61. Why Your “Healthy” Foods Might Be Making You Anxious with Dr. Uma Naidoo

What if your anxiety isn’t just emotional—but something deeper starting in your gut?
In this episode of Rooted in Wellness, I sit down with Dr. Uma Naidoo, Harvard-trained nutritional psychiatrist and bestselling author of Calm Your Mind with Food, to explore the powerful link between what we eat and how we feel. We unpack how artificial sweeteners, processed foods, and even “healthy” snacks can silently disrupt your gut-brain connection—impacting mood, focus, and emotional resilience.
Uma shares her own healing journey through cancer, and how simple, grounding meals became her medicine. You’ll learn why your microbiome matters, how to spot food-mood triggers, and which everyday habits can help soothe anxiety from the inside out.
Dr. Uma Naidoo is a Harvard-trained nutritional psychiatrist, professional chef, and bestselling author of Calm Your Mind with Food. She’s also the founder of the first U.S. hospital-based nutritional psychiatry clinic at Mass General.
We Also Discuss:

00:53 – What’s really happening to our gut and skin with artificial sweeteners?
02:49 – The myth of the “perfect” diet—and why ancient wisdom still works
09:43 – Uma’s cancer diagnosis and how food became her medicine
14:50 – Why your mood swings might start in your microbiome
21:46 – The missing link in most mental health prescriptions
28:14 – Processed foods, pandemic habits, and how they rewired our brains
37:14 – The hidden anxiety triggers lurking in everyday ingredients
48:38 – Uma’s SOAR method: a gentle reset for clarity, calm, and energy

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Learn more about Dr. Uma Naidoo

Website: https://umanaidoomd.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drumanaidoo
Book: https://umanaidoomd.com/pages/calm-your-mind-with-food