In addition to knowing what to eat, it’s important that we know what not to eat, or drink. There are basically 4 types of foods and drinks that fall into this category. Foods and drinks containing high amounts of sugar, too many simple carbs, foods containing hydrogenated oils, deep fried foods, and foods likely to have been sprayed with herbicides and pesticides. Watch this video by Max Lugavere, author of the block buster book Genius Foods.
If you need more of a warning regarding sugar – in the words of one internationally recognized Alzheimer researchers and university professor, “Sugar is like poison to the brain.” This is especially true for a senior or person with insulin resistance, i.e. who is diabetic or pre-diabetic. Watch this video by acclaimed Functional Medicine pioneer Mark Hyman, MD.
Note: Individuals with Diabetes (high blood sugar), are 3.5x more likely to develop Alzheimer’s than those who are not. Those with prediabetes (an A1C over 5.6) are twice as likely. In fact many now believe that Type 2 diabetes should be called Type 3 Alzheimer’s.
Plus in one Australian study reported on by Chris Pritchard (of Australia) titled Shocking Study: Too Much Sugar Shrinks Brain, they found that even people who did not have diabetes, who consumed high amounts of sugar, had significantly more brain shrinkage than those who did not eat excess sugar. For a copy email [email protected]
*Note: If you or someone you care for craves sugar, trying to get over that with will power alone is usually futile. The underlying issue likely driving this train is the brain’s need for energy. The brain is an energy hog, and if it doesn’t have enough energy it knows how to get it… i.e. it creates cravings for sugar that are very hard to resist, especially for someone who’s not especially strong mentally in the first place.
It knows simple carbs can with the help of insulin be easily converted to glucose and energy… at least that used to be the case. However, if a person has been eating too much sugar for too long, they are likely now insulin resistant. (We call this condition diabetes or prediabetes.) Which means their cells are no longer as receptive to insulin needed to usher glucose into the cell. So it’s not getting converted to energy as it was in the good old days. Instead of getting converted to energy it get’s circulated in our blood where it can damage proteins, or stored as fat, which also in excess is not good for the brain.
A better plan is to:
1. Eat and snack on more protein and complex crunchy carb foods, such as nuts, range free boiled eggs, healthy fish, cheese, berries, apples, cherries, celery, bell peppers, beets, etc.. These are broken down slower at a pace our cells can handle. So they don’t become insulin resistant.
2. Take a 5-HTP, saffron or L-tryptophane supplement and get more sunshine and exercise. These have been shown to help boost serotonin levels which calm the brain’s need for energy and sugar or simple carbs. And they help provide sustained energy over a longer period for thinking and remembering.
3. At the first sign of a craving consume a couple tablespoon of MCT or coconut oil (start with a teaspoon and work up over time, as this can cause diarrhea if too much is consumed), or take a drink of exogenous ketones. Kenetik is a ketone producer whose products we have endorsed in the past. They have a new formulation out that works quite well and tastes great see it by clicking here.
Ketones provide an alternative form of energy for brain cells, that is healthier than sugar, or other artificial sweeteners.
Other Additives to Avoid
Former NASA scientist and brain health specialist Dr. Sam Walters also warns against foods containing one or more of the following 5 ingredients.
MSG – Typically found in most Asian foods, hot dogs and other meats
Aspartame – a sweetener that’s also an excitotoxin
Sucralose – another artificial sweetener
Diacetyl — in Microwave popcorn – can cross the blood brain barrier to cause damage to your brain. If not listed look for “artificial” on the label.
Aluminum – A known neurotoxin found in deodorants, baking powder, and some antacids.
Unfortunately not only do we need to be concerned about the food that we eat, but the drinks that we down as well. We noted above the potentially damaging effects of excess sugar. But lots of healthy foods contain sugar, like most fruit for example, right? And they are good for us, so wouldn’t fruit juices be good for us? Unfortunately not.
Natural sugars are typically bound by fibers in fruit and vegetables. When we eat these foods, their sugars are released into our system at a pace our body was designed to handle. But too much sugar or refined carbs too fast, can cause insulin resistance and diabetes, wherein our cells begin to block sugar’s entrance. This can result in high blood sugar, low energy, and serious damage to other vital organs, especially the brain.
Unfortunately many if not most fruit juices and drinks contain high amounts of sugar. Just check out their labels. Generally it’s recommended that we not consume foods with more than 10 grams of sugar per serving. But some juices, including staples like orange juice, apple juice and cranberry Juice have more than 25 g of sugar per 8 oz, with no fiber to slow it’s flow! Not good for our bodies or brain!
See this interesting review titled New Study Shows Common Drinks Can Shrink Your Brain.
Additionally, new research is showing that not only can fruit juices with high sugar concentrations cause problems, but sugar substitutes like high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), aspartame, and sucralose may cause even greater damage.
High aspartame consumption in the form of one or two diet sodas a day (Diet Pepsi®, Diet Coke®, Diet Dr Pepper®, Crystal Light®, etc.) has recently been linked to higher risk of Alzheimer’s and vascular dementia. (Note: Stevia and Monk fruit are two sweeteners that may not evoke these adverse reactions, if taken in moderation.
So what are the alternatives? Well actually there are many good alternatives. Among our favorite are, Almond milk, Peppermint or green tea, bai, or Cocoa sweetened with a bit of stevia or munk fruit powder, as well as blended fruit, and good old Spring water.
One of the problems with simple carbs is that they tend to cause inflammation. And inflammation is a PRIMARY contributor to cognitive decline, including anxiety, depression and eventually dementia/Alzheimer's. But many things other than excess sugar or simple carbs can cause inflammation as well, such as a head injury, toxins in our body, an illness, auto immune disorders like arthritis, and certain nutritional deficits.
This video by Dr. Paris, is an infomercial for a supplement designed to reduce inflammation in individuals with Arthritis, but it's one of the best reviews we have seen of foods that can increase inflammation, as well as 10 Foods to Fight Inflammation. We would encourage you to watch the video, but for your convenience, one of our readers, who lost his wife to Alzheimer's has provided the following "Cliff notes" as it were, by transcribing Dr. Paris' main recommendations.
The Do Not Eat list, especially for those with arthritis:
Top 10 Foods to Fight Inflammation
Broccoli
Olive oil
Blueberries
Fish (Wild caught Salmon, or sardines)
Nuts (Macadamia, Walnuts, almonds, hazel nuts, cashews, Brazil nuts, pistachio)
Tart cherries
Kelp (harvested from protected ocean areas, screened for contaminants)
Fermented food (Kimchi, Kombucha, sauerkraut, low sugar Kefir) for probiotics
Papaya
Green tea
To stimulate the production of Proteolytic enzymes
Turmeric
Ginger
Pineapple
Papaya
Citrus bioflavonoids
Apples for Rutin
Select herbs (Boswellian, Devil’s claw and Mohave cactus root)
