How to eat for your mind (diet and brain health)

Did you know there is actually a 'brain healthy' way to eat?! 💦Brain fog, memory loss, poor concentration, low mood, emotions that go up and down, poor sleep... These may all be signs that your diet needs a 'brain boost' 💦While 'brain boosting' is a bit of a fad term, there really is research showing that diet has a huge impact on brain function

💦Diets such as the Modimed diet (used for depression) and the MIND diet (used for dementia) are solidly backed by science 💦Your diet can affect your brain in multiple ways : 💦 Brain healthy diets provide the vitamins and minerals your brain needs to function well Lack in nutrients such as iron, folate, b12, and vit d can all directly impact brain function (b12 is a known reversible cause of dementia) 💦 Level of inflammation in the brain are affected by diet(which impacts cell function, new brain cell formation, and cell 'pruning' ie getting rid of old brain cells) 💦Poor diets can reduce blood flow to the brain via clogging arteries, which causes mini strokes (a common cause of dementia) 💦Diets high in antioxidants protect the brain from oxidative stress ie makes it more resilient to damage 💦Whole food high fibre diets promote good gut health, which in turn helps regulate inflammation and mood 💦Diets high in sugar and refined carbs can cause raised insulin and blood sugar spikes, which cause oxidative stress, and have been directly linked with reduced brain function (even in kids!) They also cause large fluctuations in blood sugar levels, which can affect the 'energy supply' to the brain (ie sugar crash) 💦Polyphenols (compounds only found in plants) can increase BDNF levels (the hormone that promotes brain growth and new brain connections), diets high in polyphenols have been shown to improve cognitive function 💦So what is a brain healthy diet?! - whole food with minimal processed foods - mostly plant based - with a large variety of different coloured plant foods - moderate in omega 3 - low in added sugar, refined carbs, red meat, added salt, alcohol, and saturated fat - with a good variety of unsaturated (plant based) fats ie nuts, seeds, olive oil -high in dark green veges and berries 😊

Basically - eat mostly plants, eat the rainbow, and eat whole foods. Your brain will thank you for it!!

References:

Longterm dietary flavonoid and cognitive decline (nurses health study and health professionals followup study) https://n.neurology.org/content/early/2021/07/28/WNL.000000000001245410w1 likeReply RCT using MIND diet to reverse cognitive decline https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.04.28.065813v1.full10w1 likeReply Info on MIND diet trials https://www.todaysgeriatricmedicine.com/archive/0715p10.shtml10wReply The effect of excess sugar on brain function https://unitedbrainassociation.org/2020/06/28/how-sugar-affects-the-brain/