Brain Health
How to optimize brain health
Our brain is obviously critical to everything we do, especially when it comes to managing stress, aging, and regulating hormones, so we want to optimize its ability to function through a healthy diet and lifestyle. Contrary to popular belief, our brains don’t have to deteriorate with age. Diet, lifestyle, mental health, and genetics are all important in preventing disease and have a direct impact on the brain. These things either accelerate or decelerate your health, meaning, our health is entirely in our control. The key is to start taking care of your brain (and everything else) before you start showing symptoms, don’t wait until you're sick.
Nutrients are the fertilizer for the brain. With the right kinds, our brain can flourish and grow. Focus on eating mostly real, whole foods.
Brain-supporting foods: whole foods, healthy fats, and protein.
Salmon
Blueberries
Nuts and seeds
Avocado
Green tea
Colorful fruits and veggies
Flavanols from cocoa (dark chocolate)
At least 75% of your plate should be colorful vegetables because they contain phytonutrients, which are critical to your overall health, and especially the brain.
Healthy fats boost brain clarity and combat brain fog.
We need about 30 grams of protein per meal to build muscle. When you lost muscle, you age faster and your brain takes a huge hit. Eat protein with every meal.
Avoid refined carbs and sugars, artificial sweeteners, vegetable oils, processed foods, trans fat, and preservatives - all of which are toxic to our brains and disrupt our biochemistry.
The Link between inflammation and disease
Chronic inflammation leads to disease. Many brain symptoms like brain fog, anxiety, memory loss, and depression are caused by systemic inflammation. The foods we eat, our lifestyle, stress levels, and our genetics impact the brain and body’s propensity toward inflammation.
Processed foods contain sugar and starch, which don’t have any nutritional value, don’t keep us full, and are addicting, so we keep eating them. These types of foods are a huge driver of inflammation, so best to avoid them as much as possible.
In addition to diet, a healthy lifestyle can help stave off symptoms of an unhealthy brain and associated diseases. These practices can improve memory, learning, concentration, mood, and energy, all while reducing stress and inflammation.
Brain-supporting behaviors:
Avoid refined carbs and sugars
Exercise
Meditation or breathwork
Supplements: Multivitamin, Omega-3, Vitamin D
Social connection
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