How to make the brain control obesity:
Last week I explored a couple of topics discussed at The Brain Forum, which took place in Jeddah on Dec. 3 and 4. I felt it was introductory to this series of articles as Professor Stephen Bloom explained the brain/bowel connection, which influences weight gain, leading to obesity through the disruption of the hormones leptin that controls appetite and ghrelin that unleashes the appetite. (For more information, read last week’s article: “Unraveling The Mysteries of the Brain.”) Obesity triggers other hormonal displacements as well as the reduction of the protective intestinal “healthy” bacteria, thereby weakening the immune system.
Now, I will discuss how a healthy nutrition, portions, supplements, and lifestyle influences the brain, weight, overall health, and energy. But, what is most fascinating is how the brain impacts the way you approach and view food and how the amount and quality of food you eat influences the brain, resulting in sugar and fatty food over-consumption and addictions. By affecting the brain, obesity leads to self-medication with caffeine, fat, sugar, soda drinks, alcohol, and drugs, which worsen the condition, triggering depressive disorders. Here are ways that can lead to self-restraint and weight control.
It is important to know that the brain controls the body, cells, organs, and systems, which give it immediate feedback of hunger or satiation status, exchanging information. Without coordination and signals from this governing organ, hormones, and neurotransmitters, we lose the ability to move, think, remember, feel, react, send out messages and commands, receive signals from the body, process information, speak, and respond to the world around us. The brain decides the direction we resolve to take, whether it is positive or negative. It is up to this delicate fatty little organ that is made of 80 percent water to make us function optimally.
Because the brain is involved in all the above commands and coordinations, it requires the appropriate fuel from nutrients, enzymes, and phytochemicals to make hormones and neurotransmitters in order to fire the correct signals that transmit orders to neurons via nerves to cells, organs, and systems. The heart, too, does its share of pumping blood, nutrients, and oxygen to the brain.
Many operations are brain-related such as the sensations of hunger and controlling appetite; making decisions; contracting muscles; succumbing to food and substance addictions; and endless other functions that you may or may not feel. Without the adequate fuel to make different neurotransmitters, the brain signals may fire wrongly or uncontrollably, affecting the mood; inducing panic and anxiety attacks; causing fogginess; making the wrong responses and decisions; triggering depression and neurological disorders; disturbing sleep, and much more.
Because of all these body/brain connections, I decided today to talk about the nutrients the brain needs to give the adequate signals. In Dr. Daniel Amen’s book, “Use Your Brain to Change Age,” he outlines how when the brain is healthy, the body follows suit and obesity finds no place in the body. We are going to see together the foods and lifestyles, the brain doctor recommends as well as the foods and habits we should avoid in order to protect our brains from dementia, Alzheimer’s, and depressive disorders and to prevent excess weight gain, obesity, and related diseases.
Amen has come up with seven points to help you make healthy modifications to your daily lifestyles.
1. Eat nutrient-dense foods. Restrict high caloric foods.
2. Drink lots of water and keep away from sweetened caffeinated drinks (soda and soft) and alcohol.
3. Eat “high-quality lean proteins”.
4. Avoid refined, high-glycemic, low fiber carbohydrates and sugar.
5. Eat healthy fatty acids (omega-3-6-9) and avoid saturated, hydrogenated oils, and trans fats.
6. Eat a variety of non-starchy plant foods of deep pigments.
7. Add herbs and spices to food and drink their infusions.
I would like to also add: avoid refined, processed, canned and packaged, fried, fatty, foods, sugar substitutes, and additives.
Let us go through the seven points one by one in detail. Not all foods are made alike, therefore, for Rule 1, we should stress more on high-quality nutrient-dense foods, meaning rich in nutrients and low in calories, which give sustainable energy and physical and mental wellness. Food should be sufficiently nutritious to energize and empower our brains and bodies to operate optimally.
Multi-colored, whole, fresh, and organic fruits and vegetables offer such nutrients. They are filling due to their richness in fiber and satisfying due to their density in nutrients. They give sustainable energy and satiations and suppress nagging hunger. They are also appealing to our taste buds with their different flavors and can be prepared in different ways. Their abundance in antioxidants and phytochemicals detoxifies the systems from free radicals; cleanses the cells, bloods, brain, liver and organs; and offers anti-inflammation and antibacterial agents.
These are fresh organic berries, cherries, peaches, apricots, apples, pears, grapefruits, and plums, which are the least glycemic, meaning their fructose does not raise insulin to high levels. Because they contain fiber, whole fresh fruits are much more beneficial to eat than drinking their juices. Fiber attaches to sugar and fat, sweeps them down the intestinal tract for elimination, and increases stool bulk, which mops the gut clean, preventing constipation, polyps, and cancer. Enjoy 3 to 5 portions of whole fruits a day.
The medium glycemic grapes, nectarines, not so ripe banana, and oranges, should be taken in smaller portions, whereas the higher glycemic dried dates, watermelon, pineapple, melon, raisins, kiwi, mangoes and overripe banana should be consumed less often.
Low glycemic index (GI) non-starchy vegetables should take a more important place in a healthy diet. While dark leafy greens, asparagus, celery, artichoke, green beans, lettuce, the cabbage family, eggplants, and cucumbers are healthier in bigger amounts; high GI potatoes, sweet potatoes, legumes, nuts, lentils, brown rice, whole grains, quinoa, corn, peas, and cooked carrots should be taken in small portions.
Studies have shown that calorie-restriction and fasts are beneficial to health, resulting in leaner and more energetic bodies and reducing the risk of metabolic syndromes (obesity, inflammation, hypertension, cardiovascular and heart diseases, diabetes, and stroke). They also result in smaller waistlines, less indigestion, and more energy, increasing productivity and wellness. As for the brain, calorie restriction stimulates the mechanism that produces nerve growth factors, which improve brain functions (better memory, mood, and focus and less depression and dementia).
According to Amen, calories should not exceed 1.800 calories for middle-aged women to maintain weight and 2,200 calories for men, according to height and activity level. Big portions and overconsumption are even more harmful with a diet consisting of fast fatty fried foods, sodas and soft beverages, and refined sugar and carbohydrates.
I recommend beginning any meal with a rich multi-color salad and non-starchy veggies before attacking the main dish in order to satisfy hunger and prevent overconsumption rather than starting with empty nutrient fatty refined foods, which encourage overeating. Keep this motto in mind: food should be your medicine and not a cause of disease.
Next week, inshallah, there will be another episode of “How to Make the Brain Control Obesity.”
References:
Use Your Brain to Change your Age, Daniel Amen, M.D.
N.B.:
Individuals with medical conditions or on medication should consult their physicians when they decide to introduce anything new in their diet even if it is natural.
The previous health solutions articles are located at www.arabnews.com
Now, I will discuss how a healthy nutrition, portions, supplements, and lifestyle influences the brain, weight, overall health, and energy. But, what is most fascinating is how the brain impacts the way you approach and view food and how the amount and quality of food you eat influences the brain, resulting in sugar and fatty food over-consumption and addictions. By affecting the brain, obesity leads to self-medication with caffeine, fat, sugar, soda drinks, alcohol, and drugs, which worsen the condition, triggering depressive disorders. Here are ways that can lead to self-restraint and weight control.
It is important to know that the brain controls the body, cells, organs, and systems, which give it immediate feedback of hunger or satiation status, exchanging information. Without coordination and signals from this governing organ, hormones, and neurotransmitters, we lose the ability to move, think, remember, feel, react, send out messages and commands, receive signals from the body, process information, speak, and respond to the world around us. The brain decides the direction we resolve to take, whether it is positive or negative. It is up to this delicate fatty little organ that is made of 80 percent water to make us function optimally.
Because the brain is involved in all the above commands and coordinations, it requires the appropriate fuel from nutrients, enzymes, and phytochemicals to make hormones and neurotransmitters in order to fire the correct signals that transmit orders to neurons via nerves to cells, organs, and systems. The heart, too, does its share of pumping blood, nutrients, and oxygen to the brain.
Many operations are brain-related such as the sensations of hunger and controlling appetite; making decisions; contracting muscles; succumbing to food and substance addictions; and endless other functions that you may or may not feel. Without the adequate fuel to make different neurotransmitters, the brain signals may fire wrongly or uncontrollably, affecting the mood; inducing panic and anxiety attacks; causing fogginess; making the wrong responses and decisions; triggering depression and neurological disorders; disturbing sleep, and much more.
Because of all these body/brain connections, I decided today to talk about the nutrients the brain needs to give the adequate signals. In Dr. Daniel Amen’s book, “Use Your Brain to Change Age,” he outlines how when the brain is healthy, the body follows suit and obesity finds no place in the body. We are going to see together the foods and lifestyles, the brain doctor recommends as well as the foods and habits we should avoid in order to protect our brains from dementia, Alzheimer’s, and depressive disorders and to prevent excess weight gain, obesity, and related diseases.
Amen has come up with seven points to help you make healthy modifications to your daily lifestyles.
1. Eat nutrient-dense foods. Restrict high caloric foods.
2. Drink lots of water and keep away from sweetened caffeinated drinks (soda and soft) and alcohol.
3. Eat “high-quality lean proteins”.
4. Avoid refined, high-glycemic, low fiber carbohydrates and sugar.
5. Eat healthy fatty acids (omega-3-6-9) and avoid saturated, hydrogenated oils, and trans fats.
6. Eat a variety of non-starchy plant foods of deep pigments.
7. Add herbs and spices to food and drink their infusions.
I would like to also add: avoid refined, processed, canned and packaged, fried, fatty, foods, sugar substitutes, and additives.
Let us go through the seven points one by one in detail. Not all foods are made alike, therefore, for Rule 1, we should stress more on high-quality nutrient-dense foods, meaning rich in nutrients and low in calories, which give sustainable energy and physical and mental wellness. Food should be sufficiently nutritious to energize and empower our brains and bodies to operate optimally.
Multi-colored, whole, fresh, and organic fruits and vegetables offer such nutrients. They are filling due to their richness in fiber and satisfying due to their density in nutrients. They give sustainable energy and satiations and suppress nagging hunger. They are also appealing to our taste buds with their different flavors and can be prepared in different ways. Their abundance in antioxidants and phytochemicals detoxifies the systems from free radicals; cleanses the cells, bloods, brain, liver and organs; and offers anti-inflammation and antibacterial agents.
These are fresh organic berries, cherries, peaches, apricots, apples, pears, grapefruits, and plums, which are the least glycemic, meaning their fructose does not raise insulin to high levels. Because they contain fiber, whole fresh fruits are much more beneficial to eat than drinking their juices. Fiber attaches to sugar and fat, sweeps them down the intestinal tract for elimination, and increases stool bulk, which mops the gut clean, preventing constipation, polyps, and cancer. Enjoy 3 to 5 portions of whole fruits a day.
The medium glycemic grapes, nectarines, not so ripe banana, and oranges, should be taken in smaller portions, whereas the higher glycemic dried dates, watermelon, pineapple, melon, raisins, kiwi, mangoes and overripe banana should be consumed less often.
Low glycemic index (GI) non-starchy vegetables should take a more important place in a healthy diet. While dark leafy greens, asparagus, celery, artichoke, green beans, lettuce, the cabbage family, eggplants, and cucumbers are healthier in bigger amounts; high GI potatoes, sweet potatoes, legumes, nuts, lentils, brown rice, whole grains, quinoa, corn, peas, and cooked carrots should be taken in small portions.
Studies have shown that calorie-restriction and fasts are beneficial to health, resulting in leaner and more energetic bodies and reducing the risk of metabolic syndromes (obesity, inflammation, hypertension, cardiovascular and heart diseases, diabetes, and stroke). They also result in smaller waistlines, less indigestion, and more energy, increasing productivity and wellness. As for the brain, calorie restriction stimulates the mechanism that produces nerve growth factors, which improve brain functions (better memory, mood, and focus and less depression and dementia).
According to Amen, calories should not exceed 1.800 calories for middle-aged women to maintain weight and 2,200 calories for men, according to height and activity level. Big portions and overconsumption are even more harmful with a diet consisting of fast fatty fried foods, sodas and soft beverages, and refined sugar and carbohydrates.
I recommend beginning any meal with a rich multi-color salad and non-starchy veggies before attacking the main dish in order to satisfy hunger and prevent overconsumption rather than starting with empty nutrient fatty refined foods, which encourage overeating. Keep this motto in mind: food should be your medicine and not a cause of disease.
Next week, inshallah, there will be another episode of “How to Make the Brain Control Obesity.”
References:
Use Your Brain to Change your Age, Daniel Amen, M.D.
N.B.:
Individuals with medical conditions or on medication should consult their physicians when they decide to introduce anything new in their diet even if it is natural.
The previous health solutions articles are located at www.arabnews.com
Email: Mariam.alireza@gmail.com
by arabnews
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