SERVAN-SCHREIBER: Do you like cod liver?

POWER: I thought that was for the cat.

SERVAN-SCHREIBER: [Laughs] It’s good for you. It’s extremely rich in vitamin A and vitamin E and omega-3 fatty acids.

OK. Why did you write this book?

I found that most of the patients I treated who had medical problems also had psychiatric problems, and I became keenly aware of the mind-body connection. I looked into the scientific literature and started finding solid studies showing natural methods of treatment for stress, anxiety and depression that were effective.

How does the mind fit into this picture?

Studies show that about 50 to 70 percent of primary-care problems have stress as a major contributing factor. The blood-pressure medications and the anti-inflammatories and the antidepressants are just patches for underlying problems.

You talk about the importance of emotional communication.

Nothing is new about the fact that love is important for your health. But we didn’t know until very recently that harmony and emotional connectedness are biological needs practically to the same degree as food, air and temperature control.

What role do spirituality and prayer play in our health?

Spirituality plays an essential role. But there is healthy and unhealthy spirituality. If prayer produces a state of calm, of love and a sense of belonging, that has positive physical correlates to our health. But if the spirituality is moralistic, it’s not necessarily healthy. There are techniques that have been developed which are positive. For example, Ignatius Loyola emphasized concentrating on gratitude in prayer. Having gratitude for the world as it is produces a positive mental and physical state. It doesn’t have to be religious; it can be secular. In Victor Frankl’s book “Man’s Search for Meaning,” he writes about a woman dying in a concentration camp. She can see leaves on a tree outside a small window, and seeing life–not necessarily God, but nature–gives her some comfort, knowing that life is everywhere.

What about people who claim that they got better because others prayed for them?

I don’t know. That stretches the paradigm. We can’t explain it with our conventional system of beliefs.

As a physician, do you have trouble asking your patients if they are religious?

I ask my patients if their spiritual life is an important aspect of their health. Asking the question should not be a problem, as long as it is asked the right way.