Protect your brain with these simple diet tweaks
Last month I mentioned that I had watched a story on CBS Sunday Morning with five tips for protecting the brain from dementia. I promised a separate post on each of the five tips. Today is part 2 of that series. If you are interested in Tip #1, you can read about it here.
This is the part where I remind you that I am not a doctor or medical expert of any type. I am simply relaying published information from those who are.
5 tips for protecting your brain
As a reminder, according to Dr. Sanjay Gupta, there are five basic things we can all do to fight off dementia, even if we are genetically predisposed to it.
- Move more
- Eat better
- Try new things
- Get a good night’s sleep
- Interact socially
Did you join me in January’s challenge to move more? Did you ask yourself often, “Do I need to sit for this?” Did it work—did you sit less and move more? Please let us know in the comments.
Now on to Tip #2…
Eat better
Don’t panic…I’m not asking you to completely overhaul your eating habits. Dr. Gupta suggests three things that make a big difference in brain health:
- Eat more berries;
- Eat less red meat; and
- Eat less processed food.
If that’s still too much to ask, perhaps you could focus on making just one of those changes during the month of February. I’m going to split the difference and go for two: eat more berries and less red meat.
Why it works
Eat more berries
Recent research (as reported by WebMD) shows strong evidence that eating berries boosts brain function and may prevent age-related memory loss in two ways: 1) the high antioxidant count protects the brain from harmful free radicals that can cause oxidation; and 2) berries can prevent inflammation that can lead to brain cell damage.
Bonus: they taste delicious! And from what I’ve heard, frozen berries are just as healthy as fresh. So if berries are out of season where you live, no problem.
Eat less red meat
A new study by researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital found that saturated fats, like those found in red meat, might affect brain function, including memory.
Total fat intake didn’t affect brain function, but women who ate the most saturated fats had the worst changes in their cognitive function and memory. Women who ate the most monounsaturated fats—such as those found in olive oil, avocados, and nuts—fared the best.
https://www.mensjournal.com/food-drink/can-red-meat-harm-your-brain/
(I guess technically this doesn’t address why it works…but still, it supports the argument.)
Another study by Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior shows a link between too much red meat and Alzheimer’s, possibly due to a build up of iron disrupting communication between the neurons in the brain.
Eat less processed food
Processed foods typically contain higher levels of fats and sugars than natural foods. Australian researchers recently showed that as little as five days on a diet of sugary drinks, cakes, and cookies caused increased levels of inflammation in the hippocampus, the memory center of the brain. Research shows that people who eat lots of junk food don’t perform as well as those who eat healthy diets in simple memory tests. Processed foods have been shown to reduce neuroplasticity, which is essential to forming new memories and learning new things rapidly.
So that’s it…hopefully, it’s motivation enough to make a small change in the way we eat. Will you join me in dedicating February to eating better? For our brains.
I’ll be back next month with Tip #3: try new things.
Your turn
- Did you participate in last month’s challenge to move more? How did it go?
- Will you choose one of these three tweaks to your diet in February: eat more berries, eat less red meat, or eat less processed food?
- How’s your memory? Do you feel like it’s as sharp as it used to be?
- What else is on your mind? Anything at all; I just love to hear from you.
Hi, Christie – My husband watched this program when it aired and shared the key takeaways during one of our morning walks. In my husband’s version, we are currently doing all of the right things (we eat very little red meat, eat lots of berries, take long daily walks, stay connected with friends and family (usually via technology) and delight in learning new things. Still, I know that we can do much better. Although we don’t eat heaps of sugar or processed foods, we eat way more than we need. They are next on my list to deal with!
Thank you for sharing this very insightful post.
Hello Donna. I would have to agree, based on what I know of you, you and your husband live a brain-healthy lifestyle. Of course, there is always room for improvement, but you do have to leave room to enjoy the occasional indulgence. I know at my house we eat too much red meat, so I set that as my focus for the month. I threw in eat more berries, because I love them! Any excuse will do.
Good food for thought, thanks! I don’t think I’m terrible at any of these 3 things, but I can always do better. I’ll be more aware them this month and that will help me improve.
Hello Cindy! From what I know, you eat pretty healthy. As you said, there is always room for improvement…of course, leaving room for the occasional indulgence. I’m happy to have you join me in being aware of eating habits that can promote brain health.
Another thing I love about being in Australia is that we’re not as inclined to buy ready made food as those who live in other countries do. We home cook almost all our meals and use very few processed foods – it’s nice to be healthy by default!
That is wonderful, Leanne. I used to eat a lot more processed foods, considering I took a frozen meal for lunch most days. Now I meal prep on Sundays, so I can have homemade lunches throughout the week. We still use things that come in boxes or cans, but I pay attention to the ingredients at least, looking for those that have the most natural ingredients.
Hi Christie, based on the five things you listed, Malcolm and I are doing things mostly right. We eat more red meat than we should, but we rarely, if ever eat processed food. Our diet is pretty much just meat, fish, chicken, eggs, low-fat cheeses, and lots of veggies and fruit. I hope strawberries count. I personally believe that sugar is the root of all ills. We get exercise every day, challenge our minds, interact with friends and I sleep like a baby. Him, not so much. Even so, I have always been forgetful, I think it has more to do with concentration and desire to retain than memory loss. Malcolm is as sharp as a tack and doesn’t forget anything; well nothing of importance. We all misplace our keys once in a while. I love Dr. Gupta. He always shares practical things to help us live better. As do you!
Strawberries definitely count, Suzanne! Strawberries and blueberries are two of my favorites. You make a good point. I’m sure not all forgetfulness is due to a deterioration in the brain. Some of it is what you choose to pay attention to. Dr. Gupta is great for sharing important, complex things in a way a layperson can grasp and implement. Thank you for saying that I have shared anything that can help people live better. If I have done any little thing to make life better for someone, that makes my day.
Christie, I think most of us have a similar goal – to make life better, for ourselves and others by sharing positivity. If you can’t help someone have a better day, then what is our true purpose? Thanks for the reassurance about strawberries. I am a big fan of blueberries too.
Yes, Suzanne, I believe that to be true. When it comes down to the core of everything, we all want to experience joy and avoid suffering…our own and others.
Well, we need to cut back on the ground beef meals. Where does pork loin fall in meat categories? I am finding it to be my favorite meat right now. It isn’t ‘red’ is it? My daughter and family are eating more HelloFresh meal kits and gave me almost all of their meat…lots of chicken. So maybe we can try to improve on our red meat consumption this month.
We are still drinking smoothies most weekdays. Probably need to throw in more berries. I love them like you do. But they are expensive. Then again, so is poor health!!
I’m sorry to report that Healthline says pork is red meat: “Pork has more myoglobin than poultry and fish. Thus, the scientific community and food authorities like the USDA classify it as red meat. Also, given pigs’ classification as livestock along with other farm animals, pork is considered red meat.” I love pork too! Cutting back on red meat is going to be a challenge for me; though I do enjoy chicken, turkey, and fish as well. I am definitely a carnivore. I haven’t had a smoothie in a bit. In my mind smoothies are warm-weather food, and it’s cold here! Of course, there is no reason I couldn’t enjoy one in the winter. It’s a great way to get in more berries and green, leafy vegetables. Here’s to our health!
By concentrating on the five basics we set ourselves up with a great foundation on which to build our health.
I couldn’t agree more, Elise.
Christie, our Elise would like this post featured in the next Blogger’s Pit Stop. Thanks for sharing.
Kathleen
That’s great news. Thank you Kathleen.