What if we've been thinking about mental illness all wrong? Harvard psychiatrist Dr. Chris Palmer argues that conditions like anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia may be rooted in metabolic dysfunction, not just genetics or trauma. Drawing on decades of clinical research, he explains which chemical additives may be harming our brains, why ketogenic diets are showing remarkable promise for severe mental illness, and why recovery is about far more than willpower. Chris also opens up to Jay about the deeply personal story of his mother that inspired him to pursue psychiatry, and why, despite the growing mental health crisis, he remains genuinely hopeful for the next generation.

 

In this episode you'll learn:

How to Recognize the Connection Between Diet & Mental Health 

How to Notice Warning Signs of Metabolic Dysfunction 

How to Support Loved Ones Through a Mental Health Crisis  

How to Become More Resilient with Self-Care  

How to Turn Personal Pain Into Purpose 

How to Use Fasting & Ketogenic Diets Safely 

How to Talk to Kids About Nutrition & Brain Health 

 

Healing rarely comes from one single fix. Instead it comes from understanding the whole person: body, brain, and everything we feed both. Sometimes the most radical form of self-love is simply asking what’s going into your body, and why? 

 

With Love and Gratitude,

Jay Shetty

 

JAY’S DAILY WISDOM DELIVERED STRAIGHT TO YOUR INBOX

Join 900,000+ readers discovering how small daily shifts create big life change with my free newsletter. Subscribe https://news.jayshetty.me/subscribe  

 

Check out our Apple subscription to unlock bonus content of On Purpose! https://lnk.to/JayShettyPodcast 

 

What We Discuss:

00:00 Intro

00:22 The Chronic Disease Epidemic

01:54 The Link Between Mental Health and Diet 

05:17 What Metabolism Really Means 

07:57 The Shocking Chemicals Added to Food

09:55 Why Is The Food System In America So Harmful? 

14:45 The Impact of Ultra Processed Foods on Mental Health   

16:29 Why Your Brain Actually Needs Certain Foods 

17:21 Brain Fog, Depression, Anxiety & Burnout

18:46 Building Mental Resilience 

21:48 Self Care Will Improve Your Brain Functioning

23:57 The “Make America Healthy Again” Movement 

25:25 The Next Era of Healthcare in America 

27:45 A Healthy vs Unhealthy Metabolism 

28:30 Warning Signs From Your Metabolism  

29:13 93% of Americans Have Abnormal Biomarkers 

30:00 6 Steps For Healing Your Metabolism 

31:11 The Truth About Alcohol, Weed & Vaping 

35:46 Exercise Doesn't Have to Be Extreme to be Effective 

36:30 Stop Looking at Screens All Day!

37:10 Why No Single Diet Works for Everyone

38:45 The Power of Eating More Whole Foods 

39:45 Do You Know What Your Body Needs?  

40:20 What Are Nutrient Dense Foods? 

41:17 Why Some People Are Metabolically Compromised 

42:22 Dietary Intervention

44:00 The Ancient Power of Fasting

46:17 Why Bipolar Diagnoses Are Rising

50:08 When Medication Isn't Enough

51:24 How a Ketogenic Diet Can Impact Bipolar Disorder

53:06 The History of The Ketogenic Diet (It’s Not What You Think) 

54:50 How The Ketogenic Diet Can Stop Seizures 

56:20 The Power of Healing 

57:47 The Unexpected Grief of Getting Better

59:05 A Life Dedicated to Psychiatry  

1:04:15 Keeping a Healthy Dose of Skepticism 

1:05:30 Rethinking New Treatments 

1:06:55 Advice for Concerned Parents

1:07:31 What Are Epigenetics? 

1:11:23 The Worst Chemicals For Brain Health 

1:13:30 This Is An Ethics Issue…

1:14:09 Which Chemicals Cause Generational Anxiety? 

1:18:20 Dr. Chris Palmer on Final Five

 

Episode Resources:

 

Read | Brain Energy 

Website | https://www.chrispalmermd.com/ 

YouTube | https://www.youtube.com/@ChrisPalmerMD 

Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/ChrisPalmerMD/ 

Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/chrispalmermd/ 

X | https://x.com/ChrisPalmerMD/

What if we've been thinking about mental illness all wrong? Harvard psychiatrist Dr. Chris Palmer argues that conditions like anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia may be rooted in metabolic dysfunction, not just genetics or trauma. Drawing on decades of clinical research, he explains which chemical additives may be harming our brains, why ketogenic diets are showing remarkable promise for severe mental illness, and why recovery is about far more than willpower. Chris also opens up to Jay about the deeply personal story of his mother that inspired him to pursue psychiatry, and why, despite the growing mental health crisis, he remains genuinely hopeful for the next generation.
&nbsp;
In this episode you'll learn:
How to Recognize the Connection Between Diet &amp; Mental Health&nbsp;
How to Notice Warning Signs of Metabolic Dysfunction&nbsp;
How to Support Loved Ones Through a Mental Health Crisis&nbsp;&nbsp;
How to Become More Resilient with Self-Care&nbsp;&nbsp;
How to Turn Personal Pain Into Purpose&nbsp;
How to Use Fasting &amp; Ketogenic Diets Safely&nbsp;
How to Talk to Kids About Nutrition &amp; Brain Health&nbsp;
&nbsp;
Healing rarely comes from one single fix. Instead it comes from understanding the whole person: body, brain, and everything we feed both. Sometimes the most radical form of self-love is simply asking what&rsquo;s going into your body, and why?&nbsp;
&nbsp;
With Love and Gratitude,
Jay Shetty
&nbsp;
JAY&rsquo;S DAILY WISDOM DELIVERED STRAIGHT TO YOUR INBOX
Join 900,000+ readers discovering how small daily shifts create big life change with my free newsletter. Subscribe <a href="https://news.jayshetty.me/subscribe">https://news.jayshetty.me/subscribe</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;
&nbsp;
Check out our Apple subscription to unlock bonus content of On Purpose! <a href="https://lnk.to/JayShettyPodcast">https://lnk.to/JayShettyPodcast</a>&nbsp;
&nbsp;
What We Discuss:
00:00 Intro
00:22 The Chronic Disease Epidemic
01:54 The Link Between Mental Health and Diet&nbsp;
05:17 What Metabolism Really Means&nbsp;
07:57 The Shocking Chemicals Added to Food
09:55 Why Is The Food System In America So Harmful?&nbsp;
14:45 The Impact of Ultra Processed Foods on Mental Health&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
16:29 Why Your Brain Actually Needs Certain Foods&nbsp;
17:21 Brain Fog, Depression, Anxiety &amp; Burnout
18:46 Building Mental Resilience&nbsp;
21:48 Self Care Will Improve Your Brain Functioning
23:57 The &ldquo;Make America Healthy Again&rdquo; Movement&nbsp;
25:25 The Next Era of Healthcare in America&nbsp;
27:45 A Healthy vs Unhealthy Metabolism&nbsp;
28:30 Warning Signs From Your Metabolism&nbsp;&nbsp;
29:13 93% of Americans Have Abnormal Biomarkers&nbsp;
30:00 6 Steps For Healing Your Metabolism&nbsp;
31:11 The Truth About Alcohol, Weed &amp; Vaping&nbsp;
35:46 Exercise Doesn't Have to Be Extreme to be Effective&nbsp;
36:30 Stop Looking at Screens All Day!
37:10 Why No Single Diet Works for Everyone
38:45 The Power of Eating More Whole Foods&nbsp;
39:45 Do You Know What Your Body Needs?&nbsp;&nbsp;
40:20 What Are Nutrient Dense Foods?&nbsp;
41:17 Why Some People Are Metabolically Compromised&nbsp;
42:22 Dietary Intervention
44:00 The Ancient Power of Fasting
46:17 Why Bipolar Diagnoses Are Rising
50:08 When Medication Isn't Enough
51:24 How a Ketogenic Diet Can Impact Bipolar Disorder
53:06 The History of The Ketogenic Diet (It&rsquo;s Not What You Think)&nbsp;
54:50 How The Ketogenic Diet Can Stop Seizures&nbsp;
56:20 The Power of Healing&nbsp;
57:47 The Unexpected Grief of Getting Better
59:05 A Life Dedicated to Psychiatry&nbsp;&nbsp;
1:04:15 Keeping a Healthy Dose of Skepticism&nbsp;
1:05:30 Rethinking New Treatments&nbsp;
1:06:55 Advice for Concerned Parents
1:07:31 What Are Epigenetics?&nbsp;
1:11:23 The Worst Chemicals For Brain Health&nbsp;
1:13:30 This Is An Ethics Issue&hellip;
1:14:09 Which Chemicals Cause Generational Anxiety?&nbsp;
1:18:20 Dr. Chris Palmer on Final Five
&nbsp;
Episode Resources:
&nbsp;
Read | <a href="https://brainenergy.com/">Brain Energy</a>&nbsp;
Website | <a href="https://www.chrispalmermd.com/">https://www.chrispalmermd.com/</a>&nbsp;
YouTube | <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@ChrisPalmerMD">https://www.youtube.com/@ChrisPalmerMD</a>&nbsp;
Facebook | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ChrisPalmerMD/">https://www.facebook.com/ChrisPalmerMD/</a>&nbsp;
Instagram | <a href="https://www.instagram.com/chrispalmermd/">https://www.instagram.com/chrispalmermd/</a>&nbsp;
X | <a href="https://x.com/ChrisPalmerMD/">https://x.com/ChrisPalmerMD/</a>

I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace.

I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!

I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace.
I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!

On Purpose with Jay Shetty

My name is Jay Shetty, and my purpose is to make wisdom go viral. I’m fortunate to have fascinating conversations with the most insightful people in the world, and on my podcast, I’m sharing those conversations with you. New episodes Mondays and Fridays. Please rate and review the podcast if you enjoy it. Live life today ON PURPOSE.

My name is Jay Shetty, and my purpose is to make wisdom go viral. I’m fortunate to have fascinating conversations with the most insightful people in the world, and on my podcast, I’m sharing those conversations with you. New episodes Mondays and Fridays. Please rate and review the podcast if you enjoy it. Live life today ON PURPOSE.

Dr. Chris Palmer: Your Diet Could Be Causing Anxiety, Depression & Brain Fog (6 Simple Changes to Make Today)

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/2e344388-03dd-40ba-82ac-b47c00c870df/transcript