Summary of the book " Brain Food by Lisa Mosconi"

 Key concepts in this book

1. Food can be both a medication and a poison.
2. Staying hydrated helps you think more clearly.
3. Fats are necessary for the brain, but not all fats are made equal.
4. Amino acids have an impact on your ability to think, feel, and sleep.
5. Glucose is the fuel that keeps the brain going.
6. Vitamins preserve your brain and help you think more clearly.
7. A happy brain starts with a healthy gut.
8. To thrive, your brain requires nutritious food, regular exercise, and excellent companionship.

What am I getting out of it? Boost your brain health and mental clarity with science-backed magic.

What you eat determines who you are. You've probably heard the cliche that what you eat has an impact on your body's form and fitness level. But have you ever considered your brain, which is the most hungry component of your body?

This intricate organ, which is responsible for your entire existence, has its own dietary requirements. When it isn't given what it requires, it suffers from brain fog, tension, and even dementia.

This summary demonstrates the cutting-edge science behind neuro-nutrition, highlighting the link between nutrition and brain health. They explain how simple it may be to take charge of your food, support your brain – and, in the process, get fit as a fiddle – with recipes and information on what to eat and what to avoid.

• You'll learn why water is essential to your intelligence.
• Why the ultimate brain food is water.
• And why nutrient synergy means 1+1=3.

Food can be both a medication and a poison.

Do you worry about wrinkles when you think about becoming older? Reconsider your position. Nothing compares to the magnitude of Alzheimer's disease, which affects 5.3 million people in the United States alone. Dementia affects more than 46 million individuals worldwide. By 2050, the number is expected to rise to 132 million.

Fortunately, we have the solution right at our fingertips.

The essential point here is that food may either be medicine or poison.

Alzheimer's disease was once assumed to be an unavoidable consequence of ageing or faulty genes. However, studies have revealed that only about 1% of persons get Alzheimer's disease due to genetic factors.

Instead, the majority of cases boil down to personal preferences. This isn't limited to Alzheimer's disease; an unhealthy lifestyle is thought to be responsible for 70% of all strokes, 80% of heart attacks, and 90% of type 2 diabetes cases in recent years! In other words, your DNA does not determine your fate.

So, why aren't doctors communicating to us more about the importance of making our own decisions? Western medicine, on the other hand, prefers to treat symptoms with surgery or medications rather than less invasive preventative measures. You can help your neurons stay robust by doing a variety of things. Physical and mental activity are two of the most significant factors. What, though, is at the top of the list? Eating healthily.

Consider that for a moment. You might work out a few times a week or take drugs from time to time. However, you most likely eat several times every day. Because you're constantly exposed to food, nutrition is the most powerful factor influencing your DNA. The interaction between diet and genes has even spawned a new field called nutrigenomics.

Consider the scenario. You may work out a few times a week or take drugs regularly. However, you most likely eat several times a day. Diet is the most influential factor impacting your DNA because you are constantly exposed to food. The interaction between diet and genes has spawned a new field known as nutrigenomics.

Your brain, more than any other organ in your body, is the most vulnerable to bad nutrition. It requires more than 45 nutrients to function properly, the majority of which are supplied from the meals you eat. These are absorbed into brain tissue and are used to replace your brain's depleted storage and enhance cellular processes. What you consume has a direct impact on your brain.

Alzheimer's disease is an example of the brain's most extreme responses to the nutrition you feed. Getting wise about food, on the other hand, relates to every element of your cognitive health, whether you want to improve your memory, overcome depression, or keep your mental sharpness well into the old life.

Staying hydrated helps you think more clearly.

The consistency of your brain is similar to that of jelly. It floats inside your head in a bath of cerebral fluid and is made up of 80% water, 11% fat, 8% protein, 3% vitamins and minerals, and a pinch of carbs.

Your brain's gatekeeper is the blood-brain barrier. By preventing external substances like bacteria, poisons, and even some pharmaceuticals, protects your body's most sensitive organ from inflammation and infections. Only a few chemicals required for brain function are permitted to pass across the barrier.

For one thing, water is always welcome. It plays a role in every chemical reaction that takes place in the brain, including energy production. It also serves as a structural component, filling up the gaps between brain cells and assisting the brain in the absorption of nutrients, the formation of proteins, and the elimination of waste materials. Water is necessary for human survival – also, it turns out, for your intelligence.

Here's the main point: Staying hydrated helps you think more clearly.

According to studies, consuming eight to ten glasses of water every day, or around two litres, can improve your brain's efficiency by over 30%. Dehydration, on the other hand, hastens brain atrophy. The good news is that by drinking enough water, you can completely reverse the consequences of dehydration in just a few days.

Hard water, such as what you get from your tap or bottled spring water, is essential to your health. In contrast to nutritionally devoid filtered water, this water is high in minerals including calcium and magnesium. Bottled water has a better taste, but it is more expensive and produces a lot of plastic trash. Instead, try purchasing a high-quality faucet filter for your house tap water, which will eliminate impurities while preserving valuable minerals.

Hard water will rehydrate you better after an exercise than most energy drinks, which contain artificial minerals, salt, and sugar. Drink nature's thirst-quencher, coconut water – it's low in sugar and high in potassium – or aloe vera juice, which is also naturally antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral – to mix things up.

Instead of soda, try this Spicy Raspberry and Orange Water beverage: In a gallon of water, combine a cup of raspberries, a thinly sliced orange, two sliced cucumbers, a handful of fresh mint leaves, and two cinnamon sticks. Allow it to soak overnight in the refrigerator before adding a cup of ice just before serving. All that's left now is for you to enjoy it!

Keep in mind that you could consume up to 20% of your daily water intake through food. Cucumbers and lettuce are 96 per cent water, while watermelon has the greatest water content of any fruit at 93 per cent. As a result, make sure to incorporate them into your everyday diet as well.

Fats are necessary for the brain, but not all fats are made equal.

These days, high-fat diets are all the rage – just think of keto or Atkins. Because the brain is "composed of fat," you need to eat fat to nourish it, according to one theory. This is wishful thinking, in the broadest sense of the term.

To begin, it's critical to understand the differences between fats. There are two types of fat in your body: store fat and structural fat. The visible, squishy fat utilised to store energy is called storage fat. Then there's structural fat, which is the sole fat in your brain and serves to sustain your cells.

These fats may be split down into fatty acids, with saturated and unsaturated fats being the most common. Your brain despises the former and adores the latter when it comes to food.

Yes, lipids are necessary for brain function, but not all fats are created equal.

Contrary to popular belief, your brain can produce as much saturated fat as it requires locally. Any saturated fat you consume will merely increase inflammation in your body and reduce oxygen flow to your brain.

What does this imply in terms of application? In a study of over 800 senior people, those who ate more than 25 grammes of saturated fat per day – equivalent to six pieces of bacon – were four times more likely to acquire dementia than those who ate half that amount.

Trans fats in processed meals like commercial doughnuts, cold cuts, and margarine are even worse. If you enjoy sweet potato chips, try creating your own by frying them in coconut oil. They're delicious, plus they're healthier than store-bought varieties.

Avocados, cereals, olive oil, almonds, and whole milk products give monounsaturated fats, which your brain wants. Yoghurt and kefir are beneficial to the digestive and immunological systems because they contain living microorganisms.

Omega-3 and omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids are also required for brain function. However, with omega-6s, a little goes a long way; too much will kick-start your body's inflammatory response. Instead of fatty foods, try a drizzle of grapeseed oil or a handful of peanuts to meet your daily requirements.

Omega-3 fatty acids are the most effective nutrition for preventing dementia and age-related cognitive impairment. Flaxseeds, walnuts, chia seeds, wheat germ, spirulina, and cold-water fish are all good sources of omega-3 fatty acids.

The actual star, though, is caviar, which the author refers to as "the ultimate brain food." Caviar is a known memory booster as well as an omega-3 powerhouse. If you don't want to spend a fortune, salmon roe comes in a close second in terms of nutritional value - and only a third of the price.

Amino acids have an impact on your ability to think, feel, and sleep.

Your brain controls your central nervous system, which is made up of around 80 billion neurons. Neurons are remarkable in that they may convey signals to neighbouring cells from a great distance.

Proteins play an important function in the communication process. Many of the amino acids in proteins function as neurotransmitters, which are chemical messengers that your brain utilises to communicate and process data.

The way you think, speak, remember, and dream is controlled by neurotransmitters. Serotonin, for example, has an impact on your mood, sleep patterns, memory, and hunger. Cravings, motor control, and reward-motivated behaviour are all controlled by dopamine.

Neurotransmitter imbalances, it turns out, cause a slew of cognitive difficulties. Reduced serotonin levels, for example, are frequent in patients with depression, and this can impede attention and memory. The depletion of neurotransmitters is frequently linked to a bad diet, as you might expect.

What is the main point here? Amino acids have an impact on your ability to think, feel, and sleep.

Your brain requires amino acids daily to function properly. The Mayan term chia, which means "strong," packs the most blow. Two teaspoons of these small seeds contain nearly 200 mg of the tryptophan your brain requires to generate serotonin, and have long been utilised as sustenance by warriors and long-distance runners alike. Eat carbohydrates with tryptophan-rich foods to boost absorption, which increases serotonin production, which promotes sleep, according to research.

Raw cacao, oats, spirulina, and pumpkin seeds are some of the most abundant natural sources of tryptophan. Animal items such as full-fat goat's milk and yoghurt, as well as fish such as tuna and salmon, are very delicious.

Glucose is the fuel that keeps the brain going.

Carbohydrates can be contentious when it comes to dieting, with labels like "good" and "bad" being flung around at random. But it's straightforward for your brain: a carb's specific supply of a chemical called glucose makes or breaks it.

Your body can burn fat and sugar for energy, but your brain is entirely dependent on glucose. Carbohydrate-rich foods are broken down into glucose, which is swiftly taken into your system, thanks to the metabolic process. Glucose then passes through the blood-brain barrier, feeding the brain's billions of cells.

To stay healthy and active, an adult brain requires roughly 62 grammes of glucose over 24 hours. The best natural sources of glucose include red beets, onions, turnips, and rutabaga. One red beet provides about a third of your daily glucose requirements. Fruits like kiwi, grapes, and dates, as well as pure maple syrup and honey, are high in glucose.

This blink's main message is: Glucose keeps the brain operating.

Perhaps you've experienced "the candy bar effect," in which your blood sugar levels spike and then plummet. Have you ever thought about how you feel after you've done something? Do words like "weary" and "weak" come to mind?

High blood sugar levels are caused by consuming a lot of sugar, especially refined white sugar, which can lead to inflammation, type 2 diabetes, and metabolic diseases. All of these factors increase your chances of developing dementia.

Sugars found in sodas, fruit juices, candies, and white-flour foods such as cakes, pasta, and pizza should be avoided. Concentrate on complex carbs and starches like sweet potatoes (with the skin), berries, grapefruit, pumpkin, carrots, lentils, chickpeas, and whole grains instead.

If you have a sweet craving, fibre will help you avoid blood sugar rises by making it more difficult for your body to break down. Try a square of 70% or higher organic dark chocolate or a bowl of air-popped popcorn for a delight without the sugar rush.

Make the author's Soothing Cacao Smoothie for Two as well. To make this, blend 1 tablespoon raw unsweetened cacao powder, 1 tablespoon almond meal, 1 tablespoon chia seeds, 1 teaspoon goji berries, 1 tablespoon organic aloe vera juice, 14 cup chocolate protein powder, 1 cup coconut water, and 1 cup full-fat coconut milk for one minute on high in a blender. Enjoy!

Vitamins preserve your brain and help you think more clearly.

Vitamins. We all know they're healthy, but what exactly do they do for your brain?

Vitamins E and C, for starters, protect your brain cells and tissues from pollutants, free radicals, and pollution. Meanwhile, vitamin B6 is required for neurotransmitter generation. Furthermore, there is evidence that eating more vitamin B-rich foods could totally prevent approximately 25% of dementia and stroke cases.

What is the most important message? Vitamins preserve your brain and help you think more clearly.

If you're thinking, "Wow, where's the nearest pharmacy?" then you've come to the right place. – Not so fast, my friend. Manufactured supplements don't work nearly as effectively as food because of the natural nutrient synergy. To put it another way, taking a vitamin C supplement every day isn't the same as drinking freshly squeezed lemon juice.

Deriving your vitamins from whole meals provides additional benefits that pills cannot provide, much as eating carbohydrates with protein enhances serotonin levels or taking omega-3s with B vitamins promotes mental sharpness. As a result, 1+1 Equals 3.

Fortunately, many vitamin-dense foods can be found in plain sight. Vitamin E is abundant in almonds and flaxseeds, while vitamin C is abundant in citrus fruits and berries. Dandelion greens, which the author grew up eating in Italy, are her secret weapon. Vitamins C, A, and B, as well as brain-boosting elements like iron, potassium, and zinc, are all found in this unassuming "weed."

Her grandmother's original recipe for making this dish is as follows: 1 pound dandelion greens, rinsed and placed in a saucepan Bring to a boil with one quart of water over medium heat. Cook until the greens are soft but not mushy, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain well, then drizzle with two tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, one lemon's juice, and a teaspoon of sea salt in a serving bowl. If you can't locate dandelion greens in your grocery store, buy some seeds and grow them yourself!

Vitamin B6 is found in pistachios, tuna, shellfish, organ meat, sweet potatoes, leafy green vegetables, cabbage, bananas, and garlic. Royal jelly, a stronger type of honey, is another excellent source. For a quick pick-me-up, combine it with chia seeds, bee pollen, and crushed pistachios in yoghurt.

Finally, eggs are high in choline, a nutrient that helps with memory. Because healthy egg consumption is limited to two or three per week, eating a variety of other choline-rich foods such as fish, shiitake mushrooms, almonds, wheat germ, and quinoa is essential. Take this as an opportunity to sample Marmite, which contains brewer's yeast, another choline-rich ingredient.

A happy brain starts with a healthy gut.

Our early ancestors were hunter-gatherers who ate grasses, seeds, fruits, roots, and the occasional fish. Meat, dangerous and difficult to obtain, was a rare treat.

Meanwhile, processed meats, cereals, and dairy products are staples of the modern Western diet. Pesticides and chemical fertilisers are used in our food, and animals are given growth hormones, antibiotics, and even poisons like arsenic to fatten and preserve them - all of which we consume. In reality, 80% of antibiotics sold in the United States are used to treat livestock rather than humans!

Unfortunately, what's terrible for your gut affects your brain as well. Guess what's at the top of your gut's "Most Wanted" list? Antibiotics and commercially farmed meats are two things to avoid.

The main point is this: A happy brain starts with a healthy gut.

Nearly 100 trillion bacteria live in your body, with more than 95 per cent of them residing in your gut. Your gut microbiome is made up of bacteria, viruses, fungus, and other organisms. Your gut flora aids in food digestion, pathogen protection, and the production of healthy fatty acids. Surprisingly, these fatty acids can modify the function of the blood-brain barrier, limiting the number of nutrients and other substances that can flow through.

Eat organic produce whenever feasible to keep your gut healthy, but especially when it comes to the "Dirty Dozen" of pesticide-laden fruits and vegetables. Apples, celery, tomatoes, cucumbers, grapes, nectarines, peaches, potatoes, spinach, strawberries, blueberries, and bell peppers are among these fruits and vegetables. When it comes to meat, dairy, and eggs, cutting back on your intake and only eating organic, free-range kinds is a good idea.

Fibre-rich foods promote digestive health and regularity, allowing waste products, harmful bacteria, and toxins to be flushed out. Broccoli, berries, lentils, and leafy greens are all good options. Onions, asparagus, and artichokes are high in prebiotics, which are carbs that fuel your body's healthy microorganisms. Probiotic foods, such as sauerkraut and yoghurt, are fermented and cultured foods that contain living bacteria that restore your gut microbiome.

Changes in your gut microbiome can increase your risk of mental illnesses like anxiety and depression, according to new research, and probiotics could be an effective treatment. A group of women in one study ate a cup of probiotic yoghurt twice a day for a month, while the control group didn't. They were then shown distressing images while an fMRI was used to track their emotional responses. Guess who remained the most composed?

To thrive, your brain requires nutritious food, regular exercise, and excellent companionship.

Sardinia, Italy; Ikaria, Greece; Okinawa, Japan; Nicoya, Costa Rica; and Loma Linda, California are five little places scattered around the world with uncannily high populations of centenarians. People who live in these "blue zones" not only live longer, but they also live fuller lives with lower incidences of cancer, obesity, heart disease, diabetes, and dementia. So, what exactly are they doing correctly?

These lifespan hotspots have essentially identical lifestyles despite their geographic and cultural variances. They have deep relationships with their family and friends, for starters. They also get up and move around every day, doing things like gardening and walking. Physical activity is a natural antidepressant, as you undoubtedly already know. It also encourages new brain cell growth and memory formation, as well as helping neurons recover from injury.

The most striking feature of the people who live in these hotspots, however, is that their diets are quite similar.

The main takeaway is that your brain thrives when you eat well, exercise regularly, and surround yourself with positive people.

These centenarians usually begin their days with a hearty breakfast, followed by a light lunch and a light dinner. As a result, centenarians naturally practise intermittent fasting, which has been found to extend the life span of laboratory animals by up to 30%. Try fasting for 12 hours between dinner and breakfast, and make sure to drink lots of water in the interim.

Fresh vegetables, fruits, legumes, and grains, which include brain-essential vitamins, lean protein, and healthy carbs and fats, are staples in the centenarians' diets. They eat fish and meat only five times a month on average, and in tiny portions; this reduces their saturated fat and cholesterol intake while still delivering essential nutrients.

Finally, these centenarians typically consume one to two glasses of alcohol each day, the most popular of which is red wine, which is a good source of antiaging antioxidants when consumed in moderation with meals. Some people drink coffee, the equivalent of one espresso or two Americanos, which has been shown to reduce the risk of dementia in studies.

The most essential thing to remember when it comes to getting healthy is to go over everything you've learned and figure out what works best for you. Your bio-individuality has an impact on your behaviour, mental health, hormone production, and nutritional requirements.

Above all, remember to take a moment to smell the roses. When it comes to your brain's health, it's just as important to try to avoid stress and enjoy your time on Earth as it is to eat broccoli.

The most important takeaway from these blinks is that your brain is essentially what you eat. Increased water consumption and a plant-based diet rich in vegetables, fruits, legumes, grains, and the occasional fish can result in complete brain joy, according to a neuro-nutrition study. You can achieve optimum mental performance, avoid sickness, and age gracefully by eating well and in moderation.

Check your kitchenware, if you haven't already.

Excessive levels of minerals like aluminium and copper can enter the body through water pipes, but toxins can also be found in your pots and pans. Remove all aluminium cookware, as well as microwavable plastic containers and synthetic nonstick surfaces such as Teflon, from your kitchen. Invest in cast iron, stainless steel, glass, and classic ceramic pots and containers instead. Remember, we're talking about your brain - and your life!

#books #bookstagram #book #booklover #reading #bookworm #bookstagrammer #read #bookish #booknerd #bookaddict #booksofinstagram #bibliophile #love #instabook #bookshelf #bookaholic #booksbooksbooks #readersofinstagram #libros #reader #bookphotography #booklove #b #art #author #instabooks #literature #libri #bhfyp

#writer #bookcommunity #bookblogger #quotes #bookreview #library #livros #writing #novel #poetry #writersofinstagram #igreads #libro #readingtime #bookstore #bookclub #romance #goodreads #instagood #fantasy #literatura #instagram #fiction #photography #authorsofinstagram #a #bookobsessed #kindle #life #leggere