In this powerful conversation, psychiatrist and nutritional psychiatry pioneer Dr. Drew Ramsey joins John R. Miles to explore the critical intersection of food, thought, and mental health. Based on insights from his groundbreaking book Healing the Modern Brain, Dr. Ramsey challenges the outdated paradigm of reactive mental healthcare and instead introduces a proactive framework for cultivating mental fitness.
Together, they dive into why our brains are wired for connection and how modern life—from poor nutrition to social isolation and digital overload—is eroding that fitness. Dr. Ramsey shares practical, science-backed tools that listeners can implement immediately to begin reclaiming their mental clarity and emotional balance.
This episode is essential for anyone struggling with anxiety, burnout, or brain fog—or for those simply seeking a more empowered, intentional path to well-being. Whether you’re new to nutritional psychiatry or already optimizing your lifestyle, Dr. Ramsey offers the kind of actionable wisdom that can truly change lives.
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“Trauma affects gut diversity. But healing trauma isn’t about eating more kimchi—it’s about understanding the full picture.”
drew ramsey, md
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Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Podcast Addict, Pocket Casts, Stitcher, Castbox, Google Podcasts, Listen Notes, Amazon Music, or on your favorite podcast platform. You can watch the interview on YouTube below.
Unlock Your Brain’s Potential: Gut Health, Sleep, and Self-Awareness
In this episode, John R. Miles and Dr. Drew Ramsey unpack the hidden drivers of mental fitness—from the microscopic world of your gut to the unseen waste-clearing glymphatic system in your brain. Dr. Ramsey challenges the one-size-fits-all chemical imbalance narrative and introduces you to a holistic toolkit for daily resilience: practical nutrition tweaks, sleep strategies that actually clear brain fog, the power of epigenetics in reshaping gene expression, and the often-overlooked need for deep self-awareness. You’ll also hear why reclaiming your focus from digital algorithms and tuning into your environment—whether city or country—can be as vital as any supplement or therapy.
In This Episode You’ll Learn:
- Neuroplasticity Matters: Your brain can grow and rewire itself at any age—if you give it the right nutrients and experiences.
- Beyond Serotonin: Medications like SSRIs do more than boost one molecule; they reduce inflammation and support new connections.
- Epigenetic Empowerment: Daily lifestyle choices—from diet to movement—literally switch your genes on or off.
- Clean House While You Sleep: Quality rest fuels the glymphatic system, your brain’s “waste disposal,” preventing buildup of toxic proteins.
- Self-Awareness First: You can’t improve what you can’t recognize—naming your feelings is the gateway to meaningful change.
- Digital Detox: Algorithms hijack attention and erode mental bandwidth—small screen-free habits can dramatically boost clarity.
WHY IS THIS EPISODE A MUST-LISTEN?
If you’ve ever questioned why you feel foggy, burned out, or anxious despite “doing all the right things,” Dr. Ramsey’s evidence-based framework reframes mental health as an everyday practice, not a last-resort treatment. You’ll walk away with concrete, science-backed actions—from what to eat at breakfast to how to structure your evening routine—that can spark immediate improvements in mood, focus, and long-term brain resilience. This is more than theory; it’s the actionable roadmap you need to take charge of your mental fitness starting today.
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How Alcohol Wrecks Your Rest—and What Really Helps Your Brain Recharge
When it comes to optimizing sleep, alcohol is a classic trap. In Healing the Modern Brain, Dr. Drew Ramsey pulls back the curtain on why that “nightcap” isn’t doing your brain any favors. Sure, a glass of wine might help you drift off faster—but once you’re out, your brain’s all-important waste-clearing system (the glymphatic network) gets short-changed. That means more metabolic junk builds up overnight, leading to foggy mornings, cranky moods, and even long-term cognitive drag.
Dr. Ramsey’s own sleep routine proves how little tweaks can make a huge difference. Instead of relying on booze, he journals through early-night restlessness—turning 45 minutes of middle-of-the-night wakefulness into valuable self-reflection time. Then he hops into a sauna before bed to gently raise his core temperature and trigger deeper, more restorative non-REM sleep.
Here’s the bottom line: alcohol might knock you out, but it also short-circuits the biology your brain needs to clear toxins, balance inflammation, and build new connections. If you’ve struggled with restless nights, try swapping that evening drink for any of these:
- Journaling: Capture racing thoughts on paper so they don’t hijack your sleep.
- Sauna or Warm Bath: A gradual cooldown afterward promotes deep, dream-rich slumber.
- Morning Sunlight: A daily walk in natural light resets your circadian rhythm better than any tech gadget.
- Movement Earlier: Exercise before dinner can help you unwind naturally without sedatives.
By ditching alcohol and embracing these simple habits, you’ll give your brain the chance to self-repair and wake up feeling genuinely refreshed—no prescription required.
Thanks, Dr. Drew Ramsey
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RESOURCES FROM THE SHOW WITH DR. DREW RAMSEY
Please note that some of the links on this page (books, movies, music, etc.) lead to affiliate programs for which The Passion Struck podcast receives compensation. It’s just one of the ways we keep the lights on around here. Thank you so much for being so supportive!
- Dr. Drew Ramsey’s Website
- Dr. Drew Ramsey’s Instagram
- Dr. Drew Ramsey’s Twitter
- Buy Dr. Drew Ramsey’s Book ‘Healing the Modern Brain’
- APA’s recognition of mattering as critical to child mental health
- Passion Struck Core Value System: https://passionstruck.com/the-passion-struck-core-belief-system/
- Listen to Passion Struck’s interviews with New York Times bestselling authors Gretchen Rubin and Seth Godin.
- Check out Passion Struck’s Episode Starter Packs on Spotify or Passion Struck starter packs to get started with the podcast.
About Today’s Guest, Dr. Drew Ramsey
Dr. Drew Ramsey is a board-certified psychiatrist, psychotherapist, and pioneering author in Nutritional Psychiatry. He founded the Brain Food Clinic in New York City and Spruce Mental Health in Jackson, Wyoming, and served as Assistant Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at Columbia University for two decades.
Dr. Ramsey has authored multiple best-selling books—including Eat to Beat Depression and Anxiety and Healing the Modern Brain—and is a sought-after speaker whose work has been featured on CBS Sunday Morning, NPR, The Today Show, and in The Wall Street Journal.
He’s delivered three TEDx talks, appeared in Big Think and the BBC’s Food on the Brain documentary, and hosts the Mental Fitness Kitchen cooking class. Dr. Ramsey also publishes the weekly “Friday Feels” newsletter and leads e-courses on Healing the Modern Brain and Nutritional Psychiatry for Clinicians.
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