Dr. Lisa Feldman Barrett

Learning something new is effortful. Dealing with uncertainty is effortful. Everything we call stress. Stress is just really your brain is predicting a big metabolic outlay because there's some effort involved, right? Some motivated effort involved. So those are the three things that make up your energy budget.

Learning something new is effortful. Dealing with uncertainty is effortful. Everything we call stress. Stress is just really your brain is predicting a big metabolic outlay because there's some effort involved, right? Some motivated effort involved. So those are the three things that make up your energy budget.

And the really important point, you as an organism have a fixed amount of energy that you can produce in a day. Meaning ATP, like these little chemicals, these little protein things that your cells use as literal energy that come from glucose and other things like fats.

And the really important point, you as an organism have a fixed amount of energy that you can produce in a day. Meaning ATP, like these little chemicals, these little protein things that your cells use as literal energy that come from glucose and other things like fats.

Well, you're in a range.

Well, you're in a range.

But there is a finite limit, upper limit for that range because you're a human organism and you've got to do these three things, these vital functions, growth and repair, and then everything else. If you've got a lot of psychosocial stress going on or you have some kind of disease that's taking up space,

But there is a finite limit, upper limit for that range because you're a human organism and you've got to do these three things, these vital functions, growth and repair, and then everything else. If you've got a lot of psychosocial stress going on or you have some kind of disease that's taking up space,

you know, much of the budget, then you don't have a lot of budget left for other stuff that you need to do, right? So what your brain will attempt to do is to cut costs. If you look at the symptoms of depression, they are symptoms that are related to cutting costs. Distress, fatigue, problems concentrating, lack of sensitivity to the context that you're in.

you know, much of the budget, then you don't have a lot of budget left for other stuff that you need to do, right? So what your brain will attempt to do is to cut costs. If you look at the symptoms of depression, they are symptoms that are related to cutting costs. Distress, fatigue, problems concentrating, lack of sensitivity to the context that you're in.

All of these things are indicative of reduced metabolic outlay. And then depression also has symptoms that are related to increased costs, like 70% of people who are depressed have inflammatory problems. So they have enhanced inflammatory symptoms a systemic inflammation and your immune system is a very expensive system to run.

All of these things are indicative of reduced metabolic outlay. And then depression also has symptoms that are related to increased costs, like 70% of people who are depressed have inflammatory problems. So they have enhanced inflammatory symptoms a systemic inflammation and your immune system is a very expensive system to run.

So if you have persistent and systemic inflammation, that's like a persistent tax on your budget. Meaning things are costing more than they necessarily need to. And Even, you know, like there are these really interesting studies. I think they're interesting as a scientist, as a person, I find them like slightly horrifying.

So if you have persistent and systemic inflammation, that's like a persistent tax on your budget. Meaning things are costing more than they necessarily need to. And Even, you know, like there are these really interesting studies. I think they're interesting as a scientist, as a person, I find them like slightly horrifying.

But, you know, like if you within two hours of eating a meal, if you encounter stress, social stress... It's as if you ate 104 more calories than you actually ate. So you're so inefficient in metabolizing that it's like having eaten 104 more calories than you did. And even good fats will be metabolized as if they're bad fats.

But, you know, like if you within two hours of eating a meal, if you encounter stress, social stress... It's as if you ate 104 more calories than you actually ate. So you're so inefficient in metabolizing that it's like having eaten 104 more calories than you did. And even good fats will be metabolized as if they're bad fats.

Yeah, so if you add up 104 calories at every meal for a year, that's almost 11 pounds. That means that if you are in a stressful environment for a year and you eat exactly the same thing as you ate the year before, you would gain 11 pounds. In depression, we know, for example, that there's cortisol dysregulation in depression. That means there's dysregulation in metabolism.

Yeah, so if you add up 104 calories at every meal for a year, that's almost 11 pounds. That means that if you are in a stressful environment for a year and you eat exactly the same thing as you ate the year before, you would gain 11 pounds. In depression, we know, for example, that there's cortisol dysregulation in depression. That means there's dysregulation in metabolism.

Because cortisol is a metabolic, you know, it's a metabolic chemical. People who take SSRIs, they take for depression, antidepressants are SSRIs usually or SNRIs. That means they are acting on serotonin to keep more serotonin in the juncture between neurons. Serotonin is a metabolic regulator. Norepinephrine is a metabolic regulator.

Because cortisol is a metabolic, you know, it's a metabolic chemical. People who take SSRIs, they take for depression, antidepressants are SSRIs usually or SNRIs. That means they are acting on serotonin to keep more serotonin in the juncture between neurons. Serotonin is a metabolic regulator. Norepinephrine is a metabolic regulator.