This Is Your Brain on Food: An Indispensable Guide to the Surprising Foods that Fight Depression, Anxiety, PTSD, OCD, ADHD, and More

This Is Your Brain on Food: An Indispensable Guide to the Surprising Foods that Fight Depression, Anxiety, PTSD, OCD, ADHD, and More by Dr. Uma Naidoo is a fascinating read that opened my eyes to the incredible impact food can have on mental health. Dr. Naidoo, with her unique blend of expertise as a psychiatrist, nutritionist, and chef, dives deep into how our diet affects not just our physical health but our mental well-being too. What makes this book stand out is its combination of solid science and practical advice. The book also features 40 brain-boosting recipes that are not only delicious but also designed to support mental health. From a scientific perspective, it’s packed with eye-opening information, and from a practical one, it’s a treasure trove of useful tips and tasty recipes. If you're interested in how what you eat can influence your mood and mental health, This Is Your Brain on Food is an essential guide that makes the complex relationship between diet and mental wellness both understandable and actionable.

This is the perfect book for someone actively struggling with depression and I'll tell you why - Dr. Naidoo's concept are easily digestible and actionable when days feel impossible. Her suggestions are easy to implement and you feel real change. I transitioned to a cleaner Mediterranean diet while reading Dr. Uma's book, but not before swapping quick calories from processed food to more complex and complete snacks and meals. I had no idea how much sugar and processed food as fueling my lethargy. Little by little I swapped to more filling and complete meals to the point where I was only barely snacking throughout the day. I personally did not use her recipes in the book because I made my own creations, but if you are looking for inspiration and rationale, look no further!

Love this book!! This is such a beautifully written and designed book to meet you where you’re at with your mental health. Great for the beginners that are new to cooking. Gentle to the beginners that are new to healthy eating. Motivating and in powering to people to people like me that want to help loved ones and myself to improve brain health to live proactive rather than reactive to challenges. The book laid out so that each chapter is almost a book in itself making it easy to reference back or just read what area you want to improve. Dedicating a section to kitchen setup and basic tools you make cooking easier, more enjoyable and not so intimidating. Also includes a menu plan with delicious easy to follow recipes. I have a list of the ones I want to try! I’m hoping I can encourage my kids to read, until then I will implement what I can when I’m cooking for them. I also follow the dr on Instagram and love the insights she offers on social media. Thank you Dr. Nairobi, I’m blessed to have found you!

Although a book does not substitute regular visits to a medician and a nutritionist, this is a great read on the "health" subject. It has good reminders and interesting tips, besides mouth-watering recipes. Healthy exercising along a balanced routine, appropriate rest and nice eating habits are crucial to prevention and treatment of adverse conditions and eventual diseases. These can also build resilience and boost individual lifestyles and community's well-being. I think that fasting is also a good experience, sometimes, as it helps me to value the food I eat and gives both body and mind a different condition. Definitely, a nice reading.

You don’t have to read the entire book according to the author. Now that I’ve read what I’ve needed I’m ready to start making changes with my nutrition to help myself and I hope to improve my cognitive function and mental health as well as my children’s. Thank you Dr. Uma Naidoo for writing, “This Is Your Brain On Food An Indispensable Guide To The Surprising Foods That Fight Depression, Anxiety, PTSD, OCD, ADHD, And More. I first listened to your book from my library then bought a copy for myself and sent one to my adult son. I believe this will be most helpful and life changing to me as I’ve been struggling on medication for over 7 years now and am always looking for ways to get off of medication or take less because I take too much. I also hope in this new way of eating my body will start absorbing more vitamins and minerals than it has been in the last 7 years as I’ve been deficient in several even though I have tried to eat them and supplement them. Now I’m getting a shot for one. I just don’t want to take so many pills anymore or disabilities. I want a sense of normalcy back into my life. I want to love life and live my life to its fullest again!

Lots of good information and an easy read. Love all the recipes! Great buy!

Great information, easy to understand

While the author shares experiences with patients, the book is much more of a reference than it is a narrative or story so be prepared for that. She encourages readers to skip to chapters that are more applicable or interesting to them, which was helpful. There are a list of relevant recipes in the back that help implement some of her approaches. Overall, I wouldn't classify this book as the definitive or indispensable guide because many of the studies she cites are the only of their kind. Often she says ingredient A "may" help or ingredient B "might" help or else she talks about how certain things are promising but more research is being done. If you are struggling with one of the situations mentioned on the cover I would recommend getting this book. The info may be helpful but as she points out, each person's body and situation is quite different so it also might not be helpful. The overarching takeaway from the book is that the western diet (high carb, high fat) is detrimental in more ways than just making you gain pounds and exacerbates most conditions mentioned on the cover. She also talks about the gut brain connection often. The main dos I take away from this are: eating more fish (or Omega-3 fatty acids), blueberries, vegetables, leafy greens, fermented foods, and nuts.

Bien escrito y fácil de seguir y entender. Para ponerle un pero: se estructura en patologías, y esto hace que parte del contenido se repita. Si hubiese un capítulo introductorio con los fundamentos básicos sobre nutrientes y funcionamiento del organismo más detallado, se facilitaría la lectura después, y se reducirían páginas ya que para patologías sólo haría falta mencionar las pequeñas diferencias entre ellas. Pero está genial como base para trabajar el cambio alimentario

I came across This Is Your Brain on Food during a trip to the science centre with my kids. Curious, I looked it up later and decided to give it a try—and I’m so glad I did. In our household of four, we’re navigating a complex mix of ADHD (all four of us), suspected ASD, anxiety, and depression. I’ve been looking for realistic, science-backed ways to support our well-being, and this book is proving to be a game-changer. Though I’m only a few chapters in, it’s already been eye-opening. The writing is accessible yet grounded in research, and I deeply appreciate how the author includes scientific studies, practical appendices, and even recipes. I’ve already started implementing small dietary changes based on what I’ve read, and I’m hopeful that continuing down this path will benefit my entire family. This book isn’t just theory—it’s a useful, empowering tool for anyone wanting to understand the connection between food and brain health. Highly recommended for families like mine looking for informed, manageable ways to support neurodivergent and mental health needs.

Se lo compre a mi esposa que es Nutriologa y le encanto

This book had a great layout, with easy-to-highlight sections divided by mental health issues (anxiety, depression, OCD, PTSD). Essentially, the suggested diets are common sense, but it’s nice to have it all laid out in a comprehensive format.

Me encantó, todos deberían tenerlo en su cocina y preparar las recetas, son tan fáciles y ricas que les encantarán, notarán la diferencia en 1 semana