Minimize oxidative stress on your brain

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I heard a couple of interesting stats earlier this week:

  • 7x as many people are now living over the age of 85, relative to 1960

  • 10,000 people a day are turning 65

Net net - we are living longer. The key question is:

Are we aging well?


Sadly, there are many signs that we are not aging well. I don’t know about you, but if I am blessed to live to a ripe old age, I want to do everything I can to be of sound mind and body.

Our brain is the powerhouse of our bodies. It:

  • Supervises over 600 muscles in motion

  • Balances dozens of different hormones

  • Pumps blood at a rate of 2000 gallons per day

  • Regulates the energy of billions of brain cells (thank goodness we have that many!)

  • Digests food

  • Excretes waste

  • Fights illness

  • And the list goes on…

If our brain doesn’t age well, nothing ages well.


We need to give this powerhouse some tender loving care. Thankfully, there are many things we can do, and at the same time potentially prevent or delay the onset of Alzheimer’s. I will eventually cover them all, but today I want to focus on just one.

Oxidative stress

Aging, of course, is a natural process. And yet, we often look only at the physiological signs - the outward physical process of aging – wrinkles, grey hair, thin skin, dry skin, middle age spread, weakened muscles, etc (and we lament them all).

But we don’t really think about how our insides are aging – specifically, how our cells are aging. As we age, oxidative stress increases and triggers inflammation in our bodies, damaging our cells, proteins and our DNA. This of course can lead to disease and chronic illness down the road, all seemingly silent in their approach (they're not, but that is for another newsletter).

Of all our organs, the brain suffers the most from oxidative stress.

Oxidative stress is what happens when there is an imbalance between free radicals and the production of antioxidants. Free radicals are unstable molecules produced as a by-product of our body’s normal metabolism.

But oxidative stress is also caused by external factors, such as diet (you know the culprits), medications, tobacco, alcohol (sadly), toxins, pesticides, obesity, chronic stress… even intense exercise can cause oxidative stress.

So, how do we keep these free radicals in check?

The most obvious way is to avoid everything on the list above, but that’s not being overly realistic. Plus, our body simply produces more free radicals as we age, no matter what we do.

The next best way? Boost our antioxidants.

Anti-oxidants to fight oxidative stress

The good news is that we produce our own antioxidants, the most powerful one being glutathione. The bad news is that glutathione decreases as we age (of course it does ;-). The best (and easiest) way to combat this oxidative stress is through a diet rich in antioxidants.

Foods containing polyphenols, which are plant compounds packed with antioxidants, top the list. And as crazy as it sounds, one of the highest sources of antioxidants are dried spices - even better than their fresh counterparts in most cases (at least the ones we use more on a daily basis). Cloves come in at the highest (ok perhaps not daily use with cloves ;-), followed by allspice, peppermint, basil, oregano, cinnamon, rosemary, sage, tarragon and saffron. Think about using cinnamon and/or rosemary in your smoothies, be liberal with your dried spices, adding to everything from scrambled eggs to roasted vegetables and salad dressings (dried tarragon is great in a simple lemon vinaigrette).

Having said all that, blueberries still reign when it comes to the most powerful antioxidant (followed by blackberries). Use them in smoothies, with yogurt, on granola, as part of a chia pudding, puree them (from frozen best) or just eat a handful. I tend to use frozen for the winter, as most of the time the fresh ones don't even taste like blueberries.

Cocoa is another great antioxidant, due to its being a great source of polyphenols. That is why a square of dark chocolate is often recommended as a "go to" sweet. Another good way to incorporate cocoa is in this Chocolate Avocado Mousse (I know - it sounds awful, but trust me... it's really good. If I can get my son, a diehard classic chocolate mousse fan, to enjoy it, then anyone will!).

The other great antioxidants are vitamins A, C, E, and the minerals selenium and zinc, commonly referred to as ACES + zinc. I’ve provided a list here of the various sources of these vitamins and minerals, but lists tend to make my eyes glaze over. So, to make it easy, think of key elements from the Mediterranean diet, including:

  • Lots of colours and variety of vegetables and fruits, esp berries

  • Ideally, 7-8 servings of vegetables and some fruit (serving = ½ cup, except raw greens = 1 cup)

  • Mostly plants

  • Nuts and seeds

  • Fish, especially oily fish

  • Meat (preferably in moderation)

Finally, check out the Clean 15 and Dirty Dozen to see which fruits and vegetables you might want to consider buying organic, if possible. This can help cut down on pesticides, one contributor to oxidative stress. As an aside, try to buy body products (shampoo, soap, creams, etc) that are free of chemicals (which increase oxidative stress). I read an article recently published by a functional dermatologist who spoke about a client breaking out in a rash on the sides of her face, as well as on her forehead and down both sides of her neck. It turns out it was her shampoo that was causing the inflammation, and the rash followed the path of the shampoo.

Antioxidants also improve certain immune responses in our bodies, which is exactly what we need these days. In addition, by increasing your intake, you might find that your brain fog lifts, your memory improves and you have better sleeps. Just saying…

Supplements are always an option (ACES+zinc is a good one) but remember, a supplement simply supplements our diet. It doesn’t replace it – you need the foundation first. Plus foods are synergistic… often 1+1 = 3 when it comes to the health and protective benefits of whole foods.

Overall, the key is to remember we have a choice as to what we put in (and on) our bodies. Yes, we are getting older and signs of aging are going to happen no matter what we do. But we can definitely slow down the clock. And one of the best ways to do that is to ensure this incredible brain of ours, which controls pretty much everything in our bodies (see above list), is given the nutrients it needs to function at peak performance.

Warm regards,

gillian xx
gillian@gbwellness.ca
gbwellness.ca

P.S. - My Walk & Talk Nutritional Reset will be starting up again as soon as lockdown is over. It consists of a one-hour, socially distanced walk, where we discuss your health history, current lifestyle, your expectations and your goals. You will leave with recommendations you can implement immediately, followed up with a personalized action plan. Note: these walks are based in midtown Toronto.

P.P.S. - if you are looking for additional guidance re: nutrition, lifestyle and/or coaching, call or email me for a free 30 min consultation and we can go from there :)