Healing the Modern Brain with Dr. Drew Ramsey—Mental Fitness, Food, Connection & Attention

In this first part of a two-part conversation, Dr. Annie Fenn sits down with her friend and colleague Dr. Drew Ramsey, a board-certified psychiatrist, psychotherapist, author, and pioneer in nutritional psychiatry.Drew is the founder of the Brain Food Clinic, a digital mental health practice, and Spruce Mental Health in Jackson, Wyoming. His latest book, Healing the Modern Brain: Nine Tenets to Build Mental Fitness and Revitalize Your Mind, lays out a practical framework for building mental fitness and supporting a healthier, more resilient brain.Annie and Drew begin with the origin story of nutritional psychiatry: Drew’s childhood on a farm in Indiana, his training at Columbia, the early research on omega-3 fats and fish consumption, and the simple question he started asking patients that changed the way he practiced psychiatry: “What did you eat today?”They also discuss why food belongs in the mental health conversation, how the brain-food movement has grown, and why the best health advice often starts with the basics we can actually agree on.From there, the conversation moves into Drew’s framework for mental fitness: sleep, nutrition, movement, connection, engagement, grounding, unburdening, and purpose. Drew explains why mental fitness is something we can build over time, and why the modern world makes that both more difficult and more urgent.One of the most timely parts of the episode is Drew’s take on doom scrolling, AI, and the algorithm. He explains why these tools may do more than distract us — they may change how we seek novelty, pleasure, connection, and reward.Annie and Drew also explore the difference between connection and engagement, why social isolation matters for both mental health and brain health, and how unburdening past stress, grief, or trauma can be part of cultivating a healthier mind.Chapters00:00 — Intro03:49 — Meet Dr. Drew Ramsey04:23 — How Annie and Drew met06:21 — The early days of nutritional psychiatry11:25 — The question Drew started asking patients15:08 — The brain-food movement grows18:15 — Healing the Modern Brain19:14 — What is mental fitness?26:08 — Drew’s nine tenets26:30 — Connection and engagement29:21 — Doom scrolling, AI, and the algorithm34:10 — A brain-healthy social media strategy36:38 — Why mental health belongs in brain health39:07 — Unburdening stress, grief, and trauma46:09 — Review & DoWebsite: Drew Ramsey, MDInstagram: Drew Ramsey, MDBrain Health KitchenWe are grateful for our sponsorsNeuroReserve: https://neuroreserve.comUse code BHKPodcast for 10% off.NeuroReserve makes science-backed brain health nutrition products, including Relevate, Revanta creatine, and Brain Health Kitchen Extra Virgin Olive Oil.Better Brain: https://betterbrain.com/annieUse code AFENN50 for $50 off your assessment, bringing the cost of a full brain health biomarker panel down to $39. Most people pay $0 out of pocket for coaching.