The Food Allergy Brain

Mia Silverman
  • 5.0 (6)
  • MENTAL HEALTH

The Food Allergy Brain is a podcast hosted by Mia Silverman, the food allergy advocate behind Allergies with Mia. The show explores the intersection of food allergies, psychology, and human resilience. Through thoughtful conversations with leading psychologists, researchers, clinicians, and advocates, Mia brings emerging science, expert insight, and lived experience together in one space. The mission of The Food Allergy Brain is to offer grounded, accessible education for individuals and families navigating life with food allergies, while addressing the emotional, cognitive, and social realities that often go unseen. By centering both research and real-world experience, the podcast aims to empower listeners, reduce stigma, and deepen public understanding of the mental and emotional dimensions of the food allergy journey.

Episodes

  1. MAR 5

    The Food Allergy Brain Episode 4: Dr. Linda Herbert, PhD

    This week on The Food Allergy Brain, Mia sits down with Dr. Linda Herbert, Director of Psychology Research and Clinical Services in the Division of Allergy and Immunology at Children's National Hospital and NIH-funded researcher. Dr. Herbert has spent over a decade building evidence-based psychological interventions for food allergy families, and in this conversation, she shares what she's learned. They discuss how the field of food allergy psychology has shifted from simply documenting anxiety to actively creating solutions, including the surprising and often dangerous realities of food allergy-related bullying, the stress of mealtime dynamics for parents of young children, and the emerging questions around food allergies and disordered eating. Dr. Herbert also breaks down her work with exposure-based approaches like allergen proximity challenges, the role of telehealth in making care more accessible and equitable, and how parental anxiety shifts across a child's developmental stages. The episode closes with Dr. Herbert's vision for what a truly integrated medical and psychological support system for food allergy families could and should look like. Whether you're a food allergy parent, a young adult navigating allergies on your own, or someone working in the allergy space, this episode is packed with insight, research, and hope. Find Dr. Linda Herbert, PhD: Website: https://appointments.childrensnational.org/provider/linda-jones-herbert/2359772 Find Mia Silverman (Allergies with Mia): Instagram & TikTok: @allergieswithmia Website: allergieswithmia.com

    37 min

  2. FEB 20

    The Food Allergy Brain Episode 3: Dr. Elizabeth Hawkins, PhD

    In this episode of The Food Allergy Brain, host Mia Silverman (Allergies with Mia) sits down with Dr. Elizabeth Hawkins, a psychologist specializing in food allergy-related anxiety and trauma, to explore the emotional realities of living with life-threatening allergies. Dr. Hawkins shares her journey from being trained as a child and adolescent psychologist to becoming a food allergy psychologist after her daughter was diagnosed with multiple severe allergies. Drawing from both clinical expertise and lived experience as an allergy mom, she discusses how food allergies reshape the way families understand safety, risk, and control. Together, they unpack the difference between everyday anxiety and anxiety disorders, what happens emotionally after anaphylaxis, and why trying to eliminate anxiety altogether may not be the goal. Dr. Hawkins introduces acceptance-based approaches like Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Internal Family Systems (IFS), explaining how building psychological flexibility and self-trust can help individuals and families live fully — even when risk is part of the picture. They also explore grief, trauma, burnout, social isolation, misinformation in the allergy space, and the urgent need for integrated mental health support within allergy care. The episode concludes with a hopeful discussion about resilience, emerging treatments, and what a truly supportive emotional and medical system for food allergy families could look like. Find Dr. Elizabeth Hawkins, PhD: Website: www.dr-elizabeth.com Food Allergy Hive: www.fahive.com Instagram: @foodallergypsychologist Find Mia Silverman (Allergies with Mia): Instagram & TikTok: @allergieswithmia Website: allergieswithmia.com

    42 min

  3. FEB 5

    The Food Allergy Brain Episode 2: Dr. Zachary Rubin, MD

    In this episode of The Food Allergy Brain, host Mia Silverman (Allergies with Mia) sits down with Zachary Rubin, a double board-certified pediatrician and allergist-immunologist with a large and influential social media platform, to explore what it truly means to live with and care for food allergies today. Dr. Rubin shares his journey from growing up with severe eczema to becoming a trusted voice in allergy education, both in the clinic and online. Together, they explore the emotional impact of a food allergy diagnosis, including parental guilt, anxiety, bullying, and the constant mental load of risk assessment. They also discuss medical misinformation, the responsibility physicians carry in the public eye, and why compassionate, multidisciplinary care, including mental health and dietary support, is just as essential as medical treatment. The episode concludes with a hopeful look at emerging allergy therapies and what better support systems for patients and families could look like in the future.  Find Dr. Zachary Rubin, MD: Instagram & TikTok: @rubin_allergy Substack: https://drrubin.substack.com/ Pre-order Dr. Rubin's book: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/790561/all-about-allergies-by-zachary-rubin-md/ Find Mia Silverman (Allergies with Mia): Instagram & TikTok: @allergieswithmia Website: allergieswithmia.com

    40 min

  4. JAN 21

    The Food Allergy Brain Episode 1: Dr. Amanda Whitehouse, PhD

    In the first episode of The Food Allergy Brain, host Mia Silverman (Allergies with Mia) speaks with Dr. Amanda Whitehouse, PhD, psychologist and food allergy mom, about how food allergies affect the nervous system, mental health, and everyday life. They explore anxiety versus appropriate caution, how food allergies impact children and families across developmental stages, and why regulation and nervous-system support are just as important as medical care. Dr. Whitehouse also shares practical, trauma-informed strategies to help individuals and families feel safer, more empowered, and less alone. Find Dr. Amanda Whitehouse, PhD: Website: thefoodallergypsychologist.com Instagram: @thefoodallergypsychologist Find Mia Silverman (Allergies with Mia): Instagram & TikTok: @allergieswithmia Website: allergieswithmia.com

    47 min
  • 4 Episodes

5
out of 5
6 Ratings

About

The Food Allergy Brain is a podcast hosted by Mia Silverman, the food allergy advocate behind Allergies with Mia. The show explores the intersection of food allergies, psychology, and human resilience. Through thoughtful conversations with leading psychologists, researchers, clinicians, and advocates, Mia brings emerging science, expert insight, and lived experience together in one space. The mission of The Food Allergy Brain is to offer grounded, accessible education for individuals and families navigating life with food allergies, while addressing the emotional, cognitive, and social realities that often go unseen. By centering both research and real-world experience, the podcast aims to empower listeners, reduce stigma, and deepen public understanding of the mental and emotional dimensions of the food allergy journey.

Information

  • Creator
    Mia Silverman
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    4
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The Food Allergy Brain
  • Show Website
    The Food Allergy Brain