Uma Naidoo, MD, recently spoke with Oncology Nursing News

to explain how clinicians can make small diet changes to improve their overall mental well-being and proactively fight burnout.

Naidoo, a nutritional psychiatrist and director of nutritional & lifestyle psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital, is the author of the acclaimed book 

Naidoo offered examples to help health care professionals adjust their lifestyle, explaining that “when you are not feeling great, you may think that you are eating what we call a comfort food or a treat, but I like to say that comfort foods are discomfort for the brain. So, maybe just think a little bit before that. A good tip is, if you have a craving for something, you might actually be thirsty because the hunger and thirst signals in the brain come from a very similar location. So, have a glass of water–hydration is great for you anyway, and that could stave off that hunger or craving until you are able to sit down or get a healthier meal.”

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“This is a holistic, functional and integrative approach to your mental well-being. So, you start small, and you build up on that. It is not an overnight fix; it is a slow and steady progress.”

Health Care Professionals Can Fight Burnout Through Their Diet

to explain the connection between the gut and brain, and how the food individuals eat can affect emotional health.

Naidoo, a nutritional psychiatrist and director of nutritional & lifestyle psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital, is the author of the acclaimed book 

Naidoo explained that “the gut and brain emerge from the same exact cells in the embryo. They then form the organs and develop apart in the body. They then remain connect throughout life by the tenth cranial nerve or vagus nerve, which I like to call a two-way superhighway, which allows for chemical messaging back and forth, between brain and gut and gut and brain. In addition, more than 90% of serotonin receptors and serotonin is made in the gut.” 

Through this connection, she added, “food actually can impact our emotional health.”

“More than 90% of serotonin receptors and serotonin is made in the gut.”

Uma Naidoo, MD

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Health Care Professionals Can Fight Burnout Through Their Diet

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