Does food really matter to our general health? The answer is a resounding yes!

 

While most people are aware of the impact of nutrition on our total well-being, there is an urgent need to deepen this knowledge.

 

Countless books have been written on the subject, but none more clear than “Grain Brain” by David Perlmutter, author of this New York Times bestseller.

 

It has been established that the single most important decision one can make every day is what to eat. Over the past century, there has been a shift in the daily diet of mankind— from a high-fat, low-carb eating regimen to a low-fat, high-carb diet.

 

This dramatic change is now considered the root cause of the rise in lifestyle diseases linked to the brain, such as chronic headaches, schizophrenia, depression, insomnia, epilepsy, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and cognitive decline (called “senior” moments).

 

In truth, the brain is sensitive to food. According to new research, nutrition has the power to influence brain health or illness. As a matter of prevention, it can address the most dreaded of mental conditions, Alzheimer’s disease.

 

There is natural chemistry between the brain and the body. The good news is that this built-in harmony can be protected and strengthened to prevent nutrition, what could be considered an epidemic—depression and ADHD.

 

Let’s use an example. You are bending your knees, and there is pain and discomfort. This is the start of arthritis caused by inflammation. Your arthritic knee is inflamed.

 

Inflammation

 

The foundation of all degenerative disease is inflammation. But what causes it?

 

One of the findings is gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley and rye. This, plus a high-carbohydrate diet, are considered the primary stimulators of the inflammatory pathways that will eventually affect the brain.

 

What is disconcerting is that damage is happening on a molecular level inside all of us. And we don’t even know it. Once it hits the brain, it may already be too late.

 

If you have type 2 diabetes, it means you have made poor lifestyle decisions. While it is never too late to make a change, it must be done now.

 

Remember this. An elevated blood sugar level is toxic to the cells of the brain. And the higher the level of sugar, the higher the degree of shrinkage of the brain. Therefore, the higher the blood sugar levels, the more aggressive the shrinkage of the brain (August 2013, New England Journal of Medicine).

 

The ideal goal: Keep your carbs below 60-80 grams per day. Plus, bring back the fat. It is maintained that a fat diet can actually make you smarter and slimmer.

 

Life-giving fats include olive oil, coconut oil, avocado, ghee, tahini, walnut oil, eggs; wild-caught fish (not farmed); grass-fed (not grain-fed) beef; nuts (all kinds, like walnuts, almonds and pecans, except peanuts); seeds (pumpkin, chia, sunflower).

 

Grains to avoid are barley, couscous, graham flour, bulgur, kamut, matzo meal, rye, semolina, wheat, wheat germ, spelt, triticale.

 

Avoid all foods with the label fat-free or low-fat, unfermented soy products (tofu, bean curd, soy milk).

 

Include all cheeses (except blue cheese or highly processed cheeses), low-sugar fruits, berries, grapefruits, kiwi, lemon, lime, peaches, apples, pomegranates, pears, plums, cherries. You can have pineapple, bananas, grapes, melons, mangoes, apricot and papaya in moderation.

 

Non-gluten grains are rice, buckwheat, millet, oats, quinoa, amaranth, sorghum, teff.

 

As in everything, moderation is key. Once you find your balanced diet guided by these basic principles, you are guaranteed a healthier, stronger you.

 

This week’s affirmation: “Yes, I will.”

 

Love and light!

 

(Reference: “The Grain Brain Cookbook” by David Perlmutter, MD)

E-mail the author at [email protected]