Five hundred years ago, Leonardo da Vinci gave advice on healthy eating that is timeless and essential. The maestro counseled eating fresh, wholesome, natural foods. He emphasized the importance of dining in a relaxed and enjoyable setting, and advised that we enjoy a little red wine with dinner. He also advocated being present and appreciative of the experience of dining, an example of what we now call mindfulness.
The doctor of the
future will no longer treat
the human frame with drugs,
but rather will cure and prevent
disease with nutrition.
— THOMAS EDISON
Leonardo is renowned as perhaps the greatest genius of all time, but you don’t have to be a genius to recognize that his advice was based on what we refer to today as a Mediterranean diet. Diet fads come and go, but there are some universal, timeless truths about healthy eating that will be summarized in this chapter. And, as Leonardo understood, healthy eating can help to optimize your brain functioning in a pleasurable way.
Scientists estimate that the average human body is composed of fifty to seventy-five trillion cells. And all of those cells, including your one hundred billion neurons, are completely reconstructed more than twice a year. Your diet provides the fuel for this cellular renewal. As Daniel G. Amen, MD, emphasizes, “If you want to have a great brain, you must consistently give it nutrient-rich foods. This is one of the easiest, most effective strategies to boost brain power quickly.”
Although some jest that the secret of longevity is to give up everything that makes you want to live longer, you needn’t actually experience deprivation to be healthy. Healthy eating is more pleasurable. There are seven essential elements for an enjoyable, healthy diet. These include the following:
1. Maintaining hydration
2. Starting your day with breakfast
3. Rustproofing your brain and body
4. Minimizing or eliminating the unnecessary
5. Supplementing for a sharper mind
6. Embracing moderation
7. Enjoying dining
In this chapter, we will explore each of these seven elements.
Just as you must water your garden regularly to maintain the health of your plants, you must also provide plenty of water for the blossoming of your brain and the health of your body. Water is a critical and often overlooked factor in nutrition. Your brain is 80 percent water, and water is an essential contributor to all of the body’s metabolic processes. The amount of water you need every day depends on a range of factors, including your activity level, weight, the relative humidity in your environment, and your general health; but the average prescription is eight to ten eight-ounce glasses of pure water daily. You can complement your water intake by enjoying plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables with high water content.
Water is the driving
force of all nature.
— LEONARDO DA VINCI
Dehydration is a common cause, or exacerbating factor, of a range of ailments, from headaches to joint pain. Dehydration also raises cortisol and other stress hormone levels, thereby interfering with clarity of thought and memory acuity. It’s a sneaky condition — most folks aren’t aware that they are suffering from some degree of dehydration. Although thirst is a reliable sign that you need more hydration, you may need it even if you don’t feel thirsty — so make it a habit of drinking water throughout the day.
Proper hydration is a critical factor in maintaining and improving your mind as you age. Dr. Daniel G. Amen explains, “Considering that your brain is 80 percent water, proper hydration is the first rule of good nutrition. Even slight dehydration increases the body’s stress hormones, which can decrease your ability to think clearly. Over time, increased levels of stress hormones are associated with memory problems.”
Alcohol and caffeine both have a dehydrating effect on your brain and body, so drink extra water in proportion to your enjoyment of wine and coffee. Avoid drinking anything that contains artificial sweeteners, added sugar, or chemical additives. Pure water is the best liquid to drink throughout the day, every day.
YOU ARE WHAT YOU DRINK
You are not just what you eat; you are also what you drink, according to Fereydoon Batmanghelidj, MD, a medical evangelist for the healing power of water. In his book Your Body’s Many Cries for Water, he emphasizes that the quantity and quality of water that we drink have a profound effect on our health. Dr. Batmanghelidj has identified a common syndrome that he terms unintentional chronic dehydration (UCD). He believes that many ailments, such as headaches, arthritis, fatigue, constipation, and ulcers, are caused or exacerbated by UCD.
It is essential, after fasting overnight, to stimulate your metabolism by eating a healthy breakfast every morning. People who eat breakfast do a much better job of regulating their weight. According to a survey by the U.S. National Weight Control Registry, 80 percent of successful dieters, those who have lost weight and kept it off, ate breakfast daily. The survey concludes that “eating breakfast is a characteristic common to successful weight loss maintainers and may be a factor in their success.”
In addition to helping prevent obesity, a healthy breakfast also has a positive effect on performance in memory tests, according to a study by researchers from the University of Toronto. They discovered that elderly men and women who ate breakfast scored significantly higher on tests of recall than those who skipped the morning meal. David Benton, PhD, of the University of Wales and his colleagues found the same phenomenon with schoolchildren. His research demonstrated that children who ate breakfast scored higher on memory tests and reported better moods.
Let food be
your medicine.
— HIPPOCRATES
Neuroscientist Valerie Gremillion, PhD, confirms that “Breakfast establishes the core support for your brain function throughout the day and creates the conditions for enhanced mood, attitude, and motivation.” You can optimize your brain functioning and your overall health by starting your day with fresh fruits, whole grains, and proteins: a bowl of berries or a grapefruit and steel-cut oats, or poached eggs and whole-grain toast, will do much more to satisfy your hunger and energize you for the day ahead than Pop-Tarts or Lucky Charms.
If you leave a bottle of wine open too long, it will oxidize and become stale. If your car hasn’t received the appropriate protective coating, it may rust over time. Just as wine degrades and metal rusts, so it is with the brain and body. Over the years, your system generates chemicals known as free radicals that have the effect of oxidizing, or “rusting,” your cells.
FREE RADICALS
The Free Radical is the title of a libertarian journal published in New Zealand, and “the Free Radicals” also seems to be a popular name for rock bands, adopted by musicians in Texas, Florida, New Jersey, and elsewhere. But scientifically, the term doesn’t refer to politics or music. Rather, it refers to unstable molecules — bereft of a needed electron — that roam around your system seeking to grab an electron from healthy molecules in order to stabilize themselves. Stealing an electron from a previously stable molecule makes that second molecule unstable, which then avidly seeks stabilization, thus perpetuating a chain reaction of molecular destruction that exacerbates symptoms associated with unhealthy aging.
Free-radical scavengers, known as antioxidants, can counter the destructive effects of free radicals by effectively quenching their desire for additional electrons, thus rendering them quiescent. Nutritionists at the National Institute on Aging in Bethesda, Maryland, have created a rating scale for the antioxidant level of various foods according to “oxygen radical absorption capacity,” or ORAC. Enjoy foods with high ORAC ratings for the greatest “rustproofing” effect. The following are some delicious recommendations.
• Live a fruitful life. Raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, and especially blueberries — which nutritionists have nicknamed “brainberries” — all have strong antioxidant benefits. Other fruits that serve as free-radical scavengers include pears, apples, peaches, pomegranates, oranges, plums, kiwis, grapefruit, and red grapes. (Red grapes contain high levels of the potent antioxidants resveratrol and quercetin. This is partly why moderate enjoyment of red wine can be beneficial for your health.) Dried fruits, including prunes, dates, and apricots, can also be high in antioxidants. Check the labels before you buy dried fruits to be sure there are no preservatives, added sugar, or other unnecessary additives.
• Veg out. Broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, spinach, kale, chard, carrots, chili peppers, bell peppers, parsley, asparagus, avocados, radishes, zucchini, beets, peas, seaweed, and artichokes contain a variety of wonderfully effective antioxidant components. The antioxidant benefits of these vegetables are usually enhanced by cooking. A review, by Gladys Block, PhD, and her associates, of more than two hundred nutritional studies concluded that those who regularly ate more vegetables and fruit than average were significantly less vulnerable to cancer and heart disease.
• Add garlic. Garlic is one of the most healthful ingredients you can enjoy in your daily diet. Garlic’s benefits as an antioxidant, antibacterial, antifungal (and antivampiric) agent are well documented. It also helps to maintain healthy cholesterol levels, reduce blood pressure, and promote good circulation.
• Eat beans. Although, as Bart Simpson informs us, “beans are neither fruit nor musical,” they are high in antioxidants and fiber. Among the best are black, red, broad, kidney, and pinto.
• Go nuts (and seeds). Nuts and seeds are another rich source of antioxidants, especially pistachios, almonds, pecans, walnuts, hazelnuts, and sunflower seeds.
• Add spices (and herbs) to your life. These spices and herbs add more than flavor to your food, and they all offer a powerful antioxidant effect: cumin, cloves, cinnamon, turmeric, mustard, ginger, oregano, basil, sage, thyme, and tarragon.
• Experience wholeness (through grains and cereals). Barley, millet, oats, and corn are all loaded with vitamin E, a powerful antioxidant that helps prevent cancer by supporting the immune system. Studies also suggest that vitamin E helps prevent arthritis and may lessen the likelihood of Alzheimer’s. A recent report from an American Society for Nutrition symposium states, “Current scientific evidence indicates that whole grains play an important role in lowering the risk of chronic diseases, such as coronary heart disease, diabetes, and cancer, and also contribute to body weight management and gastrointestinal health.”
• Enjoy teatime. The world’s most popular drink is also one of the healthiest. White, green, and black teas are all rich in antioxidants. Regular enjoyment of tea is a simple and refreshing way to help ward off a wide range of degenerative ailments, such as arthritis and Alzheimer’s.
In the Hippocratic oath, physicians swear to “first, do no harm.” This is an essential principle of maintaining the health of your mind and body. Be careful to do no harm to yourself through eating useless or toxic substances. Some of the most common unnecessary elements to minimize or eliminate include sugar, saturated fats and “Franken-fats,” high-glycemic carbohydrates, processed foods, additives, and preservatives.
The wisdom of life
consists in the elimination of
non-essentials.
— LIN YUTANG, Chinese author
and inventor
Americans consume an average of 150 pounds of sugar per person per year, according to Suicide by Sugar, coauthored by clinical nutritionist Nancy Appleton. That book explains how overconsumption of sugar contributes to many disorders, from obesity and diabetes to depression and Alzheimer’s. An overdose of sugar raises insulin levels in a way that can suppress the immune system, thereby increasing vulnerability to these and other ailments. Excess sugar also feeds inflammation throughout your body. Eliminating unnecessary sugar is difficult because it is a stealth ingredient in many foods, including a surprising number of so-called health foods. A recent trip to a natural foods store revealed “concentrated cane juice” (that is, sugar) in products ranging from chicken broth and frozen pizza to flaxseed waffles and beets. Is it necessary to artificially sweeten chicken broth? Do beets, naturally sweet, need to be treated with more sugar?
Here are some common aliases for unnecessary sugar:
• Corn syrup
• Cane juice
• Glucose
• Fructose
• Maltodextrin
• Malt syrup
• Sorbitol
Unnecessary sugar dulls your palate and contributes wasted calories to your diet. It is one reason that obesity is increasingly widespread. You will need to be vigilant to eliminate this unhealthy influence from your diet.
Tereza Hubkova, MD, an expert in healthy aging and a physician at the renowned Canyon Ranch Health Resort, explains, “Glucose (sugar) binds to the proteins in our arteries (and elsewhere) creating something called advanced glycosylated end-products — the abbreviation for which is AGE. This pretty much sums up what excess sugar does to your organs, including the brain.”
THE SWEET SPOT FOR HEALTHY AGING?
Cynthia Kenyon, PhD, of the University of California, San Francisco, has discovered that lowering the amount of high-glycemic carbohydrates in one’s diet may be key to a longer, healthier life. Working with a type of roundworm, Dr. Kenyon and her team found that when they fed their C. elegans roundworms sugar, it shortened their lifespan by revving up their insulin signaling system. Although Kenyon cautions that the research isn’t yet conclusive, she has changed her own diet based on her discoveries. She explains, “Carbohydrates, and especially refined ones like sugar, make you produce lots of extra insulin. I’ve been keeping my intake really low ever since I discovered this. I’ve cut out all starch such as potatoes, noodles, rice, bread and pasta.…Instead I have salads, but no sweet dressing, lots of olive oil and nuts, tons of green vegetables along with cheese, chicken, meat, fish and eggs. I eat some fruit every day, but not too much and almost no processed food. I stay away from sweets, except 80 percent chocolate.” She adds that she enjoys “one glass of red wine a day.”
If you weren’t a “fathead,” you couldn’t function. More than half of your brain’s weight is fat, and without fatty acids, your neurons couldn’t form or maintain synaptic connections. Healthy fats include the monounsaturated fats derived from olive oil, nuts (pistachios and almonds), and avocados, and the polyunsaturated fats sourced from some types of fish (salmon and mackerel) and from corn and safflower oils.
Saturated fats — found, for example, in red meat, egg yolks, butter, and cream — can contribute to the formation of plaque in the bloodstream and a subsequent hardening of the arteries. Foods with saturated fat can be enjoyed in moderation by most people who live a healthy lifestyle (including regular exercise) without significant negative consequences.
Trans fats, also known as “Frankenfats,” are to be avoided completely. Just as Dr. Frankenstein artificially created a hideous monster, so food manufacturers have created artificial fats that have a monstrous effect on your health. Nutritionist Deborah Gleason explains how trans fats can contribute to depression and other mood disorders: “[They] interfere with the metabolism of essential fatty acids, and replace them in the cell membranes. When this occurs, various neurotransmitters responsible for mood, focus and memory have difficulty finding and identifying their receptors due to the distortion of the membranes on the receiving brain cells caused by the incorporation of trans fats.” She adds that “trans fats are the primary villain (with a few runner-ups) that has created our epidemics of obesity, metabolic disorder, insulin resistance, and type 2 diabetes.”
Also known as partially hydrogenated oils, trans fats are prevalent in margarine and other forms of shortening and present in many snack foods, such as chips, cookies, energy bars, crackers, peanut butter products, and breads. According to the Institute of Medicine, “There is no safe amount of trans fats in the diet.”
OLIVE OIL: A GIFT FROM THE GODS
Good oil, like good wine, is a gift from the gods.
The grape and the olive are among the priceless benefactions
of the soil, and were destined, each in its way,
to promote the welfare of man.
— GEORGE ELLWANGER, in Pleasures of the Table
One simple, delicious, and healthy change you can make in your diet is to use extra-virgin olive oil instead of butter, other animal fats, or partially hydrogenated oils. Extensive research shows that rates of cancer and heart disease are significantly lower in Spain, Greece, and Italy, and daily use of olive oil appears to be one of the main reasons, along with higher consumption of vegetables and fruits and moderate enjoyment of red wine with dinner.
With most things in life, simplicity is better than complexity, but not in the world of carbohydrates (“carbs”). Complex (low-glycemic) carbs, such as those found in whole grains, beans, vegetables, and fruits, are much better for you than simple (high-glycemic) carbs, such as those found in soft drinks, candies, and bread, cakes, and cookies made from refined white flour. Derived from the Greek glykeros (sweet), glycemic means “having to do with the level of glucose [sugar] in the blood.” Simple carbs are also known as high-glycemic because they can cause a sudden elevation of your blood sugar, followed shortly thereafter by a precipitous drop. This lowers energy, promotes weight gain, and contributes to a wide range of chronic ailments.
Low-glycemic foods, like beans, whole grains, and most vegetables, are integrated into your bloodstream more slowly than high-glycemic foods, such as Snickers, Twinkies, and Wonder bread. A low-glycemic diet facilitates a more regular pace of digestion, resulting in a steadier flow of energy to the brain, which optimizes your mental performance. Best of all, as Hyla Cass, MD, points out, low-glycemic meals are more satisfying.
CHECK YOUR GQ!
You can monitor your glycemic quotient (GQ) by learning about the effect of various foods on your blood sugar level at www.glycemicindex.com, which describes the Glycemic Index (GI). The GI categorizes carbs into three ranges: low (55 or less), medium (56–69), and high (70 and above). The higher the number, the more dramatic the alteration of your blood sugar.
Natural Highs: Supplements, Nutrition, and Mind-Body Techniques to Help You Feel Good All the Time, by Hyla Cass and Patrick Holford, offers wise advice in utilizing the GI: “Although it’s very useful in helping us avoid high-glycemic villains, it’s important to factor in a food’s nutritional component along with its GI.” Cass and Holford add, “While carrots, raisins, and bananas are relatively high on the GI, we don’t recommend that you avoid these nutritious and delicious foods. No one ever got too fat from eating these foods. So defer to your common sense and use the GI as a guide, not your bible!”
Leonardo da Vinci advised his students that simplicity was the essence of sophistication. This is particularly true when it comes to diet. Leonardo advocated eating the freshest food available. Eating unprocessed, additive-free food was relatively easy in Renaissance Italy, but it requires considerable sophistication now.
Although some preservatives and additives aren’t harmful, many are unnecessary. And common sense dictates that fresher, unprocessed food will impart more vitality. Whenever possible, eat food that is minimally processed and free from additives, artificial ingredients, and preservatives. The simplest way to do this is to look for food that is marked “certified organic.” (The Center for Science in the Public Interest offers a review of the safety of various preservatives on their website: www.cspinet.org/reports/chemcuisine.htm.)
Don’t eat
anything your
great-great grandmother
wouldn’t recognize as food.
— MICHAEL POLLAN,
author of
The Omnivore’s Dilemma
CAUTION! HIDDEN FOOD ALLERGIES
In the late 1950s, no one seemed to be aware that mono-sodium glutamate (MSG) — a flavor enhancer used in many Chinese restaurants — was the cause of a common food allergy. Today, most Chinese restaurants advertise that their food contains no MSG.
Just as MSG was a hidden cause of a common food allergy, many of us suffer from allergic reactions to substances without realizing it. These hidden allergies can cause a range of problems, including digestive disorders, headaches or migraines, exacerbation of joint pain, breathing and sinus problems, and disturbances of mood.
Common food allergens include aspartame, dyes and food colorings, tree nuts, peanuts, milk, eggs, soy, shellfish, corn, wheat, gluten, tomatoes, and sugar. If you suspect that you may be allergic to a particular food, you can experiment by eliminating it from your diet for six weeks. If you have a reaction to it when you resume consumption, you will have confirmed the allergy.
Many physicians have discovered that the conditions of adults and children with emotional, learning, or behavioral problems will improve when they eliminate particular foods from their diets. As Dr. Daniel G. Amen comments, “My patients are often amazed that diet can make so much of a difference in their lives. By making simple changes to your eating habits, you too can improve brain function and improve your life.”
Can the appropriate use of supplements make you younger? Yes! According to Michael F. Roizen, MD, “The right nutrients in the proper amounts help protect your body from needless aging.” For many years, the American Medical Association’s official position was that vitamin supplementation was unnecessary for healthy adults. But they’ve since changed their stance and now advocate daily multivitamins to promote general health and prevent a range of chronic ailments. A report in the New England Journal of Medicine stated, “The evidence suggests that people who take [multivitamin and mineral] supplements and their children are healthier.” In a study published in the medical journal the Lancet, ninety students were assigned to one of three groups: one received a multivitamin and mineral supplement; the second, an identical-looking placebo; and the third, nothing. After seven months, the IQ of those taking the supplements had increased by 9 points!
Some still contend that supplementation isn’t necessary if one consumes a balanced diet. As Mark Hyman, MD, explains in The UltraMind Solution: Fix Your Broken Brain by Healing Your Body First, you don’t need to bother with a multivitamin if you “eat wild, fresh, organic, local, non-genetically modified food grown in virgin mineral-and nutrient-rich soils that has not been transported across vast distances and stored for months before being eaten…and work and live outside, breathe only fresh, unpolluted air, drink only pure, clean water, sleep nine hours a night, move your body every day, and are free from chronic stressors and exposure to environmental toxins.”
So, as Dr. Hyman suggests, if you don’t live in Eden, then you may benefit from a high-quality daily multivitamin and mineral supplement. You may also wish to consider further supplementation, including the following.
• Swallow some sunshine — additional vitamin D. Our bodies produce vitamin D in response to sunshine, but most people don’t get adequate daily sun exposure, especially in the winter. Vitamin D is essential for regulating the absorption of calcium and plays a significant role in bone health. Studies suggest that it may provide protection from osteoporosis, high blood pressure, a range of autoimmune conditions, and dementia.
• Supersize the C. High doses of vitamin C were championed by two-time Nobel Prize winner Linus Pauling in his controversial book Vitamin C and the Common Cold. Although the validity of Pauling’s recommendations remains unproven, more recent studies, such as one published in Seminars in Preventive and Alternative Medicine, highlight the many benefits of vitamin C. The lead author, Mark Moyad of the University of Michigan, comments, “The more we study vitamin C, the better our understanding of how diverse it is in protecting our health.” Moyad cites benefits including better visual acuity, strengthened immune function, and enhanced resistance to cancer and cardiovascular disease. Although controversy continues regarding the ideal dosage, the good news is that vitamin C is relatively safe. It may not be the cure for the common cold, but vitamin C supplementation has many proven benefits.
• Go fish! Omega-3s. Daily fish oil supplementation is another consensus “no-brainer” for the well-being of your brain. Pharmaceutical-grade fish oil, free from mercury and other toxins, provides the omega-3 fatty acids that are essential for your health. Fish oil helps to strengthen your immune system, improves your circulation, and counters inflammation in a way that can provide relief for arthritis and joint pain. Rich in DMAE, a nutrient that supports the important memory neurotransmitter acetylcholine, as well as in the essential fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), fish oil also has proven benefits in preventing depression, stabilizing mood, and promoting alertness. (Most of the studies that have demonstrated the benefits of fish oil utilize daily doses of 1000 mg and up.)
• Further rustproofing. In addition to eating plenty of high-ORAC foods, you may consider antioxidant supplementation. Some of the most potent “rust-proofers” include extracts of green tea, grape seed, resveratrol, and coenzyme Q10, or CoQ10 for short. Also known as ubiquinol (because it is ubiquitous, that is, present in every cell), CoQ10 is a powerful antioxidant that works in concert with other nutrients to improve the functioning of all the cells of the body.
• Brush up with extra fiber. High-fiber foods such as vegetables, whole grains, beans, and fruits all serve to facilitate regularity by “scrubbing” your intestines. Also known as “roughage” or “bulk,” dietary fiber helps to moderate blood sugar levels while reducing “bad” cholesterol (low-density lipoprotein, or LDL). For extra brushing power, you can supplement your diet with psyllium or flaxseeds.
• Microbial reinforcements — probiotics. Under normal conditions, our guts are teeming with healthy microorganisms that serve to promote digestion, nutrient absorption, and immune system functioning. Stress, dietary changes, intestinal infections, and many pharmaceuticals, especially antibiotics, can deplete our natural reserve of healthy microbes. Probiotics are supplementary live microorganisms (also known as “friendly bacteria”) that shore up your natural intestinal microbial defense system. Live-culture yogurts, sauerkraut, kefir, and kimchi are all abundant sources of healthy bacteria. You can also take capsules with concentrated doses of these beneficial microorganisms.
The Mayo Clinic reports that many recent studies suggest probiotics are “effective in treating and possibly preventing diarrhea, caused by antibiotics or certain infections, or that occurs during travel.” Researchers from Ohio State University and Virginia Tech found that probiotics may be useful in enhancing immune functioning, and a Swedish study suggests that probiotics may offer a number of benefits for promoting general health.
The following are some other potentially brain-boosting nutrients to consider.
• Phosphatidylserine (PS). PS is a fat derived from lecithin. Studies show that PS may improve attention, concentration, mood, and short-term memory.
• Ginkgo biloba. The ginkgo tree is an ancient species, and its leaves have been used for centuries as a brain tonic. Ginkgo biloba may facilitate blood flow to the brain, resulting in an increase in alertness and an improvement of short-term memory. A large-scale study cast some doubt on the effectiveness of ginkgo biloba, but it continues to be a very popular and relatively safe supplement.
• Turmeric. A close relative of ginger, turmeric is a common ingredient in curry powder, known for its many therapeutic benefits. A study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology suggested that turmeric consumption helped to improve scores on a standard test of mental acuity in elderly subjects. Researchers from the Department of Neurology and Neurobiology of Aging at Kanazawa University in Japan report that turmeric “might be one of the most promising compounds for the development of [Alzheimer’s disease] therapies,” although they emphasize that further study is needed.
• Acetyl-L-carnitine (ALC). ALC is an amino acid that is “an important contributor to cellular energy metabolism,” according to a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Working with subjects who were over one hundred years old, the researchers in this study discovered that ALC “facilitates an increased capacity for physical and cognitive activity by reducing fatigue and improving cognitive functions.”
The right combination, timing, and dosage of supplements will depend on your age, gender, weight, and health. Also, be sure to keep in mind that the effectiveness of supplements is a function of the way they are absorbed by your system. That’s one reason why higher-quality vitamins and minerals are often worth the investment. Consult a qualified health-care provider with special expertise in nutrition before taking supplements. A knowledgeable practitioner can help you discover the optimal combination that your body can absorb and utilize.
SUPPLEMENT YOUR PRESCRIPTION!
Many prescription drugs deplete the vitamins and minerals you require to overcome the health condition for which the drugs were prescribed. This medical catch-22 affects patients who take many commonly prescribed pharmaceuticals for conditions such as elevated blood pressure, high cholesterol, chronic heartburn (“GERD”), arthritis, diabetes, and depression. In her book Supplement Your Prescription, Dr. Hyla Cass elucidates the nutrient depletions you can expect from commonly prescribed drugs and shows you how to correct them. As she explains, “The prescription drugs you are taking can actually make your condition worse!” Cass further states, “The truth is, most doctors have very little knowledge about nutrition and how it affects your overall health and well-being. As a result, your doctor is unlikely to tell you how to supplement your prescription.”
As Mehmet C. Oz, MD, wrote in a review of Cass’s book, “For every dollar we spend on prescription drugs, we spend a dollar to fix a complication. Understanding how nutritional supplements affect these drugs could make them safer and more effective.”
The Greek philosopher Epicurus developed the philosophy of moderation. He explained, “No pleasure is a bad thing in itself, but the things which produce certain pleasures entail disturbances many times greater than the pleasures themselves.” And he counseled, “Be moderate in order to taste the joys of life in abundance.” As Epicurus noted more than two thousand years ago, moderation is the key to the sustainable enjoyment of many of life’s pleasures.
Good living is an act
of intelligence, by which we choose
things that have an agreeable taste rather
than those which do not.
— JEAN ANTHELME BRILLAT-SAVARIN,
French gastronomic philosopher
The good news is that a few of the most pleasurable, delicious treats are, when enjoyed in moderation, actually beneficial for your health. You’ll get the most benefit from these treats if you seek out the highest possible quality and then focus your full attention on enjoyment.
A growing number of studies show that coffee has many significant health benefits, including lowering the risk of liver, prostate, and colon cancer, type 2 diabetes, and age-related mental decline. A study published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease found that people who regularly drank three to five cups of java daily were 65 percent less likely to suffer dementia later in life. And a report in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition suggested that “consuming coffee reduces cognitive decline.”
In 2011, Lyn Griffiths, PhD, director of the Griffith Health Institute in Brisbane, Australia, in collaboration with researchers from the University of Vienna, Austria, reported the results of a study on the health effects of regular, moderate coffee consumption. Sixty-two people took part in the trial, drinking three freshly brewed 250 ml cups of coffee per day for four weeks. After analyzing blood samples and comparing them to those of a non-coffee-drinking control group, the researchers concluded, “Coffee appears to have a protective effect in most people and provided a person’s coffee consumption stays at a reasonable level, it can boost the self-defense system and fight carcinogens and toxins.”
Of course, the caffeine in coffee can contribute to dehydration, and drinking it late in the day can exacerbate insomnia. But the potential benefits seem to outweigh the drawbacks. (Pregnant women and nursing mothers should consult a physician before consuming coffee, as some studies have demonstrated potential health risks for both mother and baby.)
Suave
molecules of Mocha
stir up your blood, without
causing excess heat; the organ of
thought receives from it a feeling of
sympathy; work becomes easier and
you will sit down without distress to
your principal repast which will
restore your body and afford
you a calm, delicious night.
— PRINCE TALLEYRAND,
French diplomat
and bon vivant
Coffee stimulates circulation and elevates the levels of the neurotransmitter dopamine, an important regulator of mood. And it’s packed with antioxidants. In a presentation to the American Chemical Society Joe Vinson, PhD, reported that Americans get more antioxidants from coffee than any other source.
Tomas DePaulis, PhD, a research scientist at Vanderbilt University’s Institute for Coffee Studies, explains, “Overall, the research shows that coffee is far more healthful than it is harmful.”
Eating dark chocolate can raise alertness and temporarily improve performance in a range of cognitive tasks, according to a presentation given to the American Association for the Advancement of Science by Ian MacDonald, PhD. Mac-Donald’s report is one of an increasing number of scientific studies demonstrating the benefits of moderate consumption of high-quality dark chocolate.
An article coauthored by Eric L. Ding, PhD, an epidemiologist and nutritionist with Harvard Medical School, summarized the results of twenty-one studies with a total of more than 2,500 participants, noting, “The large body of evidence from laboratory findings and randomized trials suggests that high flavonoid chocolate may protect against LDL oxidation, inhibit platelet aggregation, improve endothelial function, increase HDL (aka good cholesterol), lower blood pressure, and reduce inflammation — thereby protecting against the risk of cardiovascular disease.”
Physicians from the Stockholm Heart Epidemiology Program discovered that chocolate may even be helpful in recovering from acute cardiovascular illness. They reported that twice-weekly consumption of high-quality dark chocolate lowered the risk of death following a heart attack by 66 percent.
Flavonoids, the ingredients responsible for these benefits, are also found in green tea, blueberries, and red wine.
In addition to these health benefits, chocolate is a reliable source of enjoyment. Dark chocolate induces the release of endorphins, which are associated with feelings of pleasure; it also contains serotonin, a chemical that acts as an antidepressant. Perhaps that’s why chocolate lovers often experience chocolate as a substitute for (or complement to) romance.
Contemporary science seems to be confirming the benefits long suspected by epicures. The legendary gastronome Brillat-Savarin noted, “It has been shown as proof positive that carefully prepared chocolate is as healthful a food as it is pleasant; that it is nourishing and easily digested…that it is above all helpful to people who must do a great deal of mental work.”
Curtis Ellison, MD, an epidemiologist and a wine lover, has devoted considerable time and energy to reviewing the literature on the health effects of wine. He told Wine Spectator magazine, “Moderate wine consumption can safely add pleasure to life. More significantly, it can also reduce our risks of falling prey to many of the most common health hazards of contemporary life, including heart disease, stroke, dementia, and even obesity. On balance, I believe moderate wine consumption can be a vital element of a lifestyle that will help us lead longer, healthier lives.”
Researchers have conducted many studies on the potential health benefits of wine that support Dr. Ellison’s optimism. The most reliable and significant findings all focus on the potential benefits of regular, moderate consumption of red wine to help reduce the risk of prostate and other forms of cancer, decrease the incidence of type 2 diabetes, avoid cardiovascular and coronary disease, and prevent Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia. Other benefits may include inhibiting the formation of peptic ulcers and reducing the risk of stroke, cataracts, anemia, tooth decay, and even the common cold.
Behold the rain which
descends from heaven upon
our vineyards; there it enters the roots
of the vines, to be changed into wine,
a constant proof that God loves us,
and loves to see us happy.
— BENJAMIN FRANKLIN
In an article entitled “The Healing Power of Wine,” Wine Spectator concludes, “So the question is no longer whether moderate consumption of wine is healthy, but why and how.” Unlike beer or hard liquor, wine has always been appreciated as the beverage of moderation. Why? Because wine is designed to go with food and to be consumed slowly so that it can be fully appreciated. Drunkenness and alcoholism tend to be less common in Italy, Spain, and France, where children grow up with wine at the table. As the British author Thomas Walker noted more than two hundred years ago, “The art in using wine is to produce the greatest possible quantity of present gladness, without any future depression.”
BRUSH AND FLOSS To LIVE LONGER
Wine and coffee can discolor tooth enamel, but good dental hygiene is more than just a cosmetic issue — it’s a frequently forgotten factor in healthy aging. A growing body of scientific evidence shows that many health challenges can be prevented through diligent oral care. Michael F. Roizen, MD, and Mehmet C. Oz, MD — authors of the phenomenal bestseller YOU: Staying Young; The Owner’s Manual for Extending Your Warranty — were asked about the simplest, most surprising way their readers could help themselves stay young. Their answer: daily flossing and toothbrushing along with regular dental checkups. Roizen and Oz emphasize, “You won’t just save your teeth; you’ll also go a long way in saving your heart and arteries.”
Dining can be life’s most reliable pleasure, but it also can become a burden when we worry about it. The French philosopher Voltaire observed, “Nothing would be more tiresome than eating and drinking if God had not made them a pleasure as well as a necessity.” It’s important to eat a healthy diet — avoiding the unnecessary and enjoying the fresh and wholesome — but it’s equally important to relax and enjoy the pleasure of dining without obsessing about every calorie.
He who distinguishes the
true savor of his food can never
be a glutton; he who does not
cannot be otherwise.
— HENRY DAVID
THOREAU
As many have learned, “Dieting is not a piece of cake.” Maintaining a healthy weight and percentage of body fat is critical to your long-term well-being, but if you are anxious about every calorie you consume, the anxiety may do you more harm than the calories. According to an article by Janet A. Tomiyama and her colleagues, “The attempt to cut calories often results in an increase in the stress hormone that is linked to the accumulation of excess belly fat.”
Researchers estimate that almost 50 percent of American adults are, at any given time, attempting to lose weight, and the most common strategy is calorie counting and restriction, otherwise known as dieting. But the stress involved in this approach feeds a vicious cycle that helps us understand why most of those efforts fail. Studies show that most calorie counters gain back more weight than they lose!
The best way to regulate your weight and body fat percentage is to embrace a healthy lifestyle that includes mindful dining and regular exercise. Mindful dining begins with a few basic questions you can ask yourself before eating:
• How hungry am I now? You can rate yourself on a scale of 1 (not hungry) to 10 (very hungry).
• What do I really want to eat now?
• How will I feel after eating?
These simple questions will help you align your food choices with your appetite.
Another aspect of mindful dining involves taking the time to savor the beauty and pleasure of your food, enjoying the colors, aromas, textures, and tastes of every dish. If you are mindful, then you will want to choose food that is more wholesome and truly delicious, and if you choose food of that nature, it becomes easier to be mindful. Finally, you will discover that savoring something that is wholesome and truly delicious is far more filling, and fulfilling, than mindlessly swallowing junk.
You can further cultivate mindfulness by pausing before you dine to experience a sense of gratitude. In addition to the spiritual benefits, gratitude inspires a positive physiological response that supports healthy digestion and metabolism.
Mindful dining is much easier when you are getting regular exercise. Regular exercise helps you to become more sensitive and attuned to your own body. As your sensitivity and awareness increase, it becomes easier to make wiser choices about what to eat.
David L. Katz, MD, director of the Prevention Research Center at Yale University School of Medicine, explains, “By eating foods of higher overall nutritional quality, fullness can generally be achieved on fewer calories, eliminating the need for deprivation. In addition, physical activity can accelerate weight loss, promote health and alleviate stress in the bargain.” Dr. Katz affirms that “eating well and being active for life is the way to go.”
WHAT’S THE BEST DIET?
Should you “Eat Right for Your Type” or adopt the findings of “The China Study” and become a vegan like Bill Clinton? “The Paleo Diet” advocates a regimen based on the dining habits of our Paleolithic ancestors (lean meat, fish, fruits, nuts, and vegetables) and “Volumetrics” emphasizes healthy foods that give you a feeling of fullness. You can follow a diet named after a place: South Beach, Beverly Hills, Sonoma, or Shangri-La; a doctor: Atkins, Perricone, Pritikin, Weil, or “Phil”; or a length of time: 3, 4, and 17 days are among the most popular at the moment.
What’s the next major diet trend likely to be? A study by researchers at the University of Copenhagen published in the journal Nature suggests that humans can be categorized, regardless of ethnicity, gender, or age, into three “enterotypes.” What’s an enterotype? It’s a characteristic pattern of bacteria in the gut. Your pattern of intestinal bugs may make it easier for you to extract nutrients from different types of foods. Look for some variation of the Bug Type Diet.
While you are figuring out the perfect eating plan, we can wholeheartedly recommend drinking plenty of pure water and eating a healthy breakfast every day to get off to a great start. Seek out fresh, wholesome, and vital foods. Your brain and body will thrive with plenty of “rustproofing,” and you’ll be healthier and happier as you minimize sugar, high-glycemic carbs, preservatives, and additives and eliminate “junk food” and trans fats. Consult with a health care provider who is knowledgeable about supplementation and practice moderation in all things, including your enjoyment of some of life’s treats, such as coffee, chocolate, and wine.
Of the more than 90 billion people who have ever inhabited the earth, unless you are an identical twin, you possess DNA that is entirely unique. The ultimate diet plan involves tuning in to yourself and noticing how different foods affect you. If you practice mindfulness, self-awareness, and gratitude in your approach to dining every day you’ll optimize your health and enjoyment and support the improvement of your mind as you age.