UCLA Journal of Radiation Oncology SPRING 2024 - Flipbook - Page 50
UCLA RADIATION ONCOLOGY JOURNAL
from culinary school, I completed a program in
nutritional science to augment my knowledge
of nutrition and confidence in integrating
dietary advice into my clinical practice. Armed
with my knowledge of psychiatry, nutrition,
and the culinary arts, I continued to blend my
clinical work with nutritional, lifestyle, and
metabolic health techniques.
gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)—all critically
I honed my own holistic and integrated
different kinds of nutrients, and changes in
approach to psychiatry. That method has
the foods you eat can vastly vary in bacterial
become the blueprint for my work, culminating
composition in the gut. Thus, it is crucial to
important for the regulation of mood, memory,
and attention—is impacted, and healthy
communication with our brain is disrupted.
As it turns out, the food you eat has a major
influence on the balance of your microbiota,
because your diet is also your microbiome’s
diet. Different types of bacteria thrive on
in the founding of the Nutritional, Lifestyle, and feed your microbiome in a way that promotes
Metabolic Psychiatry program at Massachusetts the growth of helpful bacteria and discourages
General Hospital, the first clinic of its kind in
harmful ones. To improve your microbiome,
the United States.
I always recommend eating the rainbow and
more fiber! That is, to eat a diverse array of
L: What is the microbiome and how does it
whole plant-based foods, colorful vegetables,
communicate with our brain? How can one
fruits, herbs, nuts, seeds, whole grains, and
improve their microbiome?
beans. When gut bacteria feed on these fiber-
U: The microbiome is composed of trillions
rich foods, they produce anti-inflammatory
of bacteria(and other types of microscopic
compounds and promote better digestion
organisms like fungi and protozoa) that
and microbiome growth. I also believe in
inhabit each and every person’s gut. In fact,
a balanced diet including healthy fats(e.g.
the total microbial population in the human
avocado or olive oil, nuts and seeds), clean
body outnumbers our own human cells 10 to
proteins (lentils, legumes, organic non-GMO
1 and is composed of thousands of different
tofu or pasture-raised chicken, or grass-fed
species! Gut microbiota help us break down
beef for example), and complex carbs (broccoli,
nutrients in food, and produce vitamins and
greens, and cauliflower).
other nutrients. The primary reason gut
L: What are the “six pillars” and how can we
bacteria have such a profound effect on mental
start applying them today?
health is that they are responsible for making
many brain chemicals through which they
U: The six pillars of nutritional psychiatry will
modulate the nervous system and hormone
help you understand how to utilize food to
responses. If healthy gut bacteria are not
support your mental health.
present, the production of neurotransmitters
such as dopamine, serotonin, glutamate, and
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