With an abundance of the best of what nature has to offer, summertime is the right time pay attention to your healthy lifestyle.
1. Pay attention to the skinny on fats
The type of fat you consume has an enormous impact on the structure, function, and health of your brain.
- Get in optimal amounts of omega-3 fats by consuming three or more servings of oily fish (like wild salmon) per week
- Consume the monounsaturated fats as your primary fats – extra virgin olive oil, raw nuts, and avocados
- Strictly avoid all trans fats. Look for ingredients containing “partially hydrogenated” and avoid them like the plague
- Minimize the unhealthy saturated fats like grain-fed red meat, non-organic dairy products and grain-fed butter. Choose organic grass-fed dairy products and grass-fed meat. Grass-fed products are loaded with CLA (Conjugated Linoleic Acid) which boosts your immune system and slices fat right off your body which tends to make people smile!
2. Step off the processed carb train
Feeding your brain the right carbs while avoiding the wrong carbs is essential. Restrict the whites: white flour products, white rice, white potatoes, and sugars/sweets. Your brain and your teeth will thank you.
3. Grandma was right…fruits and veggies are your best friend!
Here is a simple rule to follow: eat for the rainbow. Make sure that you consume living foods that are bristling with color. The summer season offers an array of fresh, ripe fruits and veggies. And yes, when grandma told you to eat your peas and carrots, she was right!
4. Smile for the protein camera
The brain requires a constant supply of amino acids, which are provided by protein. Your brain uses amino acids in the production of its main four neurotransmitters (Dopamine, Serotonin, Acetylcholine and GABA). Protein foods also facilitate the steady insulin response that keeps your brain happy.
Your best protein choices include: seafood, especially the oily fish like wild salmon, lean free-range poultry, beans, raw nuts/seeds, omega-3 free range eggs, organic grass-fed dairy products, grass-red red meat and butter, protein powders such as rice, pea, hemp, sacha inchi, pumpkin and grass-fed whey.
5. Fast food equals slow brain
Your consumption of fast food is indirectly proportional to long term happiness. The more of it you eat, the less happy you will become. Stay away from it. It is the fastest path to a mediocre life.
Contributor: Dr. Gregg Baron
The statements made in this article have not been evaluated by Health Canada or the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. None of the information presented is intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent disease.
