If you are anything like me, then this book is for you. I like to emotionally eat and this book has given me many more options that are much healthier. There are easy to follow recipes and steps, it's a nice change from junk food recipes that I've been using.

Spoiler: it's the Mediterranean diet, also hailed as the panacea for a number of health issues. Can it work for depression and anxiety? I like the author's approach to try for 6 weeks to see if you can jumpstart your emotional and physical health. Some of the recipes are pretty familiar, like Caesar salad or pesto, just jazzed up with more kale, while others are more unusual, like shakshuka. I hope it helps some folks out there who are battling depression, anxiety, and other health issues.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to review a temporary digital ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

This is an interesting book that works to connect mental health with the food we eat. No surprise, whole foods make us feel better. The author identifies a number of food categories that will support positive mental health (aka brain food). He also includes a six week plan (with recipes!) to support slowly including these foods into your daily diet. I appreciated the reinforcement of the importance of eating healthy, and will be mindful of including the highlighted foods.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book in exchange fro a honest review.

This is a wonderful book rich in information on the relationship between food, nutrients and brain health. The information is well-written and easy-to-understand. The guidance offered is beneficial for anxiety and depression however also helpful for brain aging, brain fog, and overall health, wellness and longevity. I purchased a copy of this book and plan to reread often!

Thank you, Harper Wave and NetGalley, for a digital ARC!

The book has a few interesting tidbits and nice charts but nothing groundbreaking— the author likes fresh farm grown food which not everyone has access to — the author also loves kale and recommends mussels, oysters, liver and lots of seafood as brain happy food. Unfortunately not very realistic for most — recipes at the end of book are complicated (even the kale salads). No supplement/exercise advice and overall most information could easily be found online. If you’re a “beginner” to the world of anxiety treatment/coping it might be useful. Depression and anxiety are both extremely complicated involving genes, hormones (a big one), lifestyle and diet as well as things like thyroid function. A nice basic/starter book for those suffering from anxiety and depression.

EAT TO BEAT DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY by Drew Ramsey is more than a cookbook. Ramsey, an assistant clinical professor of psychiatry at Columbia University College, offers a plan to "Nourish Your Way to Better Mental Health in Six Weeks." He divides the text into two parts: focusing first on "Eating for Optimal Mental Health" and then on a more specific "Depression and Anxiety Mental Health Food Plan." Ramsey maintains a conversational tone, suggesting, for example, that cutting down on coffee (and its caffeine) by substituting an herbal tea may help to beat anxiety. He answers hypothetical questions posed by readers regarding their dietary preferences (e.g., what if I don't like green vegetables? Or should I be eliminating grains or gluten?) and lifestyles (e.g., isn't this method expensive? Or do I need to give up vegan diet?). Each chapter offers a bullet-pointed recap and Ramsey encourages his readers to set SMART goals (i.e., specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and timely) in order to "rack up some small wins, setting ... up for long term success." All of that feels very appropriate and non-threatening to his audience. The recipes themselves are accompanied by nutritional information and include many choices from his suggested food categories: "leafy greens; rainbow fruits and vegetables; seafood; nuts, beans, and seeds; meat; eggs and dairy; and good microbiome bugs." A couple of examples are Turkey Zucchini Skillet Lasagna, where zucchini substitutes for pasta, or Potato Pancakes with Smoked Salmon and Crème Fraiche, for more omega-3 fats, or Honey Soy Wild Salmon Burgers. They all sound delicious while being a great way to encourage healthy eating! In addition, the topic of mood and gut relationship is of interest to our students who will appreciate that Ramsey provides a set of helpful resources, plus notes on relevant scientific papers.

While none of the recipes offered in the book seemed like anything I would want to try and make, I did find the explanations of how depression and anxiety are affected by our food! I also enjoyed learning more about the vital things our body needs in order to nourish our brains and our body in order to help combat the depression and anxiety. I was happy to see some foods I already eat and enjoy included in this list and now have a list of other foods that I will be trying to incorporate into my diet more often.

Overall, a good resource on how what we eat is connected to how are brains work. There was a lot of info I've read in simliar books, but I especially liked the book's approach to how we can change our diets taking smaller steps instead of trying to do a complete overhaul in one go. There was some very practical information that would helpful to readers who haven't had an introduction to eating whole foods and the connections between brain health and what we eat.

This book was very helpful. It had easy to put into place suggestions and a lot of really great information.

Eat to Beat Depression and Anxiety
Nourish Your Way to Better Mental Health in Six Weeks
by Drew Ramsey, M.D.
Harper Wave and Harper Business
You Are Auto-Approved
Harper Wave
Health, Mind & Body | Nonfiction (Adult) | Self-Help
Pub Date 16 Mar 2021 | Archive Date 11 May 2021

Excellent book to nourish yourself to better mental health. Using what we know about food, we can eat better and feel better. I really liked this book. Part cookbook/part nutrition book, I think we all can learn a lot from it.
So many people take meds for these disorders, I wonder if 6 weeks of following this plan would be a better idea.
Thanks to Harper Wave and Harper Business and NetGalley for the ARC.
We will consider adding this to our Nonfiction collection.
5 star

Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC in exchange for review.

Part nutrition guide, part cookbook, Drew Ramsey gives a healthy alternative/supplement to the meds we take for depression and anxiety. Everyone in my immediate family suffers from one or the other or both. Knowing what nutrients we can put into our bodies to alleviate symptoms is very helpful.

The recipes are easy to follow, and if you have been eating well - you should have most of the ingredients at home or on your grocery list. Most of the foods I already knew were important, but I did need the reminder for what happens when the good food slips and the simple carbs take over.

Though my middle schoolers aren't the audience, I would recommend for high school and public libraries.

Backing up information provided in this text with solid science and a reassurance that there is no "one right way" to utilize the nutritional guidance, Ramsey comes forward with an easy to read and believable plan for helping our mental health while building a strong foundation in what we consume. The added graphics break up the text, and none of the terms feel too dense or heavy for the casual reader.

This book was received as an ARC from Harper Wave and Harper Business in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

This was such an informative and educational book to read. I knew food had something to do with mental health but I never really knew the full impact it had on not only our physical health but our mental health too. Dr. Drew Ramsey does a brilliant job breaking down the essential nutrients for the brain and what nutrients you are lacking if you are suffering from depression, anxiety or any other mental disorder and if you incorporate them into your diet, you'll not only see but feel the results in no time. Everyone deserves to feel their best both physically and mentally and these books are the perfect way to spread the word that there is a way to live life the way it was meant to.

We will consider adding this title to our R Non-Fiction collection at our library. That is why we give this book 5 stars.