The Brain Food Podcast

How do you stay fit, focused, and healthy when medical school demands everything from you? Join me as I talk to Maggie, an incoming 4th year medical student, (@pump.med on insta) as she shares practical strategies for staying consistent with fitness during clinical rotations and board prep, prioritizing sleep without sacrificing productivity, and studying more efficiently to maximize focus and per...

I’m so excited for you all to hear my conversation with my friend Maggie, a third-year medical student passionate about maintaining physical and mental health as a busy student. Maggie’s energy is so contagious, and I admire how she uses her platform to teach her audience not just how to have a work-life balance but also why it is so important. From Buffalo NY, Maggie grew up with a love of sports...

Today's episode is unique in that it focuses on the challenges women may face going into a career in medicine (or any demanding career, truly), and how to not just overcome those challenges, but also grow through them. I am SO excited to have Sim, otherwise known as “simmcity” on Instagram, on today. Sim is a student doctor & anatomy fellow who shares her journey along with current mindset & movem...

My guest today is a long-time friend of mine, Lexi Ascher! We grew up dancing together since we were eight, and this woman is an absolute inspiration. Lexi is a passionate advocate for health and wellness whose personal journey with type 1 diabetes has profoundly shaped her path. Raised in Orange County, she spent her childhood and teen years as a competitive dancer, instilling a deep appreciation...

Welcome to episode 26!!! This guest is the most special one I have had yet… my superwoman MOM!! From immigrating to the United States in her 20s to starting her own business in her 50s, she has wisdom that needs to be shared with the world. In this episode, my mom reflects on how she learned work ethic, financial stability, and independence moving to a new country at the age of 23, and why it is s...

Welcome back for part 2 of my amazing conversation with Dr. Julia Pakey! For the first episode of the year, I’m chatting with someone who has truly inspired me professionally and personally. Meet Dr. Julia Pakey, aka Julia Rose MD on Instagram! Julia is not only a rockstar in the medical field but also a social media influencer who juggles a busy residency while living her best life—traveling the...

We’re kicking off 2025 with a bang—and I’m so excited to share that this episode is so packed with goodness that I had to split it into two parts! For the first episode of the year, I’m chatting with someone who has truly inspired me professionally and personally. Meet Dr. Julia Pakey, aka Julia Rose MD on Instagram! Julia is not only a rockstar in the medical field but also a social media influen...

Welcome back for episode 23! I've been following my guest, Neha, for about two years now on Instagram, watching her bodybuilding journey while she balances her corporate job. As another young Indian woman, it's been so inspiring to see her pursue her passion for fitness in the media space, where it is so rare to see young Indian girls. Neha created her account because, growing up, she never saw gi...

If you’ve ever wrestled with negative thoughts or struggled to embrace a healthy relationship with food—and yourself—this one’s for you! Join me as I chat with Dr. Angela Claffey, a trailblazer in mental wellness, specializing in eating disorders and body positivity. Her insights will transform the way you think, feel, and speak to yourself.

In this episode, Dr. Jordan Levinson, a developmental psychologist, joins us to discuss the impact of weight stigma and disordered eating. I do want to give a trigger warning: this episode covers sensitive topics, including eating disorders and related topics. Tune in to learn how weight stigma affects us and how we can protect our health from a dangerous cycle of negativity!

In this new episode, we're diving deep with the extraordinary Dr. Natalie Keirns, a postdoctoral research fellow studying cardiovascular behavioral medicine. Dr. Keirns earned her PhD in Clinical Psychology from Oklahoma State University in 2023 and her research is nothing short of groundbreaking. Get ready to be dazzled as we uncover the intricate links between psychosocial stress and cardiometab...

It’s been a while…. But I am back with an amazing guest who I am so lucky to call one of my friends: Ellen Amico. After graduating with a major in psychobiology and a minor in food studies from UCLA, Ellen is now attending USC to pursue her master's of science in nutrition, healthspan, and longevity at USC. After both struggling with one herself and working at an eating disorder treatment center i...

Join me in my first episode of 2023 in my conversation with Dr. Janet Tomiyama, a psychology professor at UCLA who also is the head of the Dieting, Stress, and Health lab at UCLA. Her research interest focuses on the harmful health consequences of stress, dieting, and fat shaming, and has even been covered in the media. Today we are going to be discussing one of her studies that were mentioned in...

In this episode, I am so excited to be speaking with someone who shares the same college atmosphere as I'm sure many of you listeners do! I am speaking with Leah Roga, another student at UCLA who shares a student's perspective on her own fitness and health journey. We talk all things gym, nutrition, reverse dieting, and how to balance it all!

Welcome back to another episode after a while, and I promise we are hitting the ground running!! Today, I am speaking with Dr. Lauren Hofschneider, who is actually my health psychology professor at UCLA. She takes a psychophysiological perspective in her research to investigate how factors, such as stress, subjective social status, and perceptions of scarcity, shape food choice overall. In this ep...

In today’s episode, we cover everything you need to know about probiotics, and there is no one better to speak on the subject than Dr. Tien Dong. Dr. Dong is a gastroenterologist at UCLA who is also the PI of his own lab. His research is focused on evaluating the impact of the brain-gut microbiome axis on obesity and fatty liver disease. Dr. Dong is actually currently embarking on an exciting proj...

In today’s episode, we cover a topic we have yet to regarding its effects on health, and it is an understatement to say it is a huge passion of mine. Join in as I speak with Michelle Guan, a medical student at David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA regarding the research she did on the effect physical activity has on the microbiome. To say Michelle is extraordinary is not enough to describe her-...

In this special episode of the Brain Food Podcast, I am so excited to be partnering up and working with Sahaas for Cause, a non-profit organization that focuses on creating impactful programs to stabilize the lives of the South Asian community.. Our main goal with this project is to engage south Asian community members in tobacco control efforts with an emphasis on advancing policy or systems chan...

In this new episode of the Brain Food Podcast, we cover all things INFLAMMATORY. “Inflammatory” and “anti-inflammatory” are among the most common buzz words in the health world today. Join me as I speak with Staci Shacter, MS, a registered dietitian, and licensed nutritionist who specializes in providing tips for various conditions linked to inflammation with her delicious recipes and lifestyle ch...

Welcome back to my incredibly informative episode with Dr. Gupta. Listen in to part two of this episode for more information on how to combat food addiction and what eating certain foods does to your gut! If you haven’t already, go listen to part one! The Naked Brain: https://ournakedbrain.com/ Eat Smarter by Shawn Stevenson: https://www.amazon.com/Eat-Smarter-Metabolism-Upgrade-Transform/dp/B08RS...

In this first episode of a two-part series, we cover a topic very personally connected to me as my guest, Dr. Gupta, shares a passion quite similar to mine in her endeavors to find how food can be used as medicine while investigating the scientific mechanisms of the brain-gut connection. Dr. Arpana (Annie) Gupta, has completed a Ph. D. degree in psychology, followed by an APA accredited clinical i...

Join me in episode 8 of the Brain Food Podcast as I speak with Lauren Cunningham, a recipe developer, and integrative health coach who was inspired to help others learn the importance of nutrition in overall health through her rollercoaster journey with Crohn’s Disease. We cover foods that trigger inflammation, how processed foods in the Western diet can lead to IBS symptoms, and how it is in fact...

Welcome back to part 2 of my incredible conversation with Dr. French! In this episode, we continue our discussion of holistic health. Dr. French emphasizes the importance of nutritional content over calorie counting and how important keeping a plan for yourself is. She also shares many of the healthy habits she includes in her daily life and shares her advice on how to look at health to create a s...

Have you ever thought to yourself that you want to become healthier, sleep better, or be more productive while balancing a fun, social life? In the first of a two-part episode, I speak with Dr. Anu French, a holistic pediatrician, about all aspects of health she has advised her patients: nutrition, sleep, balance, how to manage stress, and mindfulness. We discuss the importance of sleep, being pre...

Back again with another incredible episode after a bit of a break! In this shorter episode, we cover a subject I have not yet explored on this podcast. I am speaking with Payal Sawney, a mental health clinician with a master's in social work and psychiatry. She has worked in both India and the United States, giving her a unique perspective of mental health through a cross-cultural lens. We speak a...