eat Complete: The 21 Nutrients that Fuel Brain
Power, Boost Weight Loss and Transform Your Health (HarperWave 2016). His recent bestseller 50 Shades of Kale (HarperWave 2013) made this superfood accessible to thousands. The Happiness Diet: A Nutritional Prescription for a Sharp Brain, Balanced Mood and Lean, Energized Body (Rodale 2011) explores the impact of modern diets on brain health.
Dr. Ramsey is a diplomate of the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology. He completed his specialty training in adult psychiatry at Columbia University and the New York State Psychiatric Institute, received an M.D. from Indiana University School of Medicine and is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Earlham College. He lives with his wife and two children in New York City and on their 127 acre organic farm in rural Indiana.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
dnf
April 17, 2025Type “brain health” into the Google search bar and it see will tell you in 30 seconds what this book (and every other on this topic) does: prioritize nutrition, sleep, exercise, social bonds, nature, etc.
June 15, 2025
deserves a 10 ⭐️ rating,
a must-read for the soul ✨
“self-awareness. nutrition. movement. sleep. connection. engagement. grounding. unburdening. purpose. each of these essential aspects of brain health has the power to make tremendous changes to your mental health and well-being…we can use these skills to face the modern world with grace, healing, and steadiness, no matter what it throws our way.”
a must-read for the soul ✨
“self-awareness. nutrition. movement. sleep. connection. engagement. grounding. unburdening. purpose. each of these essential aspects of brain health has the power to make tremendous changes to your mental health and well-being…we can use these skills to face the modern world with grace, healing, and steadiness, no matter what it throws our way.”
July 27, 2025
If you are a reader of neuroscience and, in particular, brain biology, you will likely encounter familiar topics in Drew Ramsey’s wonderfully readable book, Healing the Modern Brain: Nine Tenets to Build Mental Fitness and Revitalize Your Mind. Ramsey’s crystal-clear prose in explaining complex neuroscientific concepts will not leave you glaze-eyed and struggling. On the contrary, readers are in safe hands as he takes them through what the phenomenal human brain does, and positions them to develop a plan for building mental fitness.
Before getting to “the nine tenets,” Ramsey briefly describes obstacles to mental fitness, which include, not surprisingly: devices, vices and substances, pollutants and toxins, ultra-processed foods, and chronic stress. Each of these obstacles have the potential to affect brain health and mental fitness. He also debunks the notion that humans are “born with a set of about one hundred billion brain cells and that was that.” However, says Ramsey, the brain has the ability “to change and grow as we age.”
The flip side of the obstacles coin include “the big three brain protectants: increased neuroplasticity, decreased inflammation, and a more diverse microbiome,” all of which facilitate the cultivation of mental fitness and a more resilient brain. Neuroplasticity, for example, is conducive to “brain growth.” A diverse, healthy microbiome relates to (as ugly as it may sound) gut-dwelling bacteria. As well as bad bugs, there are good bugs which “act as chemical messengers, providing the brain with key updates about the world around us.” Lastly, the blessing-and-curse nature of inflammation is well-known. The immune system relies on “good inflammation” to protect the body from unwanted viral and bacterial invaders, and also to repair cells damaged by injury. “Bad inflammation,” especially when it reaches chronic levels and is found in the brain, “can lead to depressive and anxiety symptoms, as well as sleep problems.”
Having established this much context, Ramsey takes a deep dive into each of the nine tenets, namely, Self-awareness, Nutrition, Movement, Sleep, Connection, Engagement, Grounding, Unburdening, and Purpose. Most of these single-word descriptors have self-evident explanations (although perhaps Grounding and Unburdening could benefit from better labeling!).
Nevertheless, author Ramsey (board-certified psychiatrist and leading voice in nutritional psychiatry and integrative mental health) does an excellent job of packaging the theory and practice of the nine tenets, bringing readers to a comfortable sense of something very do-able in striving for mental fitness and building brain resilience. “Pick a tenet, any tenet,” says Ramsey. “Decide to make a change. See it through. You’ll be surprised where it may take you—and the kind of resilience that will follow.”
Before getting to “the nine tenets,” Ramsey briefly describes obstacles to mental fitness, which include, not surprisingly: devices, vices and substances, pollutants and toxins, ultra-processed foods, and chronic stress. Each of these obstacles have the potential to affect brain health and mental fitness. He also debunks the notion that humans are “born with a set of about one hundred billion brain cells and that was that.” However, says Ramsey, the brain has the ability “to change and grow as we age.”
The flip side of the obstacles coin include “the big three brain protectants: increased neuroplasticity, decreased inflammation, and a more diverse microbiome,” all of which facilitate the cultivation of mental fitness and a more resilient brain. Neuroplasticity, for example, is conducive to “brain growth.” A diverse, healthy microbiome relates to (as ugly as it may sound) gut-dwelling bacteria. As well as bad bugs, there are good bugs which “act as chemical messengers, providing the brain with key updates about the world around us.” Lastly, the blessing-and-curse nature of inflammation is well-known. The immune system relies on “good inflammation” to protect the body from unwanted viral and bacterial invaders, and also to repair cells damaged by injury. “Bad inflammation,” especially when it reaches chronic levels and is found in the brain, “can lead to depressive and anxiety symptoms, as well as sleep problems.”
Having established this much context, Ramsey takes a deep dive into each of the nine tenets, namely, Self-awareness, Nutrition, Movement, Sleep, Connection, Engagement, Grounding, Unburdening, and Purpose. Most of these single-word descriptors have self-evident explanations (although perhaps Grounding and Unburdening could benefit from better labeling!).
Nevertheless, author Ramsey (board-certified psychiatrist and leading voice in nutritional psychiatry and integrative mental health) does an excellent job of packaging the theory and practice of the nine tenets, bringing readers to a comfortable sense of something very do-able in striving for mental fitness and building brain resilience. “Pick a tenet, any tenet,” says Ramsey. “Decide to make a change. See it through. You’ll be surprised where it may take you—and the kind of resilience that will follow.”
November 8, 2025
Unless you live under a rock, you will not learn anything new reading this book. I gave it a weak 2 star rating because he was able to summarize all the known health facts fairly succinctly. The book is a bit less than 200 pages and covers a lot of ground.
In case you are wondering, these are the steps to a healthy brain:
self awareness: Like with AA and the big book, the first step is recognizing the issue. You don't feel good. You want to feel better.
nutrition: There is this thing called the Mediterranean Diet, you should follow it. Eat the rainbow of fruits and veggies! Fiber! Make sure you are getting essential vitamins! Don't eat junk food!
movement: It's good. You should move.
Sleep: Also good for you. Sleep hygiene matters!
Connections: People need loved ones, need friends and family and healthy relationships
Engagement: Use your brain! Keep learning. Stayed involved in life.
Grounding: Nature makes you feel better. Go on a walk. Buy some plants.
Unburdening: Go to therapy for your trauma.
Purpose: What is your why? Everyone needs a purpose for living.
Voila! Now you don't need to read this book. It would be a good book to assign to a freshman high school class. All the stuff their parents tell them to do and they don't listen to - maybe they would retain it if read in a book?
In case you are wondering, these are the steps to a healthy brain:
self awareness: Like with AA and the big book, the first step is recognizing the issue. You don't feel good. You want to feel better.
nutrition: There is this thing called the Mediterranean Diet, you should follow it. Eat the rainbow of fruits and veggies! Fiber! Make sure you are getting essential vitamins! Don't eat junk food!
movement: It's good. You should move.
Sleep: Also good for you. Sleep hygiene matters!
Connections: People need loved ones, need friends and family and healthy relationships
Engagement: Use your brain! Keep learning. Stayed involved in life.
Grounding: Nature makes you feel better. Go on a walk. Buy some plants.
Unburdening: Go to therapy for your trauma.
Purpose: What is your why? Everyone needs a purpose for living.
Voila! Now you don't need to read this book. It would be a good book to assign to a freshman high school class. All the stuff their parents tell them to do and they don't listen to - maybe they would retain it if read in a book?
April 8, 2025
🧠 Healing the Modern Brain by Dr. Drew Ramsey
Thank you so much to Harper for the gifted copy! 💛📖
🌟 Quick Thoughts
Dr. Drew Ramsey isn’t just handing out advice—he’s rewriting the playbook for how we think about our brains 🧠💥. From nutrition and sleep to movement, purpose, and connection, this book walks you through exactly how to take care of your brain in a modern world that often feels rigged against wellness.
You’ll feel empowered, seen, and equipped—not just to “feel better,” but to actually thrive.
🧩 What Makes This Book Shine
✅ Science meets soul: You get real neuroscience, but without the headache. Dr. Ramsey keeps it human.
🥗 Nutrition that makes sense: No fads, just brain-boosting food facts that help you eat for happiness.
🌲 Grounded in lifestyle: Learn how movement, rest, and time in nature literally reshape your brain.
💡 Actionable takeaways: You’ll finish this with an actual plan—small, manageable, and totally doable.
🪴 Why I Loved It
This book felt like a kind, nerdy friend walking beside me on a tough day—one who says, “Hey, here’s how you can actually feel better.” ❤️🩹
📓 The tone is warm, hopeful, and refreshingly non-clinical.
🧘♀️ It reminds you that your brain can grow and adapt—at any age.
🎧 I listened while walking and felt like I had a caring mental health coach in my ear.
🛠️ I’ve already added daily outdoor time and more leafy greens to my routine thanks to this book!
💭 Favorite Message
YES. THIS. 👏✨
🌈 TROPES / THEMES
• Holistic health 🧘♂️
• Food as medicine 🥦
• Reframing the mental health narrative 💬
• Everyday empowerment 🔧
• Mind-body connection ❤️🧠
• Lifestyle-based healing 🌻
• Accessible science 👨🔬
📦 Final Take
If you’re feeling overwhelmed, anxious, low-energy, or just stuck—read this. Dr. Ramsey offers a practical roadmap that feels both modern and timeless, grounded in research and filled with heart.
🎉 TL;DR:
• Full of easy-to-follow steps 🪜
• No shame, just solutions 🧡
• Surprisingly hopeful and digestible 🍽️
• A must-read for anyone ready to rewrite their relationship with their brain 📝🧠
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ — 5 joyful, science-fueled stars!
Thank you so much to Harper for the gifted copy! 💛📖
🌟 Quick Thoughts
Dr. Drew Ramsey isn’t just handing out advice—he’s rewriting the playbook for how we think about our brains 🧠💥. From nutrition and sleep to movement, purpose, and connection, this book walks you through exactly how to take care of your brain in a modern world that often feels rigged against wellness.
You’ll feel empowered, seen, and equipped—not just to “feel better,” but to actually thrive.
🧩 What Makes This Book Shine
✅ Science meets soul: You get real neuroscience, but without the headache. Dr. Ramsey keeps it human.
🥗 Nutrition that makes sense: No fads, just brain-boosting food facts that help you eat for happiness.
🌲 Grounded in lifestyle: Learn how movement, rest, and time in nature literally reshape your brain.
💡 Actionable takeaways: You’ll finish this with an actual plan—small, manageable, and totally doable.
🪴 Why I Loved It
This book felt like a kind, nerdy friend walking beside me on a tough day—one who says, “Hey, here’s how you can actually feel better.” ❤️🩹
📓 The tone is warm, hopeful, and refreshingly non-clinical.
🧘♀️ It reminds you that your brain can grow and adapt—at any age.
🎧 I listened while walking and felt like I had a caring mental health coach in my ear.
🛠️ I’ve already added daily outdoor time and more leafy greens to my routine thanks to this book!
💭 Favorite Message
Mental fitness isn’t a destination. It’s a relationship with your brain, your body, and your life.
YES. THIS. 👏✨
🌈 TROPES / THEMES
• Holistic health 🧘♂️
• Food as medicine 🥦
• Reframing the mental health narrative 💬
• Everyday empowerment 🔧
• Mind-body connection ❤️🧠
• Lifestyle-based healing 🌻
• Accessible science 👨🔬
📦 Final Take
If you’re feeling overwhelmed, anxious, low-energy, or just stuck—read this. Dr. Ramsey offers a practical roadmap that feels both modern and timeless, grounded in research and filled with heart.
🎉 TL;DR:
• Full of easy-to-follow steps 🪜
• No shame, just solutions 🧡
• Surprisingly hopeful and digestible 🍽️
• A must-read for anyone ready to rewrite their relationship with their brain 📝🧠
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ — 5 joyful, science-fueled stars!
May 8, 2025
In the age of quick-fixes, oversimplification, and so many doctor's (among others) selling supplements and/or being quick to prescribe SSRIs, this book is a welcome voice. People who have read articles and books on this subject already may, as I did, read this book and initially think - wait, I know all this already. And there is the real power of this message: if we just resist looking for quick-fixes and aspiring to an about-face lifestyle and instead work slowly and surely on these basic (but not easy) tenets of a heathy and satisfying life, our brains will begin to fall into place. I would have welcomed a summary at the end with some prompts/checklists -- but his advice to just pick on place to start should work if I can bring some focus and attention to it.
June 23, 2025
A great book explaining how in order to be a healthy brain their is many things you need to do: eat healthy, exercise, sleep, connect with others, grounding, taking up a hobby. It might be easier to read it rather than listen to it as it would be easier to flip back to sections that you would want to look at again. The book is presented in a way that is easy to read with many examples demonstrating what works for different people and how a small change can make a huge impact on a person's well being.
April 16, 2025
This book is organized in a practical way. It walks the reader through specific ways to move toward healthier brain function. It’s actionable - not just theoretical. It steps the reader through specific ways to achieve mental fitness (nutrition, movement etc.) It shines a light on how the day to day decisions we make (our lifestyle) can either support mental fitness or hinder our cognitive capabilities.
September 15, 2025
Book gives some good hints for building a healthier brain with some of the standards - nutrition, movement, sleep, building good connections, engagement, being centered even in nature, "unburdening" or confiding what is in your soul and heart, gaining a purpose. He touches on the challenges of AI and maintaining a thinking brain in this new age in the final conclusion. Nothing fully new here but I liked his approach and writing.
July 20, 2025
Thank you Goodreads, Harper, and Dr. Drew Ramsey for this copy of Healing the Modern Brain. This book reminds you that the brain needs a healthy body to thrive. He talks about mental fitness and how inflammation and micro biome play a role. He gives advice on nutrition, movement, sleep and more. It is a good outline for brain health.
August 8, 2025
Most of the suggestions are probably things you have heard before, but the author does do a good job of explaining the science and giving real life examples. I did not like the feeling that he was trying to sell me something in a couple of spots (like his other books or video series), but that did not happen a lot.
May 25, 2025
What I love about this book is that it is super actionable. The tenets, advice, tips and "tricks" aren't fluff - there are things that you can start doing right now to take care of your mental health. I'd recommend this book to anyone.
October 27, 2025
Great holistic overview. Spirituality is the only piece that felt missing but it falls within purpose. There’s a reason humans have always believed in something bigger - geneticist that wrote about the god gene. Anyway, lots of very good info.
December 31, 2025
I really liked this book. It covered all the basics that I already knew but with some added information that I had never even thought about. The author did a great job in presenting it in a way that it was really interesting.
Read
May 25, 2025Nothing new here…DNF
June 25, 2025
Very introductory. I should've looked more into that before picking up this book
July 9, 2025
This book was really interesting. I didn't learn anything new per se, but it was a really good overview and reminder of best practices for brain health
December 11, 2025
Practical, doable, advice for a healthy brain and happy life. Written by a doctor who sounds more like a friend.
January 4, 2026
Fascinating content from one of the guests from the Common Ground Speaker Series this fall.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews