Ready to dive into the nitty gritty for any hope of reducing the risk or, in some studies, even reversing cognitive decline? Perhaps review my previous blog for the 8 areas of lifestyle, when taken in total, is critical for cognitive health.
Naturally, all starts with food. If you’d like to see a couple of my favorite science-based diets, look at the Mediterranean Diet, the Dash Diet, or the Mind Diet. This blog sheds light on how even healthy foods can get in our way and create a brain - killing problem. To avoid it, a specific way of eating helps maintain a healthy brain.
What’s the brain killing problem? High blood sugar – especially fasting blood sugar levels even at pre-diabetic levels. Left alone, high blood sugar in the brain promotes cascades of cellular dysfunction, plaque formation, inadequate plaque removal, inflammation, and oxidative stress. All that damage is consistent with the strong correlation of Alzheimer's and Type II diabetes.
The fuel source of a cell is the simple sugar glucose. Brains, being extremely active, are fuel hogs and require a generous, consistent supply of glucose. (Click here for my Food for Thought blog!) Nature intends us to use carbohydrates as our primary food source. Carbs are efficiently digested into the glucose we need to feed the brain. Our attention should be on the type of carbs we eat, how we eat them, and when we eat them to avoid high blood sugar.
Simple carbohydrates like table sugar, are digested and absorbed quickly, causing a spike in blood sugar levels. See the graph above? The red dotted line is a blood sugar spike of digested table sugar followed by a chaser of insulin (blue dotted lines). Insulin’s job is to get the glucose out of our bloodstream and into our cells. Hard candy will spike blood sugar in just 5-15 minutes.
Starchy foods, basically chain-linked strings of dehydrated sugars, include potatoes, corn, bagels, peas, many breakfast cereals, white rice, and pasta. They are a bit slower to digest, but still raise blood sugar high and fast -see the solid red line with the solid blue insulin rise. Add water and those sugars fall apart as enzymes swoop right in, separate the sugar components, and off into the blood stream they go. I suggest eating only moderate servings of starchy vegetables in a well-balanced meal.
Carbs high in dietary fiber change the equation. These carbs are generally mixtures of starches and indigestible plant material. When water is added to these complex carbs, the indigestible parts absorb water and form these cool, satisfying gels that slow down the digestion process, produces sustained glucose levels and help us to feel full and satisfied. These beautiful complex carbs are found in whole grains, nuts, beans and lentils, psyllium fiber mixes, and non-starchy vegetables.
The key to balancing meals: We must marry high-quality protein, portion controlled carbs high dietary fiber, and a little healthy fat at each meal to balance blood sugar and produce a constant supply of brain fuel at a healthy rate.
Why is this so? Take a look at the diagram. Our goal is to start the day with a meal that balances blood sugar. In waking hours, before it drops too deeply we time the next meal to catch the drop in blood sugar and gently raise it again. We can have snacks, but again, think protein, complex fiber, with a bit of fat like hummus and veggies or a portion of nuts.
My clients most struggle mrs with putting the three together at breakfast. I love making it easy with a morning Life Shake in soy or non-soy plant versions, and 180 whey versions. With 16-20 g of protein, 5-6 g of dietary fiber, healthy plant fats, and all the nutrition needed in a meal, my brain is well fed and I remain satisfied for a long time. Ask me for lots of delicious recipes to start your day right!
