Overview
We often think of eating well in terms of managing our weight or heart health, but what about supporting the brain?
There are so many foods we can eat to support better cognition, reduce the risk of neurodegenerative diseases, and feel sharper, smarter, and happier every day. Along those same lines, many of the processed foods in our Standard American Diet are sabotaging our brain health with loads of excess sugar and other sneaky ingredients.
Today, I’m excited to sit down with Max Lugavere to explore what it looks like to eat a diet that specifically benefits the brain. If you’re thinking you don’t need that focus in your personal diet, think again: these habits and foods are benefiting your entire body, too.
The brain is predominantly made of fat, which happens to be the type of fat that is most susceptible to oxidation. Max and I dive into why the right fats are so foundational for brain health and what some of his favorite options are.
If you look at most processed foods you’ll notice two things: they’re missing healthy fats and protein. That’s intentional because sugar and starch are addicting and keep us eating without ever feeling full. Max shares that, thanks to this strategy of the food industry, the concept of “intuitive eating” just doesn’t work.
A defining factor of foods that support optimal brain function, which Max calls “genius foods,” is their phytochemical richness. This is an area of nutrition most people aren’t paying attention to, but it’s one that has the potential to completely overhaul our health. Max and I talk about eating in a phytochemical-rich way, as well as how to get the most benefits from certain food groups like meat and dairy.
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