Food should be part of the conversation when it comes to mental health because we have more science showing that nutrients have very clear data that can help in prevention and treatment of illnesses like depression and dementia.

When eating, the organ you should be most worried about is your brain because it is your biggest asset and consumes more energy and food than any other organ; focusing on brain nutrients leads to a different food selection than focusing on calories, saturated fat, or cancer prevention.

We are facing an incredible mental health epidemic; Ramsey has been a psychiatrist in New York for 16 years and the amount of distress and mortality he is seeing is at levels never seen before.

When people eat poorly, their risk of depression goes up 70–80%, and when they eat a traditional diet like a Mediterranean or Japanese diet, their risk of depression can go down by as much as 50%.

A Mediterranean diet augmented with red meat has been shown in the first clinical trial to treat clinical depression and major depressive disorder, marking an exciting moment for nutritional psychiatry.

The Mediterranean diet is plant-based with lots of nuts, seeds, whole grains, seafood, and treated meat and dairy primarily as flavorings rather than as main dishes as in Western diets, with abundant spices and fresh herbs.

A simple intervention like growing an herb pot on a fire escape or front yard and consuming fresh herbs with meals significantly increases nutrient density and moves eating patterns toward the Mediterranean diet.