BY JOYCE WONG JIN YI
DO YOU KNOW that you can fix your brain to experience the best memory, productivity and sleep you have ever had? My goal here is to share with you the right thing to do. Let’s discover what moves the needle to get you better brain health.
Food has a significant effect on your brain health, including the risk of depression, brain fog, Alzheimer’s, poor quality of sleep, and many more. Brain Fog happens when you cannot think clearly and you cannot focus, multitask, or lose short-term and long-term memory. Many doctors overlook this direct connection between the gut and the brain, and they are missing a key component to successful intervention.[ihc-hide-content ihc_mb_type=”block” ihc_mb_who=”unreg” ihc_mb_template=”3″]
Before discovering what to eat and what not to eat to improve your cognitive function, mood and concentration, it is essential to understand how food can affect your brain health. Food influences our brains directly and indirectly. When the microbiome breaks down food into fermented and digested components, it directly influences neurotransmitters such as serotonin, dopamine and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), which travel to the brain and change how we think and feel.
The intestinal epithelium acts as a barrier, preventing harmful substances such as macromolecules, toxins, and microorganisms into the bloodstream. When this intestinal epithelium tight junction get torn due to inflammation, larger molecules called macromolecules, toxins, and antigens can pass through the intestinal epithelium into the bloodstream. This condition is referred to as intestinal permeability or a leaky gut. A leaky gut can cause a leaky brain that poses you the risk of brain and mental health issues.
Eating patterns with food high in refined starch and refined sugar can negatively affect your gut microbiome and your mental health. Some foods promote the growth of good bacteria, while others inhibit the growth. This is because gut bacteria are responsible for making many brain chemicals.
If good gut bacteria are not present, all the critically essential neurotransmitters such as dopamine, serotonin, glutamate, and GABA are affected for regulating mood, memory, and attention. Many psychiatric disorders such as depression, bipolar and schizophrenia are due to the imbalance of these chemicals. The food that you eat changes the types of bacteria in your gut. If you eat food that favours the growth of good bacteria, your gut is healthy. Otherwise, the bad bacteria will outgrow the good ones and cause more negative impacts.
To restore a healthy gut microbiome, the key is to increase probiotics and prebiotics in your diet. Foods that nourish and promote a healthy gut microbiome are called prebiotics. Most prebiotics is dietary fibres. For a food ingredient to be classified as prebiotic, it must resist digestion, be fermented by intestinal microorganisms, and stimulate the growth/activity of beneficial bacteria. Examples of food with high prebiotics are artichokes, banana, shiitake mushrooms, potatoes, asparagus, plantains, raw garlic, onions, honey, kiwi, chicory root, and dandelion greens.
Probiotics are live microorganisms that provide health benefits when consumed in appropriate amounts. Yoghurt, and other fermented foods, including kefir, kimchi, kombucha, and sauerkraut, contain a wide range of probiotics. Remember to consume food that is rich in prebiotics and probiotics.
I highly recommend you follow a healthy, whole-food diet like the plant-rich diet and exclude foods high in refined starch and refined sugar especially processed food (biscuit, white bread, etc.). It’s crucial to work hand in hand with the mental health professional (if you suffer from some mental health issue) to develop suitable psychotherapy and dietary intervention mix.
Want to explore more ways to have a healthy brain? Check out my wellness masterclass here: https://www.joyce-wong.com/wellnessmasterclass. As the Petri Dish subscriber, you will get FREE 1 Year of membership in my wellness inner circle and a Free 1 hour 1-1 coaching session with me. See you inside! [/ihc-hide-content]
