3 Foods to Eat for Brain Health

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With summer just around the corner, there are so many things we want to get out and do to soak up the sun and enjoy ourselves. After months of rain, snow, darkness, and generally shorter days, we are all more than ready to bask in the glory that is our Canadian summer!

Foods for Brain Health

As we become busier and commit to more events, we tend to forget that nutrition is important—we need to stay healthy in order to be happy and enjoy life! Foods that supply us with energy, good memory, and positivity should be focused on, so you can be awake and keep up with your to-do list. It’s important to eat with intention, and this is why you should be consuming foods that your brain will love.

You can’t appreciate the present when you’re exhausted. Right?!

Here are 3 top brain foods that you should add to your grocery list stat, so you can plow through your springtime bucket list with increased mental clarity and sustained energy:

Blueberries

Blueberries are a refreshing and healthy treat. They can be used in so many different ways for any meal or snack during the day. They protect your brain from oxidative stress, and reduce the rate of age-related conditions.

It’s inevitable that with so much to do, our cortisol levels can greatly increase over the course of weeks or months. So why not add blueberries to your morning oatmeal, smoothie or cereal? They can also be a welcome addition to your salad at lunch, or the perfect topping for a dairy-free yogurt parfait on a warm, sunny day.

Also, they don’t need to be fresh. Blueberry season is usually July and August, but flash-frozen blueberries are just as high in antioxidants and nutrients as the other guys. So go ahead and shop the freezer aisle, taking care to look for organic berries.

Nuts and Seeds

Nuts are packed with high levels of vitamin E, fiber, and omega 3 and 6 fatty acids. They are an excellent source of healthy fats and give you increased energy and physical endurance. This is exactly what your brain needs for the last few hours at work, or before you head out to take the kids to their soccer practice!

There are endless varieties of nuts, including walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds, peanuts, cashews, and pecans. Some popular seed varieties include sesame, sunflower, pumpkin (pepita), and chia.

Nuts can be added to your morning oatmeal and smoothies, or work just as well on their own as a snack—just remember to use sparingly, because although they are healthy, they are also calorie-dense.

Avocados

Avocados are one of the only fruits that have healthy monounsaturated fats and contain over 20 vitamins and minerals! When added to your diet, this plant-based food provides many benefits, including increased energy, shiny hair, healthy skin, and a dose of brain power!

Avocados are also proven to provide a decreased risk of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. Your brain needs rich fruits like this, so the rest of our body can synchronize and follow suit! You can learn more about the benefits of avocados from Best Health Magazine.

Give you and your brain the food and energy it needs to maximize your fun and keep you from burning out, while you play in the sun.

Happy spring! Go eat for your brain. (And if you need help designing a great food plan, I’m here. Work with me!)

Eating with Intention

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We live in a world today where we function with rapid speed, whether it’s the way we eat, sleep, breathe, work or play. Many of us don’t realize how busy and jam-packed our days are, or even what we ate for breakfast the majority of the time!

Break the Cycle

It isn’t until we lay our head on our pillows at night that we have a few minutes to recap short memories of the day, and then we are sound asleep again. Then we get up, and the cycles and routines repeat themselves.

We don’t need to live like this—especially when it comes to basic necessities like eating! When was the last time you had a meal alone, with family, or at work when you could recall that you ate with 100% pure awareness, attention and mindfulness?

It’s probably been while, right?

Food for the Soul

Eating is a gift that most of us forget to cherish. It’s natural and pleasurable. Food gives us energy and allows us to think, move, and be good at what we do. So why is it so easy to not give it the attention that it deserves?

It’s important that we start thinking about the correlation between food and the way we feel mentally, emotionally and physically. If we’re not being present when we’re eating, the ability to even feel our innate awareness is robbed from us!

Your Body is Your Temple

If you start to think of your body as a temple and food as the positive energy you bring in, you would be able to start making some changes that would benefit your long-term well-being.

I often tell my clients that when thinking about food and what you put in your body, reflect on the feeling attached to your mental and emotional state as a result.  When you connect the feeling or outcome of what you’re actually doing, it’s much easier to follow through because you can begin to predict what the outcome is going to be.

A salad with some plant-based protein makes us feel energized and alive. A processed doughnut? Not so much.

Tips for Mindfulness

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Reflect throughout the day, and ask yourself whether what you ate is giving your body the zap of energy you need, or if it’s depleting you. Stick with what works and eliminate what doesn’t.

It’s pretty simple, right?!

Make it Fun

Bringing awareness to your eating habits can be fun! There are endless amounts of ideas and solutions that you can try in order to nourish and nurture your body with food.

Gather some friends, or get your kids involved with meal prep while building a connection. Create a list of things that you need, find healthy recipes, go grocery shopping together, or hit up a local farmer’s market.

When you start eating with attention and intention, your body, mind and soul will thank you for years to come. If you need more tips and help with mindful eating, visit my recipes page HERE.

Be well, Ottawa! If you need help, I’m here.

 

 

Step into Spring—Literally!

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As winter dissipates, many of us may feel sluggish. Sometimes the weather just isn’t good enough for producing the motivation to slip on our runners and get outside for a quick run or whatever it is that gets our adrenaline pumping. But with longer days, warmer weather, and an excellent reason to swap sweaters and fleece coats for cute spring apparel, we don’t have any excuses to not step into this season with energy and a healthy, toned physique!

Let’s optimize the beauty of the outdoors, while we motivate ourselves to look and feel good mentally, physically and emotionally.

Accountability

Let’s face it, there is a strong correlation between our perceived physical appearance and our self-esteem: when we feel fit, we feel good. But that doesn’t just happen with simply visualizing what you want to achieve while laying in bed at night—you actually have to set a goal, make a commitment, and keep yourself accountable to your wellness goals.

When you keep yourself accountable and push yourself to do things that benefit and validate yourself, the results and subsequent transformations are immaculate because you did it for YOU! Stepping into spring is as easy as finding an enjoyable route to jog around, a set of bleachers at a stadium to climb, or finding a great hike path to push yourself through.

Motivation

It’s funny how you can easily forget the potential you have to regain the power and strength that lies in your own body. When you put the time and effort into strengthening your muscles, your whole body benefits because you’re spiking your heart rate, burning fat, and toning up at the same time. Your butt, thighs, core, and arms will thank you by becoming stronger and showing definition—and the positive reinforcement that creates for you is invaluable.

Physically, mentally, and emotionally, you’ll become a healthier version of you, one step at a time.

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Let Me Help

If you need help tracking your wellness goals, you can purchase My Wellness Journal. As a certified health coach, I’ve designed it to help keep you accountable, and track your progress. It’s available in hardcover on Blurb Books at http://www.blurb.ca/b/6928405-my-wellness-journal, and in digital download on Etsy at http://ow.ly/Z0dtt.

If you need some great recipe inspiration, you can visit my recipes page HERE.

Be well; get fit!

My Wellness Journal

 

Weight Loss Supplements: Are Fat Burners Really Worth It?

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Commercial weight loss supplements are often filled with caffeine and one or more of the following natural extracts reported to have “fat burning” effects: green tea extract, green coffee bean, raspberry ketone, and garcinia cambogia. This article will describe what these compounds are all about, their effectiveness and safety.

FAT BURNERS

Several weight loss supplements are marketed as being “fat burners”. The “fat burn” refers to (in a more scientific term): a specific biochemical process called fat oxidation, where body fat (“lipids”) are broken down (“lipolysis”) and used by the body as an energy source, or alternatively released as heat2. Today’s weight loss supplements promise to enhance this process, to cut the fat and pounds, upon ingestion of the following compounds:

  1. Green Tea Extract. Rich in catechins, green tea extract is reported to enhance fat oxidation by increasing the availability of noradrenaline within the blood3. Noradrenaline is a hormone with many roles, which includes stimulating fat oxidation for energy purposes. This is the same chemical our bodies release during the “fight-or-flight” response when we are placed in a seemingly harmful or stressful situation. Some studies have also suggested that catechins reduce the absorption of fat from our diet.

 

  1. Green Coffee Bean. A biologically active component found within green coffee beans is chlorogenic acid (CGA). CGA stimulates fat oxidation in a similar fashion as catechins Additionally, a recent study suggests that CGA may have anti-diabetic properties as it was shown to regulate blood sugar levels4. Unfortunately, coffee drinkers may not receive these benefits, as the roasting of green coffee beans produces another compound called HAQ, which supposedly reduces the beneficial effects of CGA.

 

  1. Raspberry Ketone. A compound found within red raspberries, used in several processed foods and cosmetic products to add flavoring and aroma. The use of raspberry ketone in weight loss gained popularity in 2012 when it was showcased on the Dr. Oz show. Just like green tea and green coffee bean extracts, raspberry ketone also increases noradrenaline levels.

 

  1. Garcinia Cambogia. This is a type of small tamarind fruit that hails from Southeast Asia. Garcinia cambogia is stipulated to reduce the accumulation of body fat via the inhibition of citric acid lyase, which is an enzyme involved in the synthesis of fat. This effect is due to the high content of hydroxycitric acid (HCA) that is found within the fruit. Some studies also report that HCA causes weight loss by increasing the release of serotonin, a hormone known to boost one’s mood and reduce appetite5.

EFFICACY AND SAFETY

The research shows large variability in the effectiveness of these compounds to actually increase fat oxidation rates and reduce fat mass. While some studies show significant reductions in weight (up to 5% of total body weight) over a 3 month period, other studies show absolutely no effect. The variability arises due to differences in supplements used during the clinical studies, as well as the types of individuals tested (i.e. we all respond differently due to our genetics, composition and lifestyle). Thus, while one product may be useful for one person in improving body composition, in another person there will be no significant changes.

The most worrisome fact about these weight loss supplements is the effects they have on other parts of the body. As mentioned above, most of the “fat burning” components act to increase noradrenaline levels. Noradrenaline not only has effects on fat tissues within our bodies, but also on our lungs, brain, muscles, heart, etc. While these effects are useful during the “fight-or-flight” response (or similarly during exercise) to allow us to escape quickly (or workout harder and faster), chronically heightened levels of noradrenaline is extremely harmful. Consequently, studies done on both animals and humans have reported side effects that include dry mouth, headaches, insomnia, vomiting, abdominal pain, tremors, adverse cardiovascular events (e.g. high blood pressure, abnormal heart rhythms), kidney failure, psychological disorders, and seizures.

THE SKINNY ON FAT BURNERS
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Before you consider using a weight loss supplement, even one as harmless sounding as “garcinia cambogia”,  think about how you’ll feel if the product does not work for you, the money you may have wasted or the potential side effects. Best bet is to discuss with your doctor first, and consult with a health and fitness coach on healthier, more natural ways to lose the fat and excess pounds. Always be critical before trying a new health supplement, and understand that the promises that the companies selling these products make often do not match up with the findings from unbiased research studies.

 

REFERENCES

1 Marks (2004). Obesity in America: It’s getting worse. Clinical Diabetes 22(1):1-2

2 Thermogenesis. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 23(8):1009-1010 Retrieved from: ajcn.nutrition.org/content/23/8/1009.full.pdf

3 Westerp-Plantenga et al. (2006). Metabolic effects of spices, teas, and caffeine. Physiology and behavior 89(1):85-91

4Ong Wei et al. (2013). Anti-diabetic and anti-lipidemic effects of chlorogenic acid are mediated by AMPK activation. Biochemical Pharmacology 85: 1341-1351

5Onakpoya et al. (2011). The use of garcinia extract (hydroxycitric acid) as a weight loss supplement: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials. Journal of Obesity 2011, article ID 509038

 

AMANDA CHEO

Amanda is a recent Master’s graduate from the University of Ottawa, where she completed exercise physiology-related research within the department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine. In her free time, you can find her out running the Rideau canal in Ottawa or at the gym for her favorite group exercise classes.