We’ve all felt the effects of food on our mood, so it would stand to reason that dietary intervention for mental health would be well studied and a regularly deployed treatment. But this is far from reality, as historically, psychiatry was only concerned with what happened from the neck up.In today’s episode, Jonathan is joined by Felice Jacka, Professor of Nutritional Psychiatry and Director of the Food & Mood Centre at Deakin University. Felice was the driving force behind the landmark study to determine if dietary intervention could help treat the symptoms of moderate to severe depression. With her help, we dive into what the science suggests regarding the relationship between food and our mental health and what foods we can eat to improve it. Download our FREE guide — Top 10 Tips to Live Healthier: https://zoe.com/freeguide Timecodes:00:00 - Intro00:09 - Jonathan’s introduction01:28 - Quick-fire questions02:08 - What do we mean when we talk about 'mood'?03:40 - Is it true that we're much more focused on mental health? 05:11 - How do we think about the relationship between our bodies and our mind today?07:01 - Felice’s journey into psychiatry 08:24 - PHD looking into the relationship between diet and mental health11:44 - The SMILEs Trial13:22 - How much did diet affect the participants in the study?15:40 - How long does it take to see results?16:40 - What role does body weight have in this debate?17:22 - How important is it that we focus on the quality of our diet over calories? 18:20 - What is the gut-brain axis and the microbiota gut-brain axis?19:12 - Gut disorders and mental health issues closely related21:25 - The effects of gut bacteria on the brain21:58 - What is orthorexia and how is that linked to anxiety?23:16 - Is there a risk with using diet to treat mental illness?24:20 - What do healthy diets from across the world have in common?25:52 - Foods to eat more of or less of to improve mood27:24 - Diversity in diet29:12 - Effects of diet on the menopause32:10 - How does our mental health affect how we eat?33:20 - What part does the industrialized food system have to play on a social level?34:14 - How ultra-processed foods impact us37:06 - SummaryEpisode transcripts are available here.Visit The Food and Mood Centre’s website for more information on Deakin University’s world-leading, multi-disciplinary research: https://foodandmoodcentre.com.au/Read Felice’s SMILEs Trail here.Follow ZOE on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zoe/This podcast was produced by Fascinate Productions.

TRIGGER WARNING: This podcast discusses fasting and its advice may not be suitable for anyone with an eating disorder. If you have an existing health condition or are taking medication, always consult your healthcare practitioner before going for prolonged periods without eating.Every few months or so, my team and I put together a special compilation episode, which features some of the very best tips around a central unified theme. This week’s episode is all about longevity. Many of us think we would not like to live into old age because we associate it with illness and discomfort. But this does not need to be the case. There are simple things we can all do that could increase our health span as well as our life span. As you will hear in this episode, decline is not inevitable as we get older and there are many factors under our control that can affect how we age - from how we exercise, to how much we sleep, how we use our brain and what and when we eat.You’ll also hear why compassion, community, purpose and friendship are important for our health and our lifespan. And why certain types of stress can actually be good for us and help us to live longer. Studies even show that our happiness, our mindset, and approach to life can be a factor in how long we live.Finally, you’ll hear a clip about whether ageing should be seen as a disease that we can treat and a discussion about what ageing might look like in the future. I really believe that the changes we can make to improve our health and longevity are a lot more achievable than many of us think. I hope this episode helps you to find ways to implement some small daily habits that will help you to live a long, healthy, active and fulfilling life. This episode includes clips from:Episode 208 David SinclairEpisode 147 Matthew WalkerEpisode 112 Daniel LevitinEpisode 74 Felice JackaEpisode 81 Satchin PandaEpisode 151 Laurie SantosEpisode 138 Julian AbelEpisode 167 Tommy WoodEpisode 128 Daniel LiebermanEpisode 67 Dan BuettnerEpisode 197 James NestorEpisode 206 Roger SeheultThanks to our sponsors: https://www.leafyard.com/livemore https://www.blublox.com/livemore https://www.athleticgreens.com/livemoreOrder Dr Chatterjee's new book Happy Mind, Happy Life: UK version and US & Canada version Show notes available at https://drchatterjee.com/240DISCLAIMER: The content in the podcast and on this webpage is not intended to constitute or be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your doctor or qualified health care provider with any questions you have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have heard on the podcast or on my website.

Professor Felice Jacka, an international leader in Nutritional Psychiatry research, discusses the connection between food and mood. Topics include the gut-brain axis, gut bacteria's impact on neurotransmitters, high antibiotic use's effect on mental health, the microbiome's composition in newborns based on birth method, feasibility studies on fecal transplants for mental disorders, transformative effects of diet on the microbiome, men's preconception health's influence on child outcomes.

Professor Felice Jacka's love of food led her to question whether what we put in our mouths affects more than our waistline. She discusses the link between diet and mental health, importance of addressing lifestyle factors, a children's book on bugs in our gut, the impact of red meat, and the correlation between food choices and mental health.

Professor Felice Jacka, a leading expert, discusses the impact of diet on mental health and cognition. Topics include gut microbiome, effects of junk food, benefits of plant-rich diets, and the role of fermented foods. Emphasizes the link between nutrition, brain health, and overall well-being.