Metabolic Psychology: The Missing Link in Your Health Journey

In this interview, I sit down with Michelle Pitot, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and psychotherapist, to discuss the emerging field of Metabolic Psychology. If you’ve struggled with "food noise," emotional eating, or feel like your mental health is a barrier to your physical goals, this conversation is for you.We explore why metabolic health is about much more than just the scale. It's about providing the brain with the energy it needs to regulate emotions and process trauma. Michelle shares her journey of moving beyond traditional talk therapy to incorporate nutritional foundations that help her patients find deep, lasting healing. I bring in a thoughtful and gentle fasting-based perspective to the discussion as well. In Health, Phil Zimmermann, MD00:00 – Welcome and Introduction to Michelle Pitot 00:55 – What is a Metabolic Psychologist? 01:54 – The Link Between Brain Fuel and Emotional Struggles 03:00 – Why the "Standard American Diet" is Failing Your Brain 03:47 – Beyond the Sugar Crash: The Long-Term Deficit 04:58 – Dr. Z’s Perspective: The Crisis of Chronic Disease 06:56 – 90% of Serotonin is Produced in Your Gut 08:08 – Moving Beyond the "Pill First" Medical Model 09:37 – Why Old Traumas Surface When You "Clean Up" Your Diet 11:18 – Metabolic Psychiatry: The Deep Mind-Body Connection 13:27 – "Franken foods" and Biohacking Your Own Biology 15:54 – Overcoming the Outsourced Health Mindset 17:44 – Experimenting with an "N of 1" Approach 18:33 – Using Fasting Windows to Create Emotional Space 19:53 – How Nutrition and Fasting Can Quiet "Food Noise" 21:58 – The Body Keeps the Score: Creating Physical and Emotional Safety 24:06 – Chronic Inflammation as the Root of Chronic Disease 26:17 – Putting Serious Mental Illness Into Remission 27:50 – First Do No Harm: The Power of Unprocessed Foods 28:30 – Upcoming Projects: The Cholesterol Code Documentary Check out Michelle's Website:https://www.michellepitot.comUnravel Type 2 Diabetes Naturally:https://drzmethod.comSimple Fasting Podcast, Consulting and more:https://simplefasting.com