Have you ever heard of Nutritional Psychiatry?

So what we eat really does matter! I, for one, regard my brain as something of a wonder, and as such it deserves (actually demands!) only premium ‘fuel’. It has high demands for vitamins and minerals, needs lots of antioxidants to deal with the free radicals (waste material) generated by it’s activities, needs oils such as DHA as structural components, and a good quality portein to build the neurotransmitters that send the messages out to the body. And that’s just a short list!

So what do low-grade ‘fuels’ do to our brains?

• The foods that fall into this category are largely processed and refined foods. These are high is sugars and preservatives, neither of which are brain friendly! They actually are harmful.
• They promote inflammation which compromises brain function often leading to symptoms such as fluctuating moods, anxiety and even depression.
• The free radicals that are produced while the brain is working cannot be effectively dealt with, so they cause direct damage to the brain tissue

And what does a brain-supporting diet look like?

• Studies have shown that people eating traditional diets, such as the Mediterranean Diet, have a 25-35% lower risk of developing these debilitating conditions.
  What is common to such diets is vegetables, fruits, unprocessed grains, fish and seafood, and moderate amounts of dairy products and lean meats
• They are very low in processed and refined foods.
  Processed foods cause inflammation, which can affect neurotransmitters in the brain. These are compounds responsible for relaying all the messages that the brain needs to send out to the body.
• They incorporate fermented foods. Why would that be?
  There is lots of evidence now supporting the idea that your gut and your brain are intimately linked! And that a most important factor for a happy brain is a happy gut microflora (the bacteria in the gut). Modern lifestyles are unfriendly to the good bacteria – and rather supportive of the bad guys that really should be kept under control. So fermented foods are there to support the good guys!
  And remember that a diet high in processed foods is very bad for the gut microflora – it supports the baddies and suppresses the goodies!

Since our nutritional status is so important for our brains the next thing to consider is whether our own personal diets are really supplying us with everything we need. When I took careful stock of what I eat I realised that I might actually be under-supplying essential nutrients on a regular basis! For example, i certainly do not eat enough oily fish on anything like a regular basis. And such fish are a source of essential Omega 3 oils for both the structural integrity of our brains (DHA) and as a source of natural anti-inflammatories.

So my solution is to use effective, guaranteed pure, food based supplements on a regular basis to fill any nutritional gaps that might be lurking. If you’d like to have a çhat’ about this with me please do get in touch.

Just a caution: all Omega 3 supplements are not made equal. Some work, and some don’t and some are probably frankly bad for you!

If you want to know what I have used and recommended for 30 years please leave a message for me on +27 (0)84 506 3643 and I will get back to you.

Or you can take a look here: https://neolifeafrica.com/positiveoptions/shop/

Disclaimer:

The opinions expressed within this article are the personal opinions and experiences of the author. They are for information purposes and do not replace a consultation with your doctor.