FSB Author Article
Seven Simple Brain Promoting Nutritional Tips
By Daniel G. Amen, MD, author of Making a Good Brain Great
Here is the seven step plan to get your diet under control and to use food as brain medicine.
1. Increase water intake
Given that your brain is about 80% water, the first rule of brain
nutrition is adequate water to hydrate your brain. Even slight
dehydration can raise stress hormones which can damage your brain over
time. Drink at least 84 ounces of water a day. It is best to have your
liquids unpolluted with artificial sweeteners, sugar, caffeine, or
alcohol. You can use herbal, non-caffeinated tea bags, such as
raspberry or strawberry flavored, and make unsweetened iced tea. Green
tea is also good for brain function as it contains chemicals that
enhance mental relaxation and alertness.
2. Calorie restriction
Substantial research in animals and now in humans indicates that a
calorie-restricted diet is helpful for brain and life longevity. Eating
less helps you live longer. It controls weight; decreases risk for
heart disease, cancer, and stroke from obesity (a major risk factor for
all of these illnesses); and it triggers certain mechanisms in the body
to increase the production of nerve growth factors, which are helpful
to the brain. Researchers use the acronym CRON for “calorie
restriction with optimal nutrition,” so the other part of the story is
to make these calories count.
3. Fish, Fish Oil, Good Fats and Bad Fats
DHA, one form of omega-3 fatty acids found in fish, makes up a large
portion of the gray matter of the brain. The fat in your brain forms
cell membranes and plays a vital role in how our cells function.
Neurons are also rich in omega-3 fatty acids. DHA is also found in high
quantities in the retina, the light-sensitive part of the eye. Research
in the last few years has revealed that diets rich in omega-3 fatty
acids may help promote a healthy emotional balance and positive mood in
later years, possibly because DHA is a main component of the brain’s
synapses.
4. Lots of Dietary Antioxidants
A number of studies have shown that dietary intake of antioxidants from
fruits and vegetables significantly reduce the risk of developing
cognitive impairment. The research was done because it was theorized
that free radical formation plays a major role in the deterioration of
the brain with age. When a cell converts oxygen into energy, tiny
molecules called free radicals are made. When produced in normal
amounts, free radicals work to rid the body of harmful toxins, thereby
keeping it healthy. When produced in toxic amounts, free radicals
damage the body's cellular machinery, resulting in cell death and
tissue damage. This process is called oxidative stress. Vitamin E and
Vitamin C and beta carotene inhibit the production of free radicals.
The Best Antioxidant Fruits and Vegetables (from the US Department of
Agriculture): Blueberries, Blackberries, Cranberries, Strawberries,
Spinach, Raspberries, Brussels sprouts, Plums, Broccoli, Beets,
Avocados, Oranges, Red grapes, Red bell peppers, Cherries and Kiwis
5. Balance Protein, Good Fats and Carbohydrates
Given the weight issues in my family, I have read many of the diet
programs popular in America. Some I like a lot, others make me a little
crazy. The idea of eating protein and fat only, avoiding most grains,
fruits and vegetables may be a quick way to lose weight, but it is not
a healthy long term way to eat for your body or your brain. The best
thing in my mind about the Atkins Diet and its many clones is that they
get rid of most of the simple sugars in our diets. Diets high in
refined sugars, such as the low fat diets of the past, encourage
diabetes, tiredness, and cognitive impairment. Yet, to imply that bacon
is a health food and that oranges and carrots are as bad as cake seems
silly. The more balanced diets, such as The Zone by Barry
Sears, Sugarbusters by H. Leighton Steward and a group of
Louisiana based physicians, the South Beach Diet by
cardiologist Arthur Agatston, and Powerful Foods for Powerful Minds
and Bodies by Rene Thomas make sense from a body and brain
perspective. The main principles to take away from these programs is
that balance is essential, especially balancing proteins, good fats,
and good carbohydrates. Having protein at each meal helps to balance
blood sugar levels; adding lean meat, eggs, cheese, soy, or nuts to a
snack or meal limits the fast absorption of carbohydrates and prevents
the brain fog that goes with eating simple carbohydrates, such as
donuts. At each meal or snack, try to get a balance of protein, high
fiber carbohydrates, and fat.
6. Pick Your Top 24 Healthy Foods and Put Them in Your Diet Every
Week
In order for you to stick with a “brain healthy” calorie restricted
nutritional plan you must have great choices. I am fond of the book Super
Foods Rx by Steven Pratt and Kathy Matthews. It lists 14 top food
groups that are healthy and reasonable in calories. I am going to add
several other choices that are especially good for the brain. Choose
between these 24 foods each week. They are healthy, low in calories,
and help us reach the goals of consuming powerful antioxidants, lean
protein, high fiber carbohydrates and good fat.
The American Cancer Society recommends five to nine servings of fruits and vegetables a day. Mixing colors (eating from the rainbow) is a good way to think about healthy fruits and vegetables. Strive to eat red things (strawberries, raspberries, cherries, red peppers and tomatoes), yellow things (squash, yellow peppers, small portions of bananas and peaches), blue things (blueberries), purple things (plums), orange things (oranges, tangerines and yams), green things (peas, spinach and broccoli), etc.
Lean Protein
1. Fish -- Salmon (especially Alaskan Salmon caught in the wild, farmed
fish is not as rich in omega-3-fatty acids), tuna, mackerel, herring
(also listed under fats)
2. Poultry -- chicken (skinless) and turkey (skinless)
3. Meat -- lean beef and pork
4. Eggs (enriched DHA eggs are best)
5. Tofu and soy products (whenever possible choose organically raised)
6. Dairy products -- low fat cheeses and cottage cheese, low fat sugar
free yogurt and low fat or skim milk
7. Beans, especially garbanzo beans and lentils (also listed under
carbohydrates)
8. Nuts and seeds, especially walnuts (also listed under fats) -- Great
recipe: soak walnuts in water and sea salt overnight, drain and
sprinkle with cinnamon (natural blood sugar balancer) and low roast 4
hours at 250 degrees -- makes them easier to digest.
Complex Carbohydrates
9. Berries -- especially blueberries (brain berries), raspberries,
strawberries, blackberries
10. Oranges, lemons, limes, grapefruit
11. Cherries
12. Peaches, plums
13. Broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts
14. Oats, whole wheat, wheat germ -- oatmeal needs to be the long
cooking kind as instant has a higher glycemic index since the
manufacturer has broken down the fiber to speed cooking time and
basically make it a refined carbohydrate. Same goes for bread, look for
at least 3 grams of fiber. Remember unbleached wheat flour is white
flour, it must say whole wheat.
15. Red or yellow peppers (much higher in Vitamin C than green peppers)
16. Pumpkin squash
17. Spinach -- works wonderfully as a salad, or a cooked vegetable,
adds fiber and nutrients
18. Tomatoes
19. Yams
** Beans (also listed under proteins)
Fats
20. Avocados
21. Extra virgin cold pressed olive oil
22. Olives
** Salmon (also listed under protein)
** Nuts and nut butter, especially walnuts, macadamia nuts, Brazil
nuts, pecans and almonds (also listed under protein)
Liquids
23. Water
24. Green or black tea
7. Plan Snacks
I love to snack; just like to munch on things to get through the day.
When snacking it is helpful to balance carbohydrates, proteins and
fats. Since I travel frequently, I have learned to take my snacks with
me, so I am not tempted to pick up candy bars along the way. One of my
favorite low calorie snacks are dried fruits and vegetables. Not the
kind of dried fruits and vegetables stocked in typical supermarkets
that are filled with preservatives, but the kind that just have the
dried fruit and veggies. A company called Just Tomatoes, from Walnut,
California (www.justtomatoes.com)
makes great products. When you have dried fruit or veggies -- all
carbohydrates -- add some low-fat string cheese or a few nuts to
balance it out with protein and a little fat.
About the Author:
Daniel G. Amen, M.D., is a clinical neuroscientist,
psychiatrist, and brain-imaging expert who heads up the world-renowned
Amen Clinics. He is a Distinguished Fellow of the American Psychiatric
Association and has won numerous writing and research awards. He writes
a monthly column in Men’s Health called “Head Check” and has
published nineteen books, numerous professional and popular articles,
and a number of audio and video programs. His books include
Making a Good Brain Great
(Harmony Books; October
2005;$24.00US/$34.00CAN; 1-4000-8208-0) Preventing
Alzheimer’s, Healing Anxiety and Depression, Healing the Hardware of
the Soul, Healing ADD, and the New York Times bestseller Change
Your Brain, Change Your Life. He is an internationally renowned
keynote speaker and a popular guest expert for the media, with
appearances on CNN, the Today show, The View, and other
venues.
For more information please visit www.amenclinic.com.