Three years ago, I found myself navigating dark and unknown sidewalks in Washington, D.C., long before sunrise. I was attending the national meeting of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and was on my way to the convention centre. My excitement level was high as I anticipated attending a lecture series on harnessing food more optimally in promoting brain health — especially for the developing brain.

To my knowledge, it was one of the first series of lectures where the focus was solely on how “brain food” impacts a child’s brain and microbiome development. I arrived at the lecture room 30 minutes before sunrise and 30 minutes before the lecture was to start.

I never got to hear what was taught.

Despite that ungodly hour, made worse by the two-hour time zone difference between Calgary and D.C., all the seats were already taken. “Latecomers” were turned away. Later, I was told the overwhelming interest caught organizers by surprise. They discovered a deep hunger (no pun intended) among MDs to learn more about this key issue.

In my clinic, where mental health issues have mushroomed since 2007, I have also noted how many parents are keen to learn more about the role of nutrition — as opposed to trying various medications, good as some may be.

By now, many of these families are open to other modalities of treatment, food included. I usually share three resources with these families: a plant-dominant diet to be found on the website of the Physicians’ Committee for Responsible Medicine (www.PCRM.org), The Better Brain book by Calgary professor Dr. Kaplan, and a website by Dr. Drew Ramsey, a witty psychiatrist from Columbia University.

I discovered Dr. Ramsey in 2013 via a book he co-wrote, 50 Shades of Kale, a tongue-in-cheek reference to the movie Fifty Shades of Grey. In Ramsey’s book, he makes the point that kale is a great brain food, worthy of 50 recipes and nutritional information.

Ramsey is an assistant clinical professor in Columbia’s department of psychiatry in New York City. He is one of the leading proponents of using nutritional interventions to optimize mental health. His podcast, Dr. Drew Ramsey Podcast, is easily accessible. One episode in particular, Episode 33, stands out in its usefulness for those interested in this topic: Simple Ways to Maximize Your Mental Health Through Diet, Lifestyle and Mastering Your Mindset.

The field of nutrition will forever remain divisive; agreement is rare; contradictions abound and feelings run deep — at times very similar to religion and politics.

Most experts agree that a colourful diet has uncontested benefits. The more colours like green, yellow, red, orange, purple and brown, the better the phytonutrient levels, polyphenols and antioxidants. Some refer to the Mediterranean diet as the “rainbow diet.” Dr. Ramsey playfully refers to it as the brainbow diet, because of its positive impact on reducing depression and anxiety.

I like to remind folks that there are two Mediterranean diets — the original and a modern-day version. The latter is less healthy.

In my experience, many parents feel a vegan diet is too hard to follow. But there are some folks who are maximizers, and for them, no work is too difficult. For these families, I like to make them aware of an internationally recognized registered dietitian based here in Calgary, Dr. Brenda Davis (www.brendadvisrd.com)

When it comes to brain-healthy foods, we talk about protein, healthy fats, lots of fibre, and a variety of colours.

Protein plays an important role in making sure neurotransmitters function optimally. Most families associate meat with the best source of protein. That is, of course, debatable, and I tend to argue for peace and a compromise: tofu, edamame, beans, lentils, Greek yogurt and seafood must not be forgotten.

The latter also provides healthy fats such as omega-3s. However, increasingly, concerns about fish being full of microplastics have grown to the point that some families opt for only plant-based sources.

Fibre intake generally runs low in North American families. Only about 10 to 15 per cent meet the daily requirements. Beans and lots of fruits and vegetables benefit the brain by ensuring the gut microbiome is healthy. The conversation between the gut and the brain is silent, but real.

Now that school has started, optimizing brain health is an important topic. Nutritional psychiatry is no longer in its infancy; it is ready for prime time as the witty Dr. Ramsey and my Washington mishap demonstrate.

Dr. Nieman is the founder of Centre 70 Pediatrics. His columns for the Herald have appeared monthly since 1999.