Alex Laird - MOOD FOOD: THE GUT, DIET AND INFLAMMATION

In this episode we learn everything we need about how food relates to our mood and state of mind. We’re going to lay out the fundamentals of how different food groups and qualities of food influence directly our mental and physical health; how the gut species depletion and inflammation are key consequences of the changes we’re seeing in western industrial diet, and we can counter that tendency with some simple tricks. Alex Laird is a medical herbalist with more than 20 years' clinical experience. Trained in biomedicine and plant pharmacology, she treats patients in the only NHS herbal clinic based in a UK hospital at Whipps Cross, and she is a fellow and council member of the College of Practitioners of Phytotherapy (CPP). She worked with Breast Cancer Haven UK for 20 years, using nutritional therapies for cancer. Alex has undertaken clinical research, is a visiting lecturer, has published numerous research papers, and is the co-founder of the charity Living Medicine. She is also the author of the new book ‘Root to stem’ which talks about seasonal foods and remedies for strong health and immunity that can be found growing literally in the hedgerow around your house! Please buy me a coffee if you're enjoying the show here What we talk about: 05:00 An epiphany with nature 07:00 Nutritional Psychiatry and the Gut microbiome 08:40 Evolution with unrefined foods VS modern refined sugars 17:00 The need for minerals and phytonutrients 13:10 High protein/ lo-carb approaches 18:10 Variety is key, the research says 20:20 Phytotherapy 21:20 Inflammation explained 26:30 Acidification and pH in the body 33:00 The gut microbiome 40:00 Reciprocity in nature and life: Feeding diversity 44:00 Crucial gut and fecal microbes via vaginal birth 46:00 Contact with soil and pets (spores, fecal microbes) 46:30 Immune response load needed regularly to maintain health 48:30 The overuse of antibiotics in humans and animals 50:20 Gut disbiosis explained and solutions 55:50 Immunity evolved alongside bacteria and viruses and needs their load 58:30 Supporting Innate and adaptive immunity 1:00:00 Germ theory 2.0? - healthy immune response load 1:04:00 The ‘Root to Stem’ philosophy - Diversity, reciprocity, interconnectivity 06:00 Our relationship to the seasons sustained by seasonal foods 06:55 Reconnecting to nature, ourselves and to community 01:09:10 Plant medicines we might not be aware of 01:10:25 Phytonutrients explained 01:15:30 Dietary fibres and prebiotics 01:18:10 Fermented foods and probiotics 01:24:00 Connection to nature 01:28:00 Sacred = in service to life References: Alex Laird’s association 'Living Medicine' Breast Cancer Haven UK Graham Rook, Old Friends Hypothesis, UCL Karin Moelling - ‘Viruses, more friends than foes’ Tim Spector, British epidemiologist and gut microbiome specialist The College of Practitioners of Phytotherapy www.thecpp.uk www.herbalalliance.uk European Scientific Cooperative on Phytotherapy www.escop.com  Association of Foragers  https://foragers-association.org