Your brain on food.
/Having been immersed in brain “stuff” for the last couple of weeks in preparation for an interview I did recently (Food and Mood: The Gut Brain Connection), I felt compelled to share some highlights with you for two reasons.
The first reason is COVID-19. That's because looking after our brain helps develop the resilience many people need to continue soldiering along. The second reason? Because as women in midlife, the information below is critical for our mental wellbeing, above and beyond COVID-19.
First, a few brain tidbits
Our brains have the highest nutritional needs of any other organ in our body… some say 10x higher than any other organ.
Our brains are more prone to damage from a poor diet than any other organ in our body.
Our brain is 2% of our body’s weight (3lbs) but uses 25-30% of calories we consume… it is the most expensive, busiest, most metabolically active organ in our body.
And yet, all is not good in brain land, especially for women.
The not so good news
One in eight women in the US have depression. And within that, women aged 40-59 have the highest rate of depression of any group based on age and gender (1).
Women are two times as likely to have anxiety and depression as men.
Women are over three times more likely than men to be diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder, including those that attack the brain, such as MS.
Women are up to four times more likely to suffer from migraines and headaches than men.
And the kicker? As Lisa Mosconi, a neuroscientist and director of the Women’s Brain Initiative at Weill Cornell Medical College so eloquently puts it, “There is a silent and looming epidemic brewing that is going to impact women greatly – one that most people are unaware of. Of all the challenges to brain aging, nothing compares to the unprecedented scale of Alzheimer’s disease” (2).
As women, especially women over 40, we need to sit up and pay attention. Depression hits us hardest, as does Alzheimer's (we are 2x as likely as men to get it). In fact, Alzheimer's starts decades before symptoms start to show.
The good news!
Not only is there good news, we can actually feel hopeful.
First, because we are in the drivers seat when it comes to our health.
Secondly, researchers are moving away from what Mosconi calls “bikini medicine” (that women are just men with reproductive organs) and finally starting to pay attention to the female brain.
And finally, anything we do for our brains, starting now, will positively impact our moods, anxiety levels and memory, as well as susceptibility to depression, auto-immune diseases, and the dreaded Alzheimer’s disease.
So how can we not only protect this wonderful brain of ours, but ensure we live a life full of vigor and vitality going forward? In a nutshell,
Lifestyle.
#1 Eat smarter
The next time you reach for a cookie instead of an apple, know that whichever one you choose will become part and parcel of how your brain will function. Period.
Not only that, the food we eat, over time, has the ability to turn on and off the many genes we have, determining which diseases get triggered (including Alzheimer’s) and which don’t (including Alzheimer’s).
In very simplistic terms, our digestive system (affectionately known as our “gut”) is made up of friendly and not so friendly bacteria, knowns as our gut microbiome. We want to feed our friendly bacteria because they positively impact everything from our immune system, our cardiovascular system, our weight and energy levels, all the way to our mental state.
If our diet is out of balance and we spend too much time feeding our bad bacteria (sugar, refined carbohydrates, processed foods), our gut microbiome will be out of balance. Chronic inflammation can set in, which, over time, can lead to anything from joint pain, eczema, low energy, auto-immune diseases, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity all the way to anxiety, depression and Alzheimer’s.
Embrace fibre
Fibre is THE food source for our good gut bacteria - vegetables should make up at least half our plate at any given meal.
Anywhere from 5-9 servings a day is our goal (a serving is ½ cup, except leafy greens which are 1 cup)
Legumes and whole food starches (such as sweet potatoes) are an excellent source of fibre
Embrace whole grains (minimize white flour, white pasta and white bread)
Minimize sugar - it feeds our bad bacteria, along with refined carbs
Diversity is key to ensure our many strains of friendly bacteria all get fed. When it comes to vegetables, think the rainbow.
A diet rich in antioxidants
Oxidative stress is the production of harmful free radicals in our body and brain. Our brain suffers the most from this type of stress, which increases with aging. Much of it is natural, created internally with all our normal metabolic processes, and our body produces its own antioxidants to combat this.
It's the oxidative stress from our diet, our sedentary lifestyle, environmental toxins, pesticides, medications (and more), that can cause the most harm, especially when our antioxidant levels are low. Oxidation can wreak havoc in our bodies, from damaged cells, accelerated aging, activation of harmful genes and an overloaded immune system. Antioxidants neutralize the free radicals associated with oxidative stress.
Think ACES + zinc when you think antioxidants.
Vitamin A – liver, fish, dairy, plus betacarotene sources, with sweet potato, winter squash and kale topping the list.
Vitamin C – coloured peppers, broccoli, brussel sprouts, papaya, blackcurrants, kiwi, +++
Vitamin E – nuts and seeds, including their oils, avocados
Selenium – brazil nuts, seafood, organ meat
Zinc – oysters, meat, beans, nuts
Protein power
As women, we tend to not eat enough protein. But, in order to manufacture two of our key mood neurotransmitters, serotonin and dopamine (plus for a host of other reasons), we need to ensure we have protein circulating in our body throughout the day (not just at dinner).
Try to eat at least 25g of protein at each meal. Check out this site to determine number of grams associated with different foods. Think nuts, seeds, beans and lentils, quinoa (all good sources of fibre as well), soy (organic), hummus, nut butters including tahini (my “go to”), nutritional yeast, and of course dairy, eggs, fish, meat and poultry.
Fish for fat
We all know by now about omega 3 fats and how they are essential for our brain. Two servings of cold water fatty fish a week (salmon, mackerel, trout, anchovies, herring, sardines, caviar) should be a part of your weekly menu.
If you are vegetarian or vegan, flax, flax oil, chia seeds and walnuts are all good options, but it is recommended that you supplement with an omega 3 fish oil due to the conversion process these foods must go through in your body (where up to 70% of the omega 3’s can be lost).
Lisa Mosconi also recommends that if you are in menopause, or over 50, even if you eat fish, you should consider supplementing – always with a good quality fish oil (3). Look for one with high DHA.
B for the Brain
B vitamins are essential for brain health. Fortunately, we can get most in our diet. There are a few B vitamins that I want to highlight, though – choline, B6 and B12.
Choline is essential for the manufacture of acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter that is critical for memory and learning. Eggs are the best source, but consider lean beef, soy (organic), chicken breast, codfish and quinoa.
B6 is necessary for the manufacture of the neurotransmitters dopamine (the body’s “natural” antidepressant), serotonin (linked to mood, memory and learning) and GABA (calms our nervous system). We need B6 on a daily basis – top sources include fish, chicken, tofu, beef, sweet potatoes, bananas, potatoes, avocados and pistachios.
B12 plays an essential role in the prevention of strokes and dementia. It’s also very important for the production of serotonin. Foods include shellfish, fish (salmon, trout, mackerel, fresh tuna), chicken, eggs, beef, dairy products. It’s suggested that vegetarians, vegans and “older people” (I will leave in your hands ;-) and people with digestive issues take a supplement.
Final thoughts
It’s important to know there is no one perfect way of eating, and we never want to take away the pleasure we get from food. My mission is simply to help women understand the power food can have on our physical and mental wellbeing, especially over the long term.
Obviously, my focus here has been on food. Future blogs (I will make them shorter, I promise!!!) will revolve around other elements critical to the health of our brain.
In the meantime, know that as we age we need to take action sooner rather than later, especially given that Alzheimer's starts years before symptoms show. Whether it be digestive issues or simply chronic low energy – it often means something is going on, and can take a toll on our brain health. If you need help to get back on track, let’s have a Discovery Call and we can discuss your situation.
Or, if you are in Toronto, book my popular Walk & Talk (masks mandatory at this point) for a one hour nutritional reset while getting exercise and fresh air, followed up with a personalized action plan.
Thanks for reading :)
Warmly,
gillian x
gillian@gbwellness.ca
gbwellness.ca
PS - if you have any burning issues you want to learn more about as a topic for these blogs, or if you have any feedback/comments, please reach out!
The US Centre for Disease Control
The Brain XX, by Lisa Mosconi
The Brain XX