I have been looking forward to my discussion with Celeste Ferraris OLY for a while now and it did not disappoint!
Celeste is a Clinical Nutritionist with a special interest in the gut microbiome and how food affects mood. Celeste gives us a really good overview of the gut microbiome, what our gut bacteria do for us and what can happen when our bacteria is out of balance.
Celeste’s current research for her PhD is about the association between a liking for salty foods and depression, stress and anxiety. It is a fascinating area including how we experience taste and how our neurotransmitters many be involved. In terms of future implications of Celeste’s research, alternation in taste may be used as a screening tool for mood disorders, like depression. Reliable, non-invasive screening tools are important as screening can lead to diagnosis and then treatment.
We also discuss Celeste’s Olympic and Commonwealth Games success as a synchronised swimmer. It may be one of the lesser known Olympic sports but I was fascinated to hear about it, especially the rigorous training regime involved.
