The science of metabolic psychiatry is advancing, but the movement behind it is just getting started. In this episode, Dr. Bret Scher sits down with Natasha Smikles and Eddie Rodriguez from Metabolic Collective, a new nonprofit working to build an international advocacy network for ketogenic and metabolic therapies.

Their goal: accelerate awareness, adoption, and support for metabolic interventions in mental health.

They cover:

1. The personal journeys that led Natasha and Eddie to metabolic therapy
2. Why lived experience is such a powerful driver of change
3. Why Metabolic Collective was created, and who it’s for
4. How Metabolic Collective is organizing community-led advocacy and education
5. What tools, resources, and events are available to help you get involved
6. How to support others, start a local group, or bring metabolic psychiatry into your community

Metabolic psychiatry is growing, and movements like this are helping close the gap between research and real-world impact. From mental health challenges to neurological disorders, the Metabolic Collective hopes to spread the word about metabolic therapies and empower patients with alternative options to standard of care.

👉Learn more about the Metabolic Collective at https://metaboliccollective.org. 👉Read the Metabolic Collective case for support at https://metaboliccollective.org/case-for-support/.

#MetabolicMind #KetogenicTherapy #MetabolicPsychiatry

🔎 Have questions about how to apply metabolic therapies effectively? Submit them at metabolicmind.org/questions to be featured in a future Metabolic Mailbag episode.

Experts Featured:

Natasha Smikles

1. natasha@metaboliccollective.org
2. https://www.instagram.com/natasha.smikles/
3. https://x.com/NatashaSmikleshttps://www.linkedin.com/in/natasha-smikles-93753523a/

Eddie Rodriguez

1. https://www.instagram.com/brainheal_th_/?hl=en
2. https://www.youtube.com/@BrainHeal_th_
3. https://x.com/BrainHealth919

Resources Mentioned:

Is caffeine sabotaging your mental health progress? Should you try a carnivore diet if keto isn't working? What if your meds lower ketones?

In this new Metabolic Mailbag episode, Dr. Georgia Ede joins Dr. Bret Scher to answer your most pressing questions about metabolic therapies, mental health, and more.

Together, they dive into nuanced, evidence-informed conversations about:

1. The real impact of caffeine on mood, sleep, and ketosis
2. Whether the carnivore diet is “too high” in protein
3. Why some people see mental health improvements on carnivore when a ketogenic diet hasn’t worked
4. What to do when medications interfere with ketone levels, and why deprescription must be done safely and strategically
5. And more

Metabolic psychiatry is a promising frontier, and we’re here to empower individuals navigating serious mental illness with tools and knowledge rooted in science, compassion, and real-world experience.

🔎Have questions about how to apply metabolic therapies effectively? Submit them at metabolicmind.org/questions to be featured in a future Metabolic Mailbag episode.

🔔 Subscribe to Metabolic Mind and join the growing community exploring metabolic therapies for mental health: https://www.youtube.com/@metabolicmind

#MetabolicMind #KetogenicTherapy #FoodAsMedicine #QuestionAndAnswer

Expert Featured:

Dr. Bret Scher

1. https://x.com/bschermd/
2. https://www.linkedin.com/in/bret-scher-08baaa102/

Dr. Georgia Ede

1. https://www.diagnosisdiet.com/
2. https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgiaedemd
3. https://www.facebook.com/GeorgiaEdeMd/
4. https://www.instagram.com/georgiaedemd/?hl=en

Resources Mentioned:

Change Your Diet, Change Your Mind by Dr. Georgia Ede

1. https://www.amazon.com/Change-Your-Diet-Mind-Powerful/dp/1538739070

Taper Down Slowly: A Beginners Guide to Psychiatric Drug Tapering (Part 1)

1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RVMvi-vU5E8

Go Slowly: A Beginners Guide to Psychiatric Drug Tapering (Part 2)

Do SSRIs help your brain?

SSRI medications are among the most widely prescribed antidepressants, but what if we’ve misunderstood how they work? In this interview, Dr. Bret Scher sits down with biochemist and nutrition scientist Dr. Chris Masterjohn to explore a deeper, more systemic view of mental health and how we treat it.

Dr. Masterjohn reveals why serotonin isn’t just a “mood booster,” how SSRIs may be disrupting mitochondrial function, and why focusing on lifestyle strategies that support brain energy metabolism could unlock new paths for treating depression.

🔍 What you’ll learn:

1. Chris’s personal journey from veganism to carnivore
2. The importance of testing for nutrient deficiencies
3. How mitochondria influence mood and cognition
4. Why SSRIs may disrupt brain energy metabolism
5. The truth about serotonin and morning sunlight
6. Why exercise & nutrition often outperform medication
7. What SSRIs really do (and what they don’t)

If you've ever questioned the serotonin theory of depression, or sensed there’s more to the story than what mainstream medicine tells us, this conversation fills in some of the missing pieces.

🔎 Have questions about how to apply metabolic therapies effectively? Submit them at metabolicmind.org/questions to be featured in a future Metabolic Mailbag episode.

👉 Subscribe to Metabolic Mind for more interviews, research, and updates in the field of metabolic psychiatry.

Expert Featured:

Dr. Chris Masterjohn

1. https://www.chrismasterjohn-phd.com/
2. https://substack.com/@chrismasterjohnphd
3. https://x.com/ChrisMasterjohn
4. https://www.facebook.com/chrismasterjohn/
5. https://www.instagram.com/chrismasterjohn/

Resources Mentioned:

Substack: Prozac is a Performance Enhancing Drug

1. https://chrismasterjohnphd.substack.com/p/prozac-is-a-performance-enhancing

Mitome: Mitochondrial Analysis

1. https://www.mito.me/

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