Brain-Healthy Nutrition (Part Two)

In my last post I introduced five components of brain-healthy nutrition. I explained the first four. Now, here's the fifth component: heart health.

How is heart health related to brain health?

Numerous studies have shown a direct relationship between coronary heart disease, high cholesterol and cognitive decline. One landmark study in California by Dr. Rachel Whitmer evaluated nearly 9,000 people (age 40-44), examining total cholesterol, diabetes, smoking and hypertension. The study revealed that having one of these cardiovascular risk factors at midlife bumped up the chance of getting Alzheimer's between 20 and 40 percent. People with all four (high cholesterol, diabetes, smoking and hypertension) were more than twice as likely to get Alzheimer's as those who had none of the risk factors.

Mainstream Americans associate a high intake of fiber with heart health. But from what foods are they getting their fiber? Mostly from cereals, breads and whole grains. The food marketers of these products do an excellent job of promoting them as "heart-healthy." Unfortunately, we don't see the blueberry growers touting their product as heart healthy. Think about this: a cup of blueberries (or blackberries and raspberries) contains 5g of fiber, 80 calories, along with powerful antioxidants. Compare that to the breakfast cereal you are eating to increase your fiber intake. One serving (3/4 cup) of Honey-Nut Cheerios, which they claim helps lower cholesterol, contains 2g of fiber and 110 calories. And seriously, do most people measure out 3/4 cup? Raisin Bran Extra (one cup) contains 7g fiber... but packs 190 calories and 44 grams of carbohydrates! Couple that with 1/2 cup milk and you'll be getting 56g carbohydrates, 240 calories and about 10g protein.

Try these tasty, nutritious alternatives for a heart-healthy, brain-healthy breakfast:

Two-Egg Omelet - 2 eggs with 1 oz meat (bacon, turkey, ham), and spinach. On the side, serve with 1 cup fresh berries, 1 oz avocado

Brain Shake - in blender combine 1 scoop vanilla whey protein powder, 1 cup berries, 1 Tablespoon almond butter (just like peanut butter but extra-delicious!), 1 T cocoa powder, 8 oz water and 6 ice cubes. Blend for approx. 1 minute, or until creamy smooth.

Either of the breakfast options above contains all the components of brain-healthy nutrition: constant protein to carbohydrate balance, good fats, antioxidants and fiber.

The nutritional components of brain health all contribute to a healthy heart. So take heart in the fact that as you are keeping your blood sugar regulated and consuming antioxidants and healthy fats, you are also protecting your heart.

Brain-Healthy Nutrition (Part One)

I had the honor this week of being the inaugural guest on a new local TV show called "Women's Perspective," hosted by Jane Marks and Laurel Kirksey of the WV Alzheimer's Association. Local readers can view this program on Tuesday nights during the month of April. (Check your channel guide for specific times.) The focus of this first show is on brain-healthy foods. As one who lost her father to early-onset Alzheimer's Disease (he showed symptoms as early as age 50), this topic is especially important to me. Here are the five areas I discussed:


1. Keep blood sugar stabilized - The brain needs a steady supply of glucose to make ATP, its energy chemical. Without adequate ATP, the brain has an energy drain, and its function decreases. The best way to accomplish this is to control your insulin levels.

Consider how you feel about an hour after eating pasta, bread or sugar. You are sleepy, your thinking is fuzzy and you have difficulty concentrating. Your glucose is driven down so low that brain function is compromised. It searches for glucose to make ATP so it can energize itself and guess what? You seek out more carbohydrates (sugar) because your brain is telling you to bring in more glucose - NOW! You head to the vending machine and grab a candy bar and a coke, get a temporary fix and the cycle starts all over again. Instead of having steady amounts of glucose for your brain, you give it peaks and valleys. So how do you keep glucose stabilized?

Maintain a constant protein to carbohydrate balance every time you eat.

2. Eat plenty of protein. Protein is used to make hemoglobin in our red blood cells so they can carry oxygen to all parts of the body, including the brain. Unlike carbohydrates, protein doesn't give you the insulin "spike". Consequently, when you combine protein with carbohydrates your glucose levels are more constant - think chicken and wild rice.

Protein is broken down into amino acids, which make up our brain's chemical messengers called neurotransmitters. One of the amino acids, tyrosine, prompts our brain to manufacture norepinephrine and dopamine, which promote alertness and activity.

3. Eat good fats. Omega-3 fatty acids are important to the development and maintenance of the brain and spinal cord. Twenty percent of the omega-3 in the brain is docosahexaenoic acid or DHA, which is concentrated in the nerve synapses (connections between brain cells), making it a vital player in brain cell communications. Another omega-3, eicosapentaenoic acid, EPA, is necessary for improved blood flow and decreased inflammation. Where can you obtain these important fats? Eggs, fatty fish (like salmon or mackerel), poultry, and fish oil supplements. Another vital fat in brain function is monounsaturated fat. Its function is to slow the rate at which carbohydrates enter your bloodstream (i.e., it helps to control blood sugar levels). Additionally it causes the release of cholecystokinin, another hormone that tells your brain to stop eating. Enjoy these fats that are found in olive oil, avocados and almonds.

4. Antioxidants. Think of antioxidants as your own personal secret service. These nutritional bodyguards jump in front of free radicals to reduce damage to your cells (also called oxidative stress). Researchers in the Chicago Health and Aging Project found that consuming three servings of vegetables per day had a statistically significant impact on reducing the risk of Alzheimer's Disease. They also concluded that regular and significant consumption (2-4 servings) of leafy green, yellow or crucifereous vegetables had protective benefits on age-related cognitive change. Some of the brain healthy fruits and vegetables include: spinach, broccoli, onions, kale, collard greens, blueberries, blackberries, cherries, red grapes.

That's quite a bit to digest all at once. I'll leave it at that for now. Check back in a couple days and I'll share my advice and tips on Heart Health (the fifth and final topic) in Part Two of this article.

How Important to You is Better Nutrition?

If you had to rate your level of commitment to healthy eating, on a scale of 1 to 100, what would it be?

Sure, we all say we want to eat better... but what are we willing to do? Let's look at an example from my life that occurred this past weekend. My husband, kids, and I traveled to my in-laws for the weekend. Usually when we go, I loosen the nutrition reigns and don't stress about it. For the most part my husband and I stay on course, always work out at a local gym, and will allow ourselves some old favorites like pizza and some snack foods in the car.

On this particular trip, I ate "clean" with the exception of pizza on Saturday night. The ride home on Sunday, however, proved to be a recipe for disaster. In a word, Sunday was a carb-fest. And the problem with the occasional carb-fest is that it sparks that "need" for more sugar and carbohydrates. The cycle ensues: eat crappy carbs, get the high, crash, eat more crappy carbs, get the high.... You get the idea.

By the time we arrived home I was literally sick to my stomach! In the old days I would have vegged on the couch the rest of the evening and not planned my families' nutrition for the week ahead.

This time, instead, I snapped myself back to reality and got moving. I made the grocery list and headed out. I chose not to do the little $40 run to get us through Monday; rather, I bit the bullet and bought all the groceries for the week, making sure we were stocked with loads of protein, fruits and veggies.

The next morning, my work was still not complete. As I got the kids ready for school and preschool and myself ready for work, I fixed a few things for that evening and the following day. Roasted chicken went in the oven, and I cooked turkey burgers for my husband to take to work for lunch. As for me, I opted to fast. When my carb-fest ended Sunday evening at seven o'clock, I decided to give my digestive system a rest. I didn't eat again until Monday night dinner. By that evening I felt much better. All was right in my world again. Ahhh!

The lesson here lies in the fact that I was faced with a choice. We all have to make choices frequently, don't we? I could have taken the easy, lazy way out and not planned for the week ahead. Not only would my body and mind have suffered--so would my wallet. I would have set myself and my family up to be less than optimized for the week. Lacking quality, nutritious foods in the pantry and fridge, we would have needed to eat out. Instead, since my family's nutrition ranks so highly on my importance scale, I chose to take the better path and our kitchen is stocked with nutritious foods to keep our brains and bodies thriving.

What do you do when you fall off the nutrition wagon? Do you continue down that unhealthy path--or do you shake yourself out of it and get right back on track? As Barry Sears, author of The Zone says," You are only one meal away from getting back into the zone."

So back to my question: at what number would you rank your nutrition? On a 1 - 100 scale, post your commitment-level ranking in a comment. I'd love to hear from you!