Dr. Chris Palmer On How to Optimize Your Brain To Reduce Anxiety & Overcome Depression

Today’s guest is Dr. Christopher M. Palmer. Dr. Palmer is a Harvard psychiatrist and researcher working at the interface of metabolism and mental health. He is the director of the Department of Postgraduate and Continuing Education at McLean Hospital and an assistant professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. For more than two decades, he has held leadership roles in psychiatric education at Harvard, McLean Hospital, and nationally. He spent more than fifteen years conducting neuroscience research in the areas of substance use and sleep disorders. Most recently, he has developed the first comprehensive theory of what causes mental illness, integrating biological, psychological, and social research into one unifying theory—the brain energy theory of mental illness. Today on the podcast we discuss Dr. Palmer’s revolutionary new approach to understanding and treating mental health conditions such as anxiety, depression and more.

What to Listen For:

00:00 Intro
01:50 Difference between a mental state and a mental disorder
06:27 Dealing with mild depression or burnout
09:19 What causes mental illness?
12:41 The relationship between metabolism and mental health
18:04 Treating mild anxiety or depression
21:57 Is there a correlation between obesity and mental health?
24:27 Why do certain people gain weight and others don’t?
27:49 Optimizing serotonin and dopamine
32:15 Is the ketogenic diet a “fad diet”?
34:53 Following a ketogenic diet while also paying attention to overall health
37:40 How metabolic health impacts your nervous system
43:14 Simple steps you can take to improve your mental health
49:08 How do we solve the mental health epidemic?

⚠ WELLNESS DISCLAIMER ⚠
Please be advised; the topics related to mental health in my content are for informational, discussion, and entertainment purposes only. The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your mental health professional or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding your current condition. Never disregard professional advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have heard from your favorite creator, on social media, or shared within content you’ve consumed.

If you are in crisis or you think you may have an emergency, call your doctor or 911 immediately.

If you do not have a health professional who is able to assist you, use these resources to find help:

Emergency Medical Services—911
If the situation is potentially life-threatening, get immediate emergency assistance by calling 911, available 24 hours a day.

[marynahaallon]

Been on keto/carnivore for 6 months and not only did my cholesterol numbers improve but my bipolar depression was greatly reduced. Everything for me improved and no longer craving carbs. Dr Palmer was a huge mentor/motivator for me

[crimsonnight]

Very enlightening. I am an undergrad student from Indonesia doing research about depression, and I never thought about depression (along with many other health issues) from such a holistic view such as this. So thank you. May you be well and attain success in your endeavours.

[jesusislord]

Nice channel, Doug! You're inspiring people for sure. And Dr. Palmer is my new hero. His interviews are teaching me so much! I have been trying to understand how mental illness is increasing so rapidly within a population (adolescents) which, historically, is the most metabolically healthy. But then I learned (from Dr. Palmer) that trauma and various lifestyle habits can cause mitochondrial dysfunction and metabolic issues in the brain. Now it all makes sense! It's not just diet which contributes to poor metabolic brain health.

[righustle]

Hey Doug, many thanks for sharing this, our team here at Gemini PR Bangkok love Dr. Palmer and find his insights really fascinating. We're all trying better with our diet as a result - we all reach for terrible food when stressed ;)

[yolandarojas]

Muchas gracias por la entrevista. El Dr. Palmer nos da esperanza en un campo médico tan estigmatizado y olvidado. Saludos.

[DarinJP]

Good podcast for the message. Why didn’t you include the URL for the brain energy website in the description?
Dr Palmer I think is on the forefront of medicine and

[valeriebooker]

You ask some great questions. I cant believe this does not have more views

[lolasimmons]

I have bipolar type 2 and a fatty liver and I will talk to my doctor about the type of foods or certain diet that I should be following.

[kassrripples]

Psychiatric inpatient hospitals could really take this on board…

[iss]

Sat fat is not harmful. Uts the polyunsaturated ones that can oxidize and cause damage.

[carolnewlands]

How about the "world is falling apart" causing people to "give up"??

[kassrripples]

How can schools and community organizations such as aged care facilities incorporate this information?

[mariapalau-xmnt]

During the Keto diet, it is not possible to be in ketosis because of some medications.
How do you manage that?
You become healthier even if you do not get into ketosis, because of meds?
Thank you

[fionen]

As a psychiatrist don't you worry about making the wrong decision when deciding how to treat someone?