BODY CONSCIOUS

The Effect of Fat on Brain Health

I know the subject is on mind health, but a discussion on mind health would be woefully inadequate if I were to leave out the effect that fat has on brain health.

    Fat Researchers state two main purposes for body fat: 1. Fat stores excess calories in a safe way so we can mobilize the fat stores when we are hungry.  2. Fat releases hormones that control metabolism.  There are four different types of body fat identified by Research Scientists thus far: White Fat, Subcutaneous Fat, Visceral Fat, and Brown Fat.  Each of the four body fats has a uniquely different function in the overall health of the body human.  Since we are talking about the mind we shall focus only on body fats as they relate to a healthy brain.

White Fat:  The job of white fat is to store energy and produce hormones that are then secreted into the bloodstream.  There isn’t any such thing as ridding the body of white fat.  You can reduce the size of the white fat cells, but they are not going to go away - just get smaller.  Small white fat cells produce a helpful hormone called adiponectin which makes the liver and muscles sensitive to the hormone insulin, making us less susceptible to diabetes and heart disease.  Large white fat cells slow down or may even shut down the production of adiponectin, setting one up for disease, according to Susan Fried, PhD, director of the Boston Obesity and Nutrition Research Center at Boston University.

Subcutaneous Fat is the fat found directly under the skin.  It is the fat that’s measured using skin-fold calipers to estimate your total body fat.  Depending on the distribution it could be either good fat or bad fat.

Visceral Fat is the fat that wraps around the inner organs and spells trouble for your health.  Rachel Whitmer, PhD, a research scientist at the Kaiser Permanente Division of Research in Oakland, CA states, “Visceral fat drives up your risk for diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and even dementia.”  Whitmer records record that those with the biggest bellies had a higher risk of dementia than those with smaller bellies.  The link was true even for people with excess belly fat but overall normal weight.  Whitmer speculates that the production leptin, a hormone released by belly fat, may have some adverse effect on the brain.  Leptin not only plays a role in appetite regulation but also in learning and memory. Belly fat is detrimental to brain health and regardless of its name it can kill us.  “Understand that belly fat is both visceral and subcutaneous,” says Kristen Gill Hairston, MD, PhD, MPH, an assistant professor of medicine at Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC.  “If you have an oversized belly you should recognize it as unhealthy, women with a waist circumference more than 35 inches and men with a waist circumference more than 40 inches are at increased disease risk,” states Hairston.

Brown Fat is the body’s great insulator.  Brown fat keeps us warm in the winter and cool in the summer.  Lean people tend to have more brown fat than over-fat people.  Aaron Cypess, MD, PhD, an instructor of medicine at Harvard Medical School believes that when brown fat is activated it aids in the burning of white fat.  Sleeping and living in a cooler environment seems to produce more brown fat cells which is a good thing for the rest of the fat in the body.  Allowing our bodies to adjust to cooler temperatures by wearing lighter clothing in cool weather is better for our overall health.

A healthy mind must start with a healthy brain if we are to retrain it for appetite control.  Next Post begins the “retraining” process.  Get ready to relearn everything you ever knew about eating.

Optimizing Brain Function – Part 2

WebMD lists 10 foods for the brain which are the highest in brain food value.   Salmon, Eggs, Peanut Butter, Whole Grains, Oats/Oatmeal, Berries, Colorful Veggies, Dried Cooked Beans, Low-Fat Milk & Yogurt, and Beef Liver & Lean Beef are the natural foods highest in necessary brain nutrients.  The problem I see with the 10 items is that they are not a part of most of American’s regular diet; therefore we may not have recipes for tasty dinning and/or cooking.  Below are 10 recipes you can use found on the WebMD web-site:

 

1.  Salmon – salmon salad sandwiches – canned salmon mixed with reduced-fat mayo or non-fat plain yogurt, raisins, chopped celery (I personally don’t like the celery in it), and shredded carrots and just a touch of Dijon mustard served on a true whole grain bread.

2.  Eggs – eggs fried, scrambled, soft boiled or hard boiled can be added to almost anything at any meal.  Limit the frequency to no more than 3 times a week however.

3.  Peanut Butter – peanut butter will make a great sandwich with just about any fresh sliced non-citrus fruit or simply mix honey into the peanut butter and serve on whole grain bread.  Just forget the jelly.

4.  Whole Grains – just take white and fake dark breads out of your diet when it comes to buns, muffins, bagels, pop-tarts, waffles, or any flour products you regularly consume.  Look for gluten-free products if you can find them.

5.  Oats/Oatmeal – simply add a handful of dry oats into your smoothie or into buckwheat pancake mix.  A simple snack for kids: mix 1 cup of peanut butter, ½ cup of honey, 1 cup of dry oats, and a ½ cup of dry milk powder then mix with your hands.  Serve with fresh fruit slices as a dip for the fruit.

6.  Berries – add sliced sweet cherries with broccoli or strawberries with green beans.  Toss berries into a green salad.  Add berries to vanilla yogurt, into hot or cold cereals, or dips.

7.  Cooked Dried Beans – with kidney and pinto beans as the preferred beans add them to salads, or mash and spread them on a toasted flat tortilla with a little melted white cheese.  Beans and rice with salsa mixed into the rice is great tasting, and makes a good main dish.

8.  Colorful Veggies – tomatoes, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, carrots, spinach, and beets – vegetables with deep rich color are your best sources of brain foods.  Try sweet potato fries: cut up in wedges or sticks.  Spray them with vegetable oil cooking spray and bake them in the oven at 400 degrees, for 20 minutes or until they start to brown.

9.  Milk & Yogurt – Recent research suggests that children and teens need 10 times more than the recommended dose of vitamin D – a vitamin that benefits the neuromuscular system and the overall life cycle of human cells.  White cheese is slightly lower in fats than yellow cheese so make the switch to white cheese when possible.

10. Beef Liver & Lean Beef – fried liver from my personal favorite recipe: beat two eggs in a large flat bowl in another large flat bowl sprinkle a healthy amount of seasoned bread crumbs.  Using fresh beef liver rinse the liver in the egg mix then right into the bread crumbs and right into a medium-heat frying pan then cook until medium done – do not over cook.  Serve with sautéed onions and mashed potatoes along with your favorite veggies.

 

    Add you own recipes to the “comment” box below so we all can gain new ways of making tasty brain healthy meals and snacks.              

Optimizing Brain Function - Part 1

Most of us want to think that we are basically healthy.  We eat all the right foods, get at least 40 minutes of aerobic exercise at least three times a week, maintain some sort of flexibility through resistance exercise at least three times a week, and usually get the required amount or restful sleep each night.  Basically we are healthy.  That is where the problem begins, we think we are healthy.  How we think might be our real problem.  We can’t simply think ourselves healthy.  Brain health is an active effort to gain optimal performance from the most important, hardest working organ in the body. 

 

            Enemies of a healthy brain must be conquered if we are to be successful in optimizing brain function.  It must be pointed out that brain function in a child is distinctly different than that in an adult.  A child’s brain is developing and growing at an extremely rapid pace; whereas in an adult, growth and development are at a much slower pace.  Providing proper nutrition for the brain is extremely important in a young child for their wellness later in life.  As adults we want to maintain healthy brain function to assist us in dealing with the stress and pressure of everyday situations.  According to Neurosurgeon Dr. Russell L. Blaylock, the primary enemies of the brain are MSG, cysteine, and aspartame.  Dr. Blaylock points to the nuclei in the hypothalamus and the damage caused by excessive amounts of glutamate.  Blaylock states, “The lasting effects from MSG, cysteine, and aspartame on the endocrine system could lead to hypothyroidism, adrenal hypoactivity, growth retardation and even emotional or intellectual problems.”  Most of the enemies of the brain are hidden in prepared foods and drinks.  We need to be more diligent in reading labels which list the ingredients and then Black-List those items with destructive contents.  Eating late at night (even when it is just a snack), taking in too much added sugar, consuming foods high in saturated fats, caffeine consumed after mid-day, and late night alcoholic beverages will all contribute to disruption of sound sleep.  Without proper rest the brain will suffer the most; in turn the rest of the body will eventually pay the price.    

 

            To retrain the brain toward healthy habits we must begin with a healthy brain.  In the next post we will look at foods that will optimize brain function.  If you thought you could turn your children into geniuses just by modifying their diet – would you make the necessary changes?  If you thought you could control the stressful situations in your daily routine – would you make the necessary changes?  Body, Mind, and Spirit wellness (the total body human) is the goal of this blog and for the moment we are concentrating on brain wellness.

Healthy Brain = Mentally Fit

     A recent article in U.S. News & World Report reported on the findings of a Brain Health Index.  The findings by researchers at Martek Biosciences Corp. point to a combination of analysis on diet, physicial health, mental health, and social will-being in all fifty States.  The ten lowest ranked States were: Indiana, North Dakota, South Carolina, Arkansas, Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, Oklahoma, and in last place, Louisiana.  The top ten ranked States were: Washington, D.C., Maryland, Washington State, Vermont, Connecticut, Colorado, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Maine, and New Hampshire.  Just in case you are thinking of moving to the "Brainier" States so you will become brainier, forget it.  Unless one changes their habits relative to a Healthy Brain you will just be relocating the brain you have now.  You should also note that the bottom ten States also have the highest obesity rates.

 

     A healthy brain is a necessity for a healthy body, mind, and spirit.  Dr. Elizabeth Zelinski, professor of gerontology and psychology at the University of Southern California, points to proper diet and aerobic exercise as high priorities for a healthy brain.  Dr. Zelinski also says, "Vascular health and healthy brain function are very much connected.  The brain gets everything it needs to function - oxygen, glucose, and the removal of waste - from the vascular system."  Medical experts recommend 30 minutes of physical activity a day, teaching the brain new things by playing games, learning new languages, or taking up hobbies, and eating (not supplementing) a diet rich in brain-enhancing nutrients - including omega-3s - and fruits and vegetables.  Dr. David Perlmutter, a neurologist and expert in the field of nutritional influences in neurological disorders, points to those sensitive to gluten stating, "For people that are gluten sensitive, if they eat gluten-containing foods, which are wheat, barley, and rye, it can be a strong cause of dementia."  Brain health also involves other factors such as; spiritual life, sense of community, income, and formal education.

 

     Getting the brain healthy is imperative to retraining the brain to the wellness factor.  Prior to retraining the brain let's get the brain on tract toward wellness by looking at our diet relative to foods for and/or against the brain.  What do you have in the way of information for brain foods?  Supplementing instead of eating the nutrients we need for a healthy brain just will not do the trick.  Post your brain foods on this blog under "comments".