3 Foods That Hurt Your Brain
The brain needs one thing to fully function: real food.
While it’s easy to get obsessed with what we should eat, what we shouldn’t eat is just as important.
Toxic foods affect us on a cellular level, and our brains are forced to cope. Remove these three items and your brain will thank you.
Avoid Hydrogenated Oils like canola oils and vegetable oils.
Industry brought us these man made oils. They are cheaper, their shelf life is basically forever, and they’ve been sold to us as a healthy option. These oils change the biology of our cells which is reason enough to say goodbye. The good news is they’re tasteless and you won’t miss them. The bad news is they’re used in almost every restaurant in the US. Cook at home. When out, avoid anything fried.
Get real about sugar.
In one study (link) rats were given cocaine and sugar water. They quickly ditched cocaine in favor of the sugar water. When it was removed they experienced withdrawal symptoms. Sugar releases dopamine like any other drug which leaves people binging and feeling out of control. We’re just starting to find out the effect its use has on our mental health. Be mindful about sugar. Eat it as a rare indulgence, not a daily staple. Bake and sweeten your foods with raw honey or maple syrup.
Get Present to What is Processed.
Many of my patients are unaware of how much processed foods they eat. Think about your food. Be present. We’ve had fast, grab and go packaged foods for several generations now. Sometimes we’re unaware of what is and what is not actual food. If it didn’t exist 100 years ago, its not food.