Georgia Ede, MD

Harvard-trained, board-certified psychiatrist specializing in nutritional and metabolic psychiatry.

Georgia Ede M.D. is a Harvard-trained psychiatrist specializing in nutrition science and brain metabolism. Her twenty-five years of clinical experience include twelve years as a college psychiatrist and nutrition consultant at Smith College and Harvard University Health Services, where she was the first to offer students nutrition-based approaches as an alternative to psychiatric medications.

Dr. Ede speaks internationally about dietary approaches to psychiatric disorders. She co-authored the first inpatient study of the ketogenic diet for treatment-resistant mental illnesses, developed the first medically accredited course in ketogenic diets for mental health practitioners, and was honored to be named a recipient of the Baszucki Brain Research Fund’s first annual Metabolic Mind Award. Her new book Change Your Diet, Change Your Mind was published in January 2024.

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Philosopher's Notes on Georgia Ede, MD's Books

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Change Your Diet, Change Your Mind

by Georgia Ede, MD

Dr. Georgia Ede is a Harvard-trained psychiatrist specializing in the fascinating intersection of nutrition science, brain metabolism, and mental health. With over two decades of clinical experience, including groundbreaking work at Smith College and Harvard University Health Services, she was the first to offer nutrition-based therapies as an alternative to psychiatric medications. I came across this incredible book after Alexandra interviewed Dr. Ede for one of her Luminary Sessions with Heroic Coaches. This book is PACKED with Big Ideas to help you and your family conquer mental health challenges. I’m excited to share some of my favorites, so let’s jump straight in!

Quotes by Georgia Ede, MD

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Optimal mental health requires that your whole brain be made of the right stuff, so if you have a mental (or physical) health problem of any kind, the first place to look isn’t your medicine cabinet, it’s your pantry.

Georgia Ede, MD

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I am not a child psychiatrist, but when parents ask me what they should feed their children for better mental health, I recommend beginning with a paleo eating pattern.

Georgia Ede, MD

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Meat contains all the nutrients we need, in their most bioavailable forms, without interference from antinutrients. The brain evolved to require meat, and meat allowed the brain to evolve. Our digestive system is engineered to process meat.

Georgia Ede, MD

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The single most important change you can make to your diet to protect your brain from damaging inflammation and oxidative stress is to avoid refined carbohydrates and vegetable oils, which starts with eliminating ultra processed foods.

Georgia Ede, MD

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I encourage everyone to completely avoid all grains and legumes, as their health risks far outweigh their benefits.

Georgia Ede, MD

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Our species, Homo sapiens, is about 200,000 years old, so we have only been consuming grains and legumes for 5 percent of our history, at most.

Georgia Ede, MD

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What distinguishes today’s destructive diets from all those that preceded it? Certainly not the presence of red meat and saturated fat—both of which we’ve been consuming since time immemorial—but refined carbohydrates and refined vegetable oils. These are the true signature ingredients of the SAD diet, and they have found their way into nearly every processed food on the market.

Georgia Ede, MD

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And to anyone out there who feels like they’ve tried everything already: please don’t give up. If you’re willing to try one more thing, hope is on the menu.

Georgia Ede, MD

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Following a paleo diet is less about eating exactly the same foods our ancient relatives would have eaten, and more about avoiding the foods they wouldn’t have eaten: grains, legumes, dairy products, industrially processed food products, refined carbohydrates, vegetable oils, alcohol, and added sugars.

Georgia Ede, MD

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There’s no way around it: If it is optimal health you seek, you will need to start grounding your food choices in brain biology rather than dietary ideology.

Georgia Ede, MD

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Addition feels proactive, positive, and empowering, but the truth is that protection is not about addition, it’s about subtraction.

Georgia Ede, MD

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Red wine is not a brain-healthy beverage. If you have a mental health issue of any kind and you currently drink alcohol at any level, I recommend you stop drinking for at least thirty days so that you can evaluate how your current use may be affecting your mood, sleep, concentration, productivity, and overall well-being.

Georgia Ede, MD