Good Mood Foods optimize brain function and overall health.
- Leafy greens
- Rainbow veggies and fruits
- Seafood
- Sustainably-sourced meat and eggs
- Fermented foods
- Nuts and seeds
The explosion in whole food diets – paleo, vegan, keto – is in direct response to the recognition that what we eat impacts our physical health. And the planet’s health. Now there is growing evidence of the connection between food and mental health and also neurodegenerative diseases.
My approach is to focus on foods that nourish your body. This leaves little room for foods that can negatively impact mental fitness and cause degenerative brain diseases.
Yet it is important to beware of brain-damaging, bad mood foods (they literally cause bad moods). Avoid — or minimize – these foods.
Refined Carbohydrates and Sugar
Consistent, excess sugar causes inflammation which is linked to cognitive decline. Sugar is a major contributor of disease.
Processed Foods
Processed foods give us more calories for less nutritional value. Food manufacturers increase amounts of salt, fats, sugar, artificial coloring, and scent until the quantities are literally toxic.
Industrial Seed Oils
Industrial seed oils are highly processed oils extracted from soybeans, corn, rapeseed (the source of canola oil), cottonseed, and safflower seeds. These were introduced into the American diet in the early 1900s.
- Hydrogenated and Partially Hydrogenated Fats/Oils (all)
- Canola Oil/Rapeseed Oil
- Corn Oil
- Cottonseed Oil
- Soybean Oil
- Vegetable Oil
- Vegetable Shortening
What To Do?
- Read ingredient labels. If you do not recognize an ingredient, your body may not recognize it as food
- Eat real food. Food from nature does not have labels
- Sweeteners: honey, real maple syrup, black strap molasses, stevia
- Oils: avocado oil, coconut oil, olive oils, sesame oil, grass-fed butter and ghee
- Detox and reset your body; here some options
- Participate in my RESTART Program
- Check out the upcoming Kick Sugar Summit: Sugar, Sugar Addiction, and Sugar Addiction Recovery
- Participate in Dr. Mark Hyman’s 10-Day Detox Challenge