Wanderlust The Real Mental Health: Eating for Your Brain

Dr. Drew Ramsey has performed at events such as Wellspring, Wanderlust Stratton, and Wanderlust108 Brooklyn.

When Dr. If Ramsey and I were to speak, the news of Kate Spade and Anthony Bourdain's deaths had sparked a national dialogue on mental health and suicide. Both personalities were popular mentors for many and shaped their respective industries with wisdom and innovation. It came as a surprise to many that these two successful and cultural icons could be in such a dark place – but mental health has little to do with perceived happiness.

Suicide rates have increased by almost 30 percent over the past 20 years. We can spin our wheels and try to understand the "why", but perhaps our attention could be better focused on the importance of understanding and mental disorders. Depression is as big a disease as the flu, but for some reason it is often taken much less seriously.

While we were about to talk about brain food, our conversation took on a different tone, and so we examined the importance of including mental health in a national dialogue.

Dr. Ramsey's unique perspective casts a positive light on reminding us to take care of ourselves and others. Read our conversation below.

WL: The news of Anthony Bourdain's suicide came shortly after the news of Kate Spade. These tragic losses sparked a national dialogue on suicide and depression. What do you think are important things to consider in this discussion?

DR: Treatment works. It's hard to say after so many tragedies. The suicide rate in the US has increased 28 percent since 2000. All suicides are a tragedy, and the recent high-profile suicide deaths should remind us that there are 123 suicides every day in the United States. When we hear this, of the 2.8 million people who had serious suicidal thoughts in the past year, only half were treated.

I emphasize risk factors, namely a mood disorder, substance or alcohol abuse disorder, and previous suicide attempts along with access to a firearm. Know the warning signs, such as worsening alcohol consumption, talk of death, and reluctance to make future plans.

These factors help reduce the risk. Don't be afraid to ask about suicide if you are worried. Stigma and lack of access to quality care are fueling this epidemic. But we all wonder what else? The rise of social media fueling the contagion of suicide? Easy access to firearms (80 percent of suicides)? The polarized political climate? The misconception that mental health treatment is just medication are all parts of what fuel this epidemic.

Some people wonder whether psychiatric drugs are effective or safe, which worries me as a doctor who prescribes psychiatric drugs. Prescription rates fell after the FDA issued the black box warning on antidepressants because teenagers were less likely to have suicidal ideation. After that, youth suicides increased.

So what can we do? Let's all talk more. Be curious about someone's insides. Talk about mental wellbeing … and struggles. Hug more. Help people find a stronger sense of belonging. Get more treatment for those in need. Advocate more funding for NIMH and mental health services. All of this plus less judgment and stigma.

You are a doctor – and a farmer. These seem to be different career paths. Explain the connection and overlap between the two.

Both are about growing and promoting growth. This is what good doctors and good farmers strive for. I'm not sure if a profession in medicine or as a farmer are professions that you really choose. I grew up on a farm and it shaped my views on health and nutrition. Nothing makes you feel like you are walking in the forest or putting your hands in the dirt. Nothing is more humble than trying to grow food. Nothing makes you feel like you are helping a patient get well.

It seems like magic every time we plant seeds and a couple of weeks later you have food. I'm writing this in June and our plants are full of flowers: pumpkins, cucumbers, and of course tomatoes (we're in Indiana). Our farmers have so much knowledge of health and healing, and so many of my colleagues in medicine could use a week on the farm! Part of the burnout in medicine today is that we have completely separated our concept of health from nature.

Coming from a farm and living in New York City for 20 years also taught me about stigma. We're finally starting to really talk about mental health and stigma. We are very focused in the wellness movement on how to disconnect from the natural roots of health such as real food, restful sleep, and satisfying exercise. But we don't often explicitly frame wellness in terms of mental health. That is changing and I am grateful for it. There can be a lot of stigma promoted in the wellness world. Try to be a bipolar yogi in need of lithium and zoloft. Many of my patients feel unsupported in this situation and we all need to investigate our own biases and stigma.

First in The Happiness Diet and more recently in Eat Complete, you discuss the relationship between diet and brain health. Can you give us a quick look at how certain foods can affect our mental health?

All foods affect our mental health just as they affect our physical health. And that's the first change we ask of people: their sanity is rooted in brain health. When I started talking about food and prescribing food with all of my patients, I noticed how surprised people are at the connection between food and our feelings. We know we do our best when we eat well. We know that we feel like trash when we eat trash. But somehow diet and health are mostly linked to concerns about obesity, diabetes, and heart disease, rather than depression, anxiety, and dementia.

Certain food categories contain more nutrients that are critical to brain function, such as long-chain omega-3 fats, zinc, folic acid, and vitamin B-12. These are the building blocks of the brain, so when you eat a kale salad with wild salmon, you are building a better brain. Then there are the foods that people stop eating, the ingesting messages about sugar, processed foods, and fats, and helping people make a realistic plan based on their preferences. People are so confused about what to eat right now. My new Eat To Beat Depression e-course is helping people change the way they view food and create a fun and effective plan.

The fact that food can make new brain cells sounds like science fiction. Is that true? How does this happen and are the brain cells related to the type of food?

Yes sir. Your adult brain can grow a little and produce new brain cells. Food affects the production of a neurohormone called Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF). It's really important that we move mental health and brain health conversations beyond serotonin and think about neuroplasticity, brain growth, and BDNF. Certain nutrients and some phytonutrients promote higher levels of BDNF expression.

We love your book 50 Shades of Kale. Kale definitely has a moment in the moment; But why did you focus on these vegetables in a world where there are so many healthy foods? Why did you help start National Kale Day?

Kale chose me. I remain in their service. She is ancient. It is nutritious. She is versatile. In contrast to other "healthy foods", it does not feel any competition. For example, people keep saying, "Cauliflower is the new kale," but Kale tells me that she has always been a fan of cauliflower, "just being cauliflower."

National Kale Day is one of our planned nutritional psychiatric public health interventions. More kale in the US diet means healthier brains. When we started, the consumption was 2 cups per person per year. We partnered with the largest public school systems in the United States, the Department of Defense, and kale farmers to celebrate kale and its many benefits. We quickly learned that people love to dress up in fresh kale and dance. Celebrate this year on 3rd October 2018… You know what to do. (Tip: eat and dance.)

What are some of your other favorite brain boosting foods and what makes them special?

I love sunflower sprouts these days, albeit with a bit of guilt, as this is like the veal of the plant world. All sprouts and greens are characterized by their nutrient density and a bevy of phytonutrients. I like eggs as a great, simple source of protein, high in choline and one of the few foods that contain both folic acid and vitamin B12. Pepitas, cashews, and almonds are my favorite snacks. A good dose of minerals in these, plus a nice mix of fats, proteins and carbohydrates. Seafood is the category that people struggle with the most. I prescribe a lot of clams, clams, clams and oysters and oily fish like wild salmon and anchovies. I grew up in the Midwest and have a lot of empathy for the seafood battle!

I think we all agree that the most fun is incorporating healthy foods into nutritious, delicious meals – and we yogis need that kind of grounding. Any recipes you would like to share that could enrich a meditation practice?

In a randomized clinical trial of the brain truffles in Eat Complete, yogis who received the brain truffles reported 29 percent more enlightenment compared to those who received the placebo truffles. For those yogis unresponsive to the brain truffle, also known as "enlightenment resistant," we have added the marinated kale salad and are currently massaging the kale in the hope of being published in a major medical journal.

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Amanda Kohr is an editor at Wanderlust. She finds them exploring new highways, drinking coffee and on Instagram.