Stop Treating Mental Health Like It’s Separate From Food: The Missing Link No One Talks About

Mental health is often framed as something that happens to us—driven by genetics, circumstances, or stress we can’t control.

But in a recent episode of the Plant-Based Support Podcast, Dr. Niki Davis and psychologist Dr. Angela Crawford explore a powerful truth that’s still missing from most conversations: what we eat directly affects how we feel.

Dr. Crawford shares her personal journey from a standard American diet to vegetarianism and eventually a whole-food, plant-based lifestyle.

What began as an ethical awakening expanded into something deeper—improvements in emotional balance, inner peace, and resilience. As she explains, plant foods rich in fiber, antioxidants, and anti-inflammatory compounds don’t just nourish the body; they support the brain, the microbiome, and the neurochemistry behind mood and stress regulation.

Both doctors reflect on how rarely this connection is taught in medical or psychology training. Yet research—and lived experience—suggests that when people fuel their bodies with whole plant foods, other mental-health tools work better. Therapy, stress management, mindfulness, and social support become more effective when the nervous system isn’t constantly inflamed by poor nutrition.

A key theme of the conversation is values alignment.

Dr. Crawford describes how living in a way that supports personal health, animals, and the planet creates a deeper sense of fulfillment—even if it doesn’t mean feeling “happy” all the time. This alignment, she explains, often becomes the anchor that helps people sustain long-term change.

The episode also highlights the importance of community and emotional resilience, especially when navigating social pressure or skepticism. Change is difficult enough; doing it alone makes it harder.

The takeaway is hopeful and empowering: mental health isn’t just about coping—it’s about nourishment, connection, and meaning.

👉 Learn more and join supportive groups at plantbasedsupport.org

👉 Watch the full episode here: Mental Health and Nutrition: The Overlooked Link with Angela Crawford, Ph.D.

Episode’s Transcript

Please understand that a transcription service provided the transcript below. It undoubtedly contains errors that invariably take place in voice transcriptions.

Niki Davis, MD (00:02.158)

Hello, I'm Dr. Nikki Davis and this is the Plant-Based Support Podcast where we share evidence-based wisdom, real stories, and support for your journey to better health through plant-based living. Now, I actually started out as an engineer on the Space Shuttle program before making a big change in my own health and career by moving to a plant-based diet. And now, I get to be a lifestyle medicine physician helping patients all over the world through LifestyleTelemedicine.com.

Today, I'll be talking with Dr. Angela Crawford, a psychologist who does amazing work exploring the connection between plant-based living, mental health, and personal transformation. And here's our quick learning moment for today. Did you know that what you eat can directly affect your mood and mental wellbeing? Well, whole plant foods loaded with fiber, antioxidants, and anti-inflammatory compounds support brain health.

and have been linked to lower rates of depression and anxiety. Now when we nourish our bodies with plants, we're also giving our minds a boost. So I can't wait for you to hear from Dr. Angela Crawford. Thank you so much for being here today.

Angela Crawford, PhD (01:15.44)

I'm so thrilled to be here.

Niki Davis, MD (01:18.109)

All right, well first, the way I like to start this is for people who don't know you, I would love to hear a little bit about your background and what it is that you do. How did you get into what you're doing now?

Angela Crawford, PhD (01:32.816)

Well, I grew up in the Midwest and I ate a pretty standard diet and felt that meat and dairy were essential. had no idea you could survive without it, much less thrive. And I've been a psychologist for many years. I worked in a psychotherapy private practice for much of my career. But about 16 years, I first moved to becoming vegetarian. I guess it was 18 years ago. First moved to vegetarian.

learned about from a program about factory farming and meat processing plants. And it just kind of got me thinking about how my food got to me. So first it was sort of for the ethical aspects of just realizing that whole system and not being so sure that I wanted to kind of continue eating that way. And so I had just eaten at a plant-based conference center like a few months before and had these great meals. And it made me aware that like maybe this could be possible, you know, although I wasn't.

sure like I wanted to put into the effort of cooking. I wasn't much of a cook. wasn't, I kind of ate comfort foods and convenience foods, but having eaten at that conference center, having the good food, and then seeing this program that got me thinking about how, you know, my food was, you know, processed and, you know, especially meat and what happened in that industry.

I decided I'm gonna try out some plant-based recipes. So the very next day I bought a cookbook, I tried out a vegetarian lasagna, and I really actually loved making it. It was actually an adventure and all these great colors and it was like spinach artichoke and red pepper lasagna. And it was just really great. I shared it with family, they loved it, and I'm like, huh.

So I just started trying new recipes and so for many years first I was vegetarian. But I tried to eat a fairly healthy version of it because I read a lot of books about nutrition. was kind of like you. It wasn't called lifestyle medicine then, but I was, my background was in health psychology. So I always had an interest in that whole connection between our lifestyle and our habits and our health and our emotional well-being.

Angela Crawford, PhD (03:44.548)

So I kept learning, reading about the nutrition. I learned about Dr. Dean Ornish's work. And I just like, I have a family history of heart disease. It's sort of like, why did I not know about this? So, and then just continuing on the journey, eventually I did decide to go to a fully plant-based lifestyle. And I really embrace it for all the reasons, for health and lessening my risk of heart disease and all the other health issues that can come with aging and.

you know, the standard American diet. And also the ethics and the environmental. It's just, for me, I found great peace because just one choice that I make every day is healthy for me, healthier for animals, healthier for the planet. And so I found that it's actually been really great for my emotional and mental health, too. So and that led me to doing research for a book and, you know, writing a book about kind of more the emotional and

psychological and spiritual aspects of living a plant-based vegan lifestyle.

Niki Davis, MD (04:48.138)

That's wonderful. So what is the book called and how would people find that book?

Angela Crawford, PhD (04:52.183)

Yeah, it's called The Vegan Transformation, A Journey to Heal Yourself and the World. It's available anywhere that people buy books, whether it be Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Bookshop. It's available in paperback, ebook, and then on Amazon, also in Audible. And I interviewed vegans. They came to the vegan lifestyle for a variety of reasons, some for health reasons, some more for ethical.

But I interviewed vegans about how their life had changed on a more emotional, social, and spiritual level. And so I share seven core themes that came through the interviews and surveys that I did with people. And then I share not only the stories of the people who had these transformations, some of them physical, some of them more emotional, but also

you know, how the reader can engage with these different principles in their life. Things like values alignment, compassion, health empowerment, spiritual deepening, meaningful connections with others, and a more healthy, authentic fulfillment, like an emotional well-being that may not mean being happy all the time, because sometimes when we make the right choices, doesn't always mean we're happy all the time, but.

What came through for me in my own journey and then the people I interviewed is this deeper fulfillment of making life choices that are both good for us and aligned with our values.

Niki Davis, MD (06:25.547)

Yeah, you know, it's so interesting that you say that because I look back at my own journey and it started as a teenager where I started making that connection of, you know, I was always an animal lover. And in fact, we couldn't have animals in my house because I had family members who were allergic and I really wanted a dog or a cat or anything really. And so I would kind of adopt these animals that would show up, know, like a

a cat that had been left out. And so I would sit outside with it and snuggle with it in a blanket. And of course my parents would have to find someone to give it to. But I always had that. And so once I got old enough to realize, okay, wait a minute, I'm loving all these animals, but then now I'm eating something that either is an animal or came from an animal. And it just didn't really connect well for me.

And in addition to that, I was also starting to think about the health aspects too, because as a young woman, know, 13, 14, I wanted to look good and I wanted to feel good. And I looked at this greasy hamburger and I thought that just doesn't seem like that's going to help me look good and feel good. And so that's when I started like you going vegetarian at first. And then you start learning about all of the aspects of, you know, why we care about.

you know, eating plants and it's the environment and it's the animals and it's our own health. And so it's been a transition over many, many years for me to get to where I am today with a whole food plant-based diet. But absolutely I have this, I've never thought of it that way, but this inner peace.

Yeah.

Angela Crawford, PhD (08:10.809)

Yeah, there's just something very aligned on so many levels that, you know, something, a choice that we have to make every day to survive what we eat, you know, that there's choices we can make that can have so many actually really good consequences. And, you know, that piece you describe, and then you mentioned earlier that food mood connection, you know, that the, you know, the plant foods that we eat that nourish our microbiome and our brain and, you know, all the neurochemicals and...

That's not something that as a psychologist ever was part of my early practice. I wasn't really aware of that.

Niki Davis, MD (08:47.528)

Right. Well, and you know, for me, you know, going through medical school, that's not something that was ever brought up to us. You know, you, you, don't really think that food could ever possibly affect depression or anxiety for instance. but it absolutely can. So that's so powerful when you, because I think a lot of people who are struggling with their mental health feel like it's something they can't control, that it's something

that is happening to them. And of course they can go to therapy and things like that, but to have this real tangible thing that you can try, which is just start eating more plant foods to see if this can help improve things. mean, I think that that's big and I don't think that enough people are talking about that.

Angela Crawford, PhD (09:40.596)

with you. know, I mean, on the one hand, you know, yes, it's not the sole answer, but it's an important foundation that, you're saying, is not really talked about. It wasn't, you know, as you're saying, covered in medical school for you. It wasn't covered in my training. And, you know, because I myself wasn't eating that healthy during the early years, I wasn't, you know, I wasn't really even exploring it that much or advocating for it. But once I learned it,

You know, it is such an important foundation because if we have that fuel that is healthy and not the inflammatory foods, I think it gives a better chance for all the other things we might do for our mental health to have a better outcome. know, that we know things like social support and stress management and, you know, healthy relationships and connection with nature, you know, and...

Mindfulness, these are all things that can help, but if we're not eating good fuel to begin with, good food, I think it's harder for all those things to work. And that came through in some of my interviews. Some people that had had mental health issues before found that they could navigate them a lot better with a whole food plant-based lifestyle.

Niki Davis, MD (10:53.818)

Yeah, so do you have a case or two that you could share with us? Of course, without sharing any information on names or anything like that, but be curious to hear any success stories or interesting cases you've had.

Angela Crawford, PhD (11:08.759)

Yeah, you know, a couple of the people that I interviewed, they had mentioned having significant anxiety or depression that they'd struggled with through much of their life. you know, and each of them had moved towards a whole food plant-based diet, one more of a raw vegan diet and the other just strictly, you know, the whole food plant-based low oil and avoiding salt and sugar. And

You know, what one of them said to me was, you know...

It's not just the food because I need these other practices as well, like the whole lifestyle medicine. So it's just, don't think it would be only the food by itself that would do it. However, I've done all these other things before, like the stress management and other things before, and they did not have the same effect as they are now. So this sort of synergistic effect came through for several of the people that I interviewed where the food was sort of the missing link that helped everything else work better.

And I think that's been true to some degree for me also, while I hadn't had like clinical depression or anxiety, I definitely struggled with ups and downs emotionally when I was younger and I did not, as I mentioned, eat very healthy. So, you know, it seems like things are much more level in the emotions that I have now. They're just easier to work through with having, you know, good healthy food that I'm eating that, you know.

meets, I think, the neurochemical and biological needs of my body and mind and spirit, I would even say.

Niki Davis, MD (12:56.018)

Yeah. And, you know, I think it's, you know, interesting to consider that, you know, lot of people who are not eating plant-based or vegan assume that it's really difficult to do. And I will say there are people who try it out and just can't maintain it. They, they struggle, but I think having that kind of deep connection to it, of this real, connection to your values.

I don't know how it is for you, but for me, I I would, can't even imagine ever not eating this way. It's just, it's who I am inside. I feel like this is just the way I was meant to be. So it's not, it's not difficult for me at all. but do you find that that is something that some people have and some people don't? Are you more successful if you have that kind of connection to your values?

Angela Crawford, PhD (13:49.424)

Yeah, I would say 100%. I'm thinking both of the people I interviewed and then just reading other research where they look at people that don't stick to a plant-based diet, what are the contributing factors. I have to first acknowledge that being plant-based, being vegan, you are being different than...

the majority of people around you. It's still a relatively small percentage of people that adopt a plant-based lifestyle and especially a whole food plant-based lifestyle where you're really trying to eat the healthiest version of it. you're already, lifestyle change can be hard anyway, as you know and I know just from our work, and then you add in something where you're being different than the majority of people around you and facing cultural conditioning and.

cultural messaging and advertising and habits and food traditions and family, all of that. makes it, I think, potentially challenging. And so I think it is really important to have that strong why. You know, if it's for your health, really connecting with how this lifestyle brings things that really matter to you.

you know, the ability to play with your children and grandchildren, the ability to be there for your family for a long, healthy life, you know, the ability to do things you love, having that strong Y. For me, I was blessed to have pretty good health at the time that I became, you know, plant-based. And so the health part is really important to me, especially as I age.

But I think the ethics for me make it so it's just like I just have connected to the animals and there's no way I could go backwards on that. It's just, that's my strong why. But now it's kind of all become interconnected. I think for a lot of people, even those that come on this path for health, once you're not eating animal-based diet,

Angela Crawford, PhD (15:54.028)

it's easier to connect with all those other reasons as well. And so I think the more reasons we have, research suggests that the more we kind of have multiple reasons, including some that go beyond ourselves that can make it even more ingrained for us. And also having it start to become part of our identity, that it's not just a diet.

but it's a lifestyle that is part of who we are. Like I'm a healthy eater, I'm a compassionate eater, I'm someone that cares about my health and animals and the planet and I make choices that are in alignment with that. Just whatever your reasons, really connecting with them on a deeper level.

Niki Davis, MD (16:35.385)

Yeah, and that really resonates with me because I found that once I did that for myself, of course you want to share it with everyone you know, and you start to also want it to be more a bigger part of your life because you start to become more passionate about it. And that's where I left my engineering career because I really wanted to be a bigger part of this.

plant-based movement and helping people be more successful with it. And so by me doing that now, I will say my life, 99 % of my life somehow revolves around this. And so I imagine that that helps me just be more successful and sticking with it, having it be sustainable for me for the longterm of really having my entire life be affected by this really.

Angela Crawford, PhD (17:32.528)

Yeah, it's interesting you say that because again, one of the things that came through in the interviews, one of the core themes was meaning and purpose. you know, I, lot of the people who came through my study connected with me on social media. So some were from LinkedIn. And so many of them had created plant-based businesses or become, you know, plant-based providers in some sense, whether coaches or doctors or nutritionists or dietitians or

fitness related or having a business where they supported other vegan businesses or just some volunteers, people that just found meaning just simply from the fact they were eating in a way that aligned with their values. And then we're maybe helping family or friends or those in their social circle to be more aware. and that's been true for me too. It's become so central to what I do and I'm

sort of in a professional transition, you know, as I'm sorting out the different ways that I bring, you know, my background to help share the message. And the book was certainly one of them. you know, teaching and speaking and things like that have been other ways that I try to share. And I'm starting also with the plant-based support and emotional resilience groups. So that is yet another way to kind of empower people on this journey.

Niki Davis, MD (18:57.177)

that's wonderful. That's what I was just going to ask you about. in addition to this book that you've written, you said that you're doing talks, you're educating others, and now you're going to be doing this emotional resilience group with plant-based support. Fantastic. So tell us a little bit about what that group is going to look like. Who would it be for?

Angela Crawford, PhD (19:07.885)

Yeah.

Angela Crawford, PhD (19:16.375)

Yeah, it starts actually next week. It'll be the third Thursday of every month at 7 p.m. And so next Thursday it will start. And so that'll be kind of a launch session where I'm going to kind of introduce the topic and get a feel for what some of the people that are there are interested in us to cover. But some of the things I see are.

You know, just all the different ways we take care of ourselves emotionally on this plant-based journey. I feel like being plant-based can be so helpful and positive, like for all the reasons you and I have listed, and yet because you are being different than those around you and because it does require you to make some changes in your life. And also eating can be so emotional.

You know, there's just different challenges we can face. So whether it be old habits like comfort eating that make it hard to stick to it, whether it be we have a setback and then we want to give up because we think we failed. Could be just managing stress. It can be managing stressful relationships, you know, navigating some of the social aspects of it.

self-love, self-care. So I think a lot of those different areas will be aspects that we can cover. You know, I'm also interested in just the whole process and psychology of change and how we can understand that so that we can be better equipped to handle some of the challenges we might face on that journey of changing and sustaining our lifestyle.

Niki Davis, MD (20:49.924)

Yeah, well, and I see that being not only beneficial for someone like me who's been doing this for a really long time, but I also see, if I had the opportunity to be a part of a group like that, that talked about that resilience and what you mentioned earlier too, that meaning and purpose and your why and really

dove into that more initially, I feel like I would have had an easier time being successful in the beginning. Because I was kind of just trying it out and just thinking, well, I don't want to hurt animals. But I think that, for people who are just transitioning, and maybe it's because, like you mentioned, one of the reasons that I see a lot of people is because of a health scare or...

It's either a personal health scare that they've had or a family member that they've witnessed have really poor end of life and they don't want that for themselves. And so that's their kind of initial why, but then to kind of go deeper into that and to have that support from the very beginning with other people who are in similar situations. I think that can be really helpful for.

feeling like this is something you can do and be successful at and maintain.

Angela Crawford, PhD (22:16.697)

I'd agree with you. One of the things, the research on people that don't sustain a plant-based lifestyle, social reasons are often found to be the biggest deterrent or challenge that if you don't have a good support system,

and including people that are on the journey with you, it can be really hard. know, just life will hand you things that you might not know for sure how to navigate. And I know for me it was hard. I think of myself as independent, but I discovered I was more of a people pleaser than I realized. And that in the beginning stages of going first vegetarian and then vegan,

how do I handle the social situation where there's nothing there that I can eat? And it took me a while to get better at speaking up and being more proactive. And I think we're so habitual with our eating sometimes that when we're changing our patterns and needing to be more assertive and be more proactive and have a plan, there's a learning curve to all of that.

So having a support group of other people on that journey, some who are further along, some who might just be in the early stages, I think that that is incredibly helpful to stay committed and to have a successful path. So this isn't something we should try to do alone.

Niki Davis, MD (23:37.28)

Right, absolutely. And doing it alone is possible, but boy, it makes it a lot more difficult when you do come up against those things that can challenge you because it doesn't feel good when people are treating you like you're doing something stupid. I mean, I remember even as a teenager, it was clear to me that other people felt like I was doing something unhealthy, that I would be missing out on nutrients. Yeah.

Angela Crawford, PhD (24:01.197)

Yeah, we can get these messages. Yeah. Where people question us or maybe they feel defensive about their own eating and so then they, you know, can be, you know, all different kinds of reactions. And I think that, you know, is important to how do we create sort of allies in our own family and friends, even if they're not on the same journey with us, that at least they're supporting us and not undermining us. How do we assertively communicate with them about those things?

Niki Davis, MD (24:31.244)

Right. Yeah. And also feeling comfortable enough to not get too defensive or also be too aggressive with people because realizing that you used to be in their position once upon a time and you may have reacted exactly how they are to you, which is, you sure that doesn't seem healthy or?

I don't see how you're going to get enough protein in the day, you know, all the things that we often hear from other people, we may ourselves have said at some point. And so also just like stepping back and realizing this person is at this point and it's okay that they feel that way. And so that navigation of that social situation, I think can be really helpful to understand how to react in that situation and to be compassionate with other people and just

share your own experience without telling others what to do or that they're doing something wrong by continuing their diet, right? So that can be tricky to navigate.

Angela Crawford, PhD (25:39.952)

I know that many of us, once we transition and we see all the reasons, we want everybody to change right away. And it's understandable, but what we discover quickly is that pressuring people doesn't usually work. And if just because we were ready to change doesn't mean when we share it with other people that they immediately feel the same way. And so, as you're saying, learning how to handle those.

feelings that come up for us when people don't change right away and how to, I love how you'd said it, just sharing our own journey sometimes. You well, I once thought A, B or C too, you know, like I needed meat for protein, but now I've discovered the amazing protein I can get from plants. And you just let people absorb it and, you know, kind of come through this at their own pace rather than expecting them to change on your, you know, on the schedule you expect.

Niki Davis, MD (26:33.801)

Right, right. And I'm sure you're familiar with Dr. Doug Lyle. Yeah, and where he says, when somebody's asking about your diet, you can very simply just say, I'm just trying it out. It seems to be working for me. I don't know if it'll work for everyone, but I like it so far. And really have it just be so simple that way because then the other person might actually get curious.

Angela Crawford, PhD (26:39.757)

Yes, yes.

Angela Crawford, PhD (27:00.749)

Yeah.

Niki Davis, MD (27:01.724)

Right? Instead of defensive, they might say, well, are you sure it wouldn't work for other people? Like, tell me more about it. So I really like that idea of just really making it seem like it's just your own choice and it's not something that everyone needs to choose. And I do think that that opens it up more for people to feel more confident in asking you more questions about it and not feeling so defensive about their own diet.

Angela Crawford, PhD (27:31.023)

Yeah, and being a great role model, think, just showing how through how you are, how you live, how you feel, and just sharing great food. All of that are ways that help to invite people in without that defensiveness.

Niki Davis, MD (27:47.529)

Yeah, absolutely. All right, well, I wanna just thank you so much for talking with us today. think, you I've learned a lot just by talking to you and I'm excited to take a look at that book. You know, so if you don't mind showing again so that people can see, I know some people are listening, so it's called Vegan Transformation and you can buy it anywhere that you buy your books. Yeah, so are there any other?

Angela Crawford, PhD (28:03.609)

Yeah

Angela Crawford, PhD (28:11.033)

So.

Niki Davis, MD (28:15.475)

websites or anything like that that you want to share for people to get to know you more and what you do.

Angela Crawford, PhD (28:21.775)

Sure, my website is angelacroffordphd.com and you know I do a range of things, know teaching and speaking and probably some small groups over time in addition to the emotional resilience one at PBS and yeah, just and I also teach food for life classes in my community and things like that so just.

try to share it in a lot of different ways. So, but definitely check out my website and all my social media links are on my contact page of the website.

Niki Davis, MD (28:57.565)

Wonderful. Well, thank you so much. All right. And for those who are listening, we would love for you to join our growing community at plantbasedsupport.org where you can attend our in-person events or virtual events, including this wonderful group that Dr. Crawford is going to be hosting every third Thursday of the month, correct? Great. And if you loved our show today, please help us grow at plantbasedsupport.org. Every donation helps.

us support more people like you on their journey to health. And in addition to our website, you can also find us on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, LinkedIn. We would love to see you there as well. So thank you again, Dr. Crawford, for your time today. Really appreciate it. And until next time, I'm Dr. Nikki Davis with the Planet Based Support Podcast.