Hey friend,

We’ve been sold the myth that depression is just a serotonin imbalance—and that simply boosting serotonin with a pill is the fix.

While there’s some truth to the serotonin theory, it’s far from the full picture.

If it were, we’d all be a lot happier and more fulfilled.

Yet, despite 12.7% of the U.S. population (43.8 million people) taking antidepressants, overall happiness hasn’t improved, according to the American Psychological Association. [1]

I’ve spoken and worked with countless people who are done with the mainstream medical approach to depression and the cycle it traps them in…

They’ve become dependent on a pill, caught in an endless loop of antidepressants—higher doses, more drugs, and still no relief.

Just numbness, emotional flatlining, barely getting through each day.

All while never getting to the root of their emotional turmoil.

Thankfully, there’s another path—a way to find real health, emotional balance, and resilience.

And it starts with what we eat.

Nutrition and mental health

Nutrition might not be as sexy as nootropics, psychedelics, or supplements, but it's the core foundation of our health and well-being.

Gut health is mental health.

Gut health deeply influences anxiety and depression through the gut-brain axis (a bi-directional communication network). [2]

The gut houses trillions of microbes, organisms responsible for producing mood-regulating neurotransmitters like serotonin, dopamine, and GABA. [3]

Many people with depression overlook dietary changes—especially since mainstream doctors rarely mention it.

However, with growing evidence linking systemic inflammation to depression, and modern foods as a significant contributor, it's time to pay attention. [4]

A large meta-analysis of eleven studies with 101,950 participants aged 16 to 72 revealed a strong link between a pro-inflammatory diet and an increased risk of depression.

The researchers concluded that adopting an anti-inflammatory diet could be an effective way to reduce the risk and symptoms of depression. [5]

Armed with this knowledge, we can harness the power of food as medicine and low-inflammatory nutrition to heal our minds.

If I were struggling with depression and fed up with relying solely on pills without finding true wellness, here’s the low-inflammatory nutrition protocol I’d follow to start healing from the gut to the brain and beyond.

Low-Inflammatory Nutrition Depression Protocol

First, we will identify what not to eat, and then introduce what you need to eat.

Here are the most pro-inflammatory foods that you should avoid at all costs:

Processed foods (obviously)

No need to elaborate: processed foods are bad for your health and trigger inflammation.

Processed foods are loaded with pro-inflammatory ingredients like refined sugars, trans fats, artificial additives, preservatives, high fructose corn syrup, and toxic fats.

Rule of thumb: If it’s in a package, skip it! Stick to the outer aisles of the grocery store—load up on fresh produce and meat for a healthier haul.

Lectins found in grains and legumes

Lectins are proteins that act as plants' natural pesticides and animal deterrents.

It wasn't until the dawn of agriculture that humans started to include these grains and legumes in their diet.

The proteins (lectins) found in grains and legumes harm our health by damaging the gut lining, promoting Leaky Gut, triggering systemic inflammation, and contributing to autoimmunity. [6]

Get these out of your diet now.

Lectin-containing foods:

• Avoid all grains and pseudo-grains—wheat, rye, spelt, corn, brown rice, wild rice, forbidden rice, quinoa, buckwheat, and amaranth.
  • The only safe option is white rice, as the bran and hull—packed with lectins—are removed.
• All beans, except peas and snap peas, fall into this category, including kidney, cannellini, black, pinto, chickpeas, adzuki, and more.
• Dairy products made from the milk of most North American cows—even those that are grass-fed and organically raised—contain the lectin-like protein casein A1.
• Nightshades—potatoes, all peppers (including bell, chili, and jalapeño), eggplants, goji berries, and tomatoes—are loaded with lectins and contain glycoalkaloids (similar effects as lectins).

Toxic oils and fats

Since 1950, we've seen a surge of new oils in our diet, originally developed to lubricate military machinery during WWII. After the war, the industry didn't want to waste profits, so they started adding these toxic oils into our food!

These are the industrial seed oils—canola, corn, soybean, cottonseed, safflower, and others.

They’re oxidized and damaged before they even hit the shelves.

Unlike lectins, which quickly lose their effects once you stop eating them, these oils invade your body, embedding themselves in crucial areas like cellular membranes and fatty tissues, including the brain, where they can linger for years!

Get these industrial seed oils out of your diet now:

• Canola oil
• Corn oil
• Soybean oil
• Cottonseed oil
• Safflower oil
• Sunflower oil
• Grapeseed oil
• Peanut oil

Sugar

Another obvious health-negating food to avoid is sugar.

Sugar fuels inflammation by spiking insulin, creating Advanced Glycation End Products (AGEs), disrupting gut microbiome balance, activating the immune system, boosting oxidative stress, and increasing fat storage that releases pro-inflammatory cytokines.

In short: sugar is a no-go.

I can already hear some asking, "But what about my organic coconut sugar?"

Let’s say it together: "Sugar is sugar is sugar!"

For your reference, here’s a list of sugars (and sweeteners) to eliminate and only indulge in on special occasions:

• Table Sugar (Sucrose)
• High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS)
• Agave Nectar
• Maple Syrup
• Coconut Sugar
• Brown Sugar
• Molasses

Alcohol

Didn’t see this coming? Think again! (Muhahaha!)

Alcohol is one of the most inflammatory substances you can put in your body. And trust me, the list of its serious health effects is far from short…

Eliminating alcohol will be a game-changer for reducing inflammation in both your brain and body—and it’ll naturally support your mental health too!

Check out my new guide: Top 7 Natural Alcohol Alternatives​

It features my favorite health-supportive psychoactives to help you ditch the booze—whether you want to unwind in the evening, turn up at the club, or ease anxiety at social events.

Conventionally grown foods, animal products, and GMOs

Conventional produce is packed with toxic herbicides, pesticides, and synthetic fertilizers that wreak havoc on our gut and microbiome, causing dysbiosis.

A thriving gut microbiome is essential for robust immune function and inflammation control!

When it comes to GMOs, the long-term health impacts of these unnatural foods remain a mystery. But let's be real: a little common sense reveals just how harmful they can be!

While conventionally raised animal products are packed with antibiotics, hormones, steroids, omega-6 fatty acids from grain feeds, and pesticide residues.

These toxic elements wreak havoc on your microbiome, throw your endocrine system out of balance, and ignite inflammation in both your body and brain.

So to recap, it's best to avoid these to lower inflammation:

• Processed foods
• Grains, pseudo-grains, and legumes
• Nightshades (Glycoalkaloids)
• Most dairy products
• Alcohol
• Industrial seed oils and pro-inflammatory fats
• Sugar and excess carbohydrates
• Conventionally-raised animal products and conventionally-grown produce
• GMO Foods

Now that you know what to eliminate, here’s what to replace those foods with to kickstart your Low-Inflammatory Nutrition Depression Protocol:

Healthy oils and fats

For decades, fats have been unfairly vilified by mainstream nutrition experts since the 1970s.

But it's time to set the record straight: ditch the unhealthy fats and replace them with the right ones.

When you fuel your body with healthy fats, you’ll snuff out inflammation at the source.

When you load up on omega-3s and monounsaturated fats, your body produces powerful anti-inflammatory compounds known as resolvins and protectins.

These fats are also rich in antioxidants, they help balance cortisol levels and regulate inflammation-promoting hormones like eicosanoids.

They also enhance the absorption of vital fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, and K) crucial for immune function—and simply whole-body health—while supporting the integrity of your cellular membranes.

Healthy fats are truly amazing! Here are the best ones for you:

• Coconut oil
• Beef tallow
• Grass-fed butter
• Ghee
• Red palm oil
• Avocado oil
• Olive oil
• Krill oil/fish oil
• MCT oil
• Coconut meat
• Avocado
• Olives
• Pastured egg yolks

Protein

Grass-fed meats and organ meats are under fire, with climate narratives steering us toward lab-grown and plant-based “meats” made from industrial soy, wheat, corn, and now, cellular cultures.

While some plant-based motivations are well-intentioned, the corporate push to replace real food with engineered alternatives ultimately funnels money to Big Food under the guise of saving the planet—and our health.

But it is so far from the truth!

Animals raised humanely on their natural diet produce some of the planet’s most nutrient-dense foods—loaded with omega-3s, antioxidants (like vitamin E and beta-carotene), and essential vitamins and minerals (B vitamins, zinc, iron, magnesium, and more).

Not only that, when regenerative animal-husbandry practices are used, they actually restore the soil, capturing CO₂ from the atmosphere and locking it back into the ground through carbon sequestration—supporting healthier ecosystems and climate!!!

Stock up on these animal products to fuel your body with the nutrients it needs to thrive and combat inflammation (while supporting a healthy climate and planet):

• Grass-fed beef/lamb/bison
• Wild game meat (elk, venison, antelope, etc.)
• Pastured eggs (if tolerated)
• Collagen protein
• Low-mercury wild fish (sockeye salmon, trout, anchovies, sardines, haddock)
• Pastured chicken and turkey
• Organ meats (liver, heart, kidney, brain, etc.)

Fruit

Fruit can be healthy, but watch out for sugar (fructose) overload! Many fruits are cross-pollinated and specifically cultivated to emphasize sweetness, resulting in unnaturally high fructose levels. For optimal blood sugar balance and inflammation control, stick to low-sugar fruit options.

Here are your best bets:

• Avocado
• Blackberries
• Cranberries
• Kumquats
• Raspberries
• Blueberries
• Lemon
• Lime
• Pineapple
• Strawberries
• Tangerine
• Grapefruit
• Pomelo
• Pomegranate

Starches and grains

Savor small portions of starches and the lone grain on the list—white rice—for a boost of carbohydrates when your body craves extra fuel.

Perfect for those intense training sessions or days when you need a nourishing bite.

These low-inflammatory starches will support your athletic pursuits:

• Sweet potatoes
• Yams
• Acacia gum
• Squash (butternut, delicata, kabocha, acorn, pumpkin)
• Plantain
• Carrot
• Cassava
• Taro
• White rice

Nuts and seeds

I’m a bit cautious about including these. While I enjoy a good almond butter or a handful of cashews, nuts and seeds have their downsides.

They contain lectins (which I exposed the perils of) and phytic acid, which can bind to essential vitamins and minerals, robbing you of nutrients.

Plus, many are prone to mold contamination during storage—which mold is highly pro-inflammatory…

Eat these in moderation for best results:

• Coconut (go nuts with this one)
• Cashews
• Almonds
• Walnuts
• Macadamia
• Hemp hearts
• Pistachios
• Pumpkin seeds
• Chia seeds

Healthy sweeteners

I get it—we all crave sweetness sometimes! Fortunately, there are natural sweeteners that won't send your blood sugar or insulin soaring, disrupt your gut microbiome, or trigger your immune system.

Enjoy your sweet treats without sparking inflammation in your brain and body! Use these:

• Xylitol
• Stevia
• Erythritol
• Monk fruit
• Raw honey (in moderate amounts)

So to recap, it's best to center your diet around these major foods to lower inflammation (and support depression treatment):

• High-quality fats and oils
• Low-sugar fruits
• Nutrient-dense veggies
• Grass-fed meats and organs
• Low-mercury seafood
• Healthy starches (in moderate amounts)
• Health-supportive sweeteners

There you have it, a complete Low-Inflammatory Nutrition Depression Protocol!

Many people struggling with depression often overlook the powerful role nutrition plays in their condition.

What they may not realize is that inflammation is a significant contributor to the pathology of depression. [4]

Sadly, the Western diet is highly pro-inflammatory, likely fueling the soaring rates of depression in the United States and beyond.

With mounting evidence linking pro-inflammatory diets to a greater risk of depression and worsening symptoms, [5] changing your nutrition is the low-hanging fruit (pun intended) you can tackle today for a holistic approach to improving your mental health!

You can then break free from relying on pills that merely numb your symptoms…

Instead, tackle the root causes of your depression to liberate yourself and foster lasting mental-emotional balance and resilience!

I'm curious—if you're grappling with depression, has your doctor discussed the role of nutrition in mental health?

Where are you struggling with your nutrition?

Hit reply and let me know.

Onjae

References:

[1] American Psychological Association. "The Numbers Behind Mental Illness." American Psychological Association, Nov. 2017, www.apa.org/monitor/2017/11/numbers.

[2] Berding, Kirsten et al. “Diet and the Microbiota-Gut-Brain Axis: Sowing the Seeds of Good Mental Health.” Advances in nutrition (Bethesda, Md.) vol. 12,4 (2021): 1239-1285. doi:10.1093/advances/nmaa181

[3] Strandwitz, Philip. “Neurotransmitter modulation by the gut microbiota.” Brain research vol. 1693,Pt B (2018): 128-133. doi:10.1016/j.brainres.2018.03.015

[4] Beurel, Eléonore et al. “The Bidirectional Relationship of Depression and Inflammation: Double Trouble.” Neuron vol. 107,2 (2020): 234-256. doi:10.1016/j.neuron.2020.06.002

[5] Tolkien, Katie et al. “An anti-inflammatory diet as a potential intervention for depressive disorders: A systematic review and meta-analysis.” Clinical nutrition (Edinburgh, Scotland) vol. 38,5 (2019): 2045-2052. doi:10.1016/j.clnu.2018.11.007

[6] Vojdani, Aristo. “Lectins, agglutinins, and their roles in autoimmune reactivities.” Alternative therapies in health and medicine vol. 21 Suppl 1 (2015): 46-51.