Feeling anxious lately? I don’t know about you…but my mental health went down the toilet in 2020. I’ve always been anxious by nature but since turning 40 - which was followed closely by the pandemic - I’ve had to make my mental health more of a priority and I know I’m not alone: according to the world health organization, global prevalence of anxiety and depression increased by a whopping 25% in the first year of the pandemic. So, um, maybe we should talk about it?   It’s so hard to tease out which feelings are totally normal and expected given the current state of our world and which are a signal that something more serious is going on. And, what to do about it. First things first: I’ve gotta say it, TALK TO YOUR DOC…but I also know that when something goes wrong, so many of us turn to the internet for answers. And it’s the wild west out there, with all manner of opinions on what is causing our anxiety…and what to do about it. If you’ve ever seen a post on regulating your nervous system, activating your vagus nerve and eating to beat anxiety…you might want to listen to this episode. I’m speaking with Dr Nicole Lippman-Barile PhD, clinical psychologist, to talk about anxiety through the lens of wellness. I started following her a while back because she’s very good at calling BS on all the things wellness gets wrong about mental health. And there is some pretty shady advice being doled out on the internet about the role of diet and anxiety, the gut brain connection and the microbiome…you name it, so I wanted to ask Dr Nicole to set the record straight about some common myths as well as evidence-based strategies for improving your mental health. About Nicole Lippman-Barile PhD: Dr. Nicole Barile is a licensed clinical psychologist who specializes in the intensive outpatient treatment of anxiety and mood disorders. She is extensively trained in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) as well as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and utilizes elements of Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) and Eastern philosophy. On this episode we chat about: The difference between a feeling of anxiety and an anxiety disorder Whether there’s been an increase of anxiety disorder in the general population or not What we actually know about the gut-brain connection Is there any good evidence that diet CAN cure a diagnosed anxiety disorder? The difference between gut-derived serotonin and brain-derived serotonin.  How the pandemic made Nicole realize she had to un-learn the nutrition misinformation she was taught in school What the RECENT research really says about seed oils and inflammation Why individual differences need to be considered when applying mental health or nutrition solutions: If something works for an influencer, does that mean it’ll work for you? The role of therapies such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and Exposure Therapy in the effective treatment of anxiety Do lifestyle changes like exercise, mindfulness, and social support aid therapy in the treatment of mental illness symptoms? A solution that ISN’T talked about a lot online: how to problem solve what may be causing your anxiety … and approach the things you’ve been avoiding Support the Pod! We couldn’t make this podcast happen without the support of our amazing listeners… I love hearing your feedback on these episodes to be sure to join the conversation on our instagram @theallsortspod @desireenielsenrd @feedyourmental as well as in our Nutrition with Desiree community. If you love this episode, please share it with your friends and family, or take a minute to rate, review or subscribe on your favourite podcast app. We appreciate EVERY. SINGLE. LISTEN! Full show notes, including episode links and recommendations at www.desireerd.com/podcast