Medicine Redefined Podcast

Ultra-Processed Minds: Trauma, Addiction & The Food We Eat

In a recent interview on the Medicine Redefined podcast, I had the opportunity to discuss the complex interplay between nutrition and mental health, exploring how our food choices affect not just our physical wellbeing, but our psychological health, behavioral patterns, and broader societal structures. We touch on the changing human brain and the emerging of ultra-processed minds.

Understanding Disordered Eating vs. Eating Disorders

One of the first distinctions I emphasized is the difference between disordered eating and clinical eating disorders. While eating disorders like anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge eating disorder represent specific diagnostic categories, disordered eating encompasses a broader spectrum of dysfunctional eating patterns that may not meet full diagnostic criteria but still significantly impact wellbeing.

I also highlighted ARFID (Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder), a growing concern that goes beyond what we used to dismiss as “picky eating.” This condition has sensory components and may be influenced by the neurochemical rewards triggered by ultra-processed foods, which can make other foods seem less appealing and create genuine aversions.

The Three Pillars of Nutrition for Mental Health

When considering how nutrition impacts mental health, I typically focus on three key areas:

1. Nutrient Biology: The direct connection between specific nutrients and brain function. This includes the role of omega-3 fatty acids, B vitamins, magnesium, and other nutrients that directly or indirectly support brain health.
2. Gut Health: The gut serves as a mediator between food and the brain. The gut microbiome influences numerous biological pathways that affect mental wellbeing, including the production of neurotransmitters and management of inflammation.
3. Nutritional Psychology: How we think about food, the language we use, and the messages we’ve internalized about eating. This encompasses societal diet culture, weight stigma, social identity around food choices, and our personal relationship with eating.

The Gut-Brain Connection and Inflammation

Of particular interest in my research is the role of inflammation as a critical link between gut health and mental health. The emerging field of psychoneuroimmunology examines how inflammatory processes that often begin in the gut can affect brain function and contribute to conditions like anxiety and depression.

“When you think about the connection between food and the brain, the mediator is the gut,” I explained during the interview. “Inflammatory cascades are one of the primary links between the gut and the brain, particularly in the context of mental health.”

This perspective helps explain why anti-inflammatory dietary patterns may benefit mental health beyond their nutrient content. Certain ultra-processed foods promote inflammation, while whole foods help reduce it, creating a physiological environment that supports better mood and cognition.

Food Addiction and Eating Disorders: Finding Middle Ground

One of the most polarized debates in my field centers around the relationship between food addiction and eating disorders. The eating disorder community has traditionally viewed addiction-like symptoms around food as primarily resulting from restriction and dieting, while addiction researchers often see the opposite—that addictive responses to ultra-processed foods can drive restrictive behaviors.

“A social determinants of health informed view would say that people with limited access to food should be provided with whatever food is available at whatever price that they can afford… A commercial determinants of health view would say if socially disadvantaged groups don’t have great access to food, commercial actors and the government would have even more responsibility to make sure that this food is not poisonous, toxic, and addictive.”

I advocate for a nuanced approach that acknowledges both pathways. Recent research supports that food addiction may actually predict restrictive eating behaviors more strongly than the reverse. Understanding an individual’s timeline and history can help determine which pathway is most relevant to their experience and inform more effective interventions.

The Commercial Determinants of Health

Beyond individual eating patterns, I’m deeply interested in the commercial determinants of health—how corporate actors shape health outcomes through policy influence and norm-shaping.

“Commercial actors actually intentionally fuel social division and create infighting on topics as a way of distracting the people from seeing the bigger picture. So as long as we’re fighting each other, we won’t band together and look at the real structural injustices.”

These commercial influences often remain hidden, manipulating public discourse around nutrition and health. For example, the term “litterbug” was coined by the plastic industry to shift responsibility from corporations to individuals—a tactic that food companies also employ by emphasizing personal responsibility rather than addressing harmful practices in food manufacturing and marketing.

My Personal Journey Through Recovery

My interest in this field stems from personal experience. In my early 20s, despite having resources and privileges, I struggled with addiction and reached points where I couldn’t simply “take responsibility” and change. Through recovery, I discovered the transformative power of nutrition and lifestyle changes.

“I had a strong sense that if I stopped doing a lot of things that I was doing previously and started doing a bunch of new things, that it would change my biology and change my temperament. I was one of those people that had very profound results from lifestyle change.”

This experience became the foundation for my career path—from personal trainer to registered dietitian to mental health researcher with a PhD in public health. It also informs my approach to patient care, where I emphasize empowerment rather than dependency.

The Wise Mind Nutrition Approach

These experiences and insights led me to develop the Wise Mind Nutrition app, which bridges polarized approaches to nutrition and mental health. Named after the DBT concept of the “wise mind,” the app integrates logical and emotional approaches to food.

“I built a mental health app that uses nutrition to help people recover without it being a very clearly defined road map. It’s a choose your own adventure.”

Unlike conventional nutrition apps focused on calories and macros, Wise Mind Nutrition takes a qualitative approach, emphasizing food quality, food groups, and helping people connect with food in new ways. It includes personalized messaging based on mental health screening, educational modules, and features for connecting with practitioners.

A Deeper Connection to Food

Beyond the scientific aspects, I emphasized that nutrition can also be understood symbolically—as a way to connect with nature, community, and ourselves at a deeper level.

“When you start to see nutrition as a way to connect, it becomes much more deeper than a vitamin or a mineral, doesn’t it?”

This perspective recognizes that good mental health ultimately depends on connection, and our relationship with food offers a powerful avenue for strengthening these connections.

By integrating scientific knowledge with practical wisdom and a deep respect for individual differences, we can develop a more comprehensive approach to nutrition for mental health—one that nourishes not just the body, but the mind and spirit as well. Let’s challenge the era of ultra-processed minds, one bite at a time!