Can whole-food, plant-based nutrition serve as an effective lifestyle intervention alongside medical care?

In this episode, host Ida Fanelli sits down with Dr. Vivian Polak—a Canadian physician specializing in perinatal psychiatry, plantrician, and co-founder of World Maternal Mental Health Day.

Dr. Polak shares her personal health journey, the emerging research surrounding whole food, plant-based (WFPB) nutrition, and how lifestyle factors may complement care for chronic conditions such as hypertension, gestational diabetes, and maternal mental health challenges. Perinatal Psychiatry & IPT: Supporting maternal mental health through evidence-informed approaches like Interpersonal Psychotherapy (covered by OHIP for Ontario residents). Lifestyle Medicine & Nutrition: The role of plant-based dietary patterns in supporting cardiov ...