It might seem strange that I’m talking about nourishment in a section that’s supposed to be about mental wellness, but over the last few years researchers have begun to find a surprisingly powerful connection between what we put in our mouths and how we feel in our heads. We’ve known for a very long time that nutrition is incredibly important for our bodies and our weight. We now know that it’s just as important for looking after our minds.
Many foods contain nutrients that directly help improve the function of our brains. But, on top of this, there’s also a direct pathway between our digestive system and our brains along which critical information about our wellbeing is constantly flowing. This pathway is sometimes called the “gut–brain axis.” To understand how it works, you need to know that when we eat anything, we’re not only feeding ourselves but also trillions of bacteria that live mostly in our large intestines. These “gut bugs” are crucial to our health because they process much of what we eat for us and produce by-products that can help us feel better. When these gut bugs are happy, this will be communicated up the gut–brain axis and we’ll feel good. Our mood will improve. But when we make less helpful food choices, the reverse can happen.
Food is so much more than just energy or calories. It’s actually information. If you provide good information to your gut bugs, they will then communicate that to your brain and send calming signals. But if you give them food that they don’t like, they will send stress signals. Many modern highly processed foods can have a terrible effect on our gut bugs, wiping them out by the millions. In addition, anything that contains artificial additives, emulsifiers, pesticides, or chemical sweeteners has the potential to negatively affect them. Even many popular medications, including antibiotics and bestselling heartburn medications, can play havoc with our gut bugs that can take months to recover from.
This health snack really is an actual snack. I’m going to give you a variety of options to nourish your mind so that, on every Feel Better Day, you’ll be providing your gut bugs with the right nutrients and your brain with the right information.
Our brains thrive on certain nutrients. The problem is, many of us struggle to find the time to create healthy home-cooked meals. If this sounds like you, a five-minute smoothie can make a real difference.
MIND THE BLUEBERRIES
Spend five minutes making yourself a delicious brain-nourishing smoothie.
Throw my favorite brain-nourishing nutrients into a blender and blitz until smooth.
½ cup blueberries (frozen is fine)
half an avocado
2 handfuls of leafy greens (e.g., spinach or kale)
1 tablespoon of coconut oil
handful of walnuts
cacao powder (optional, for taste)
unsweetened almond milk or water
•Blueberries are rich in fiber, loaded with healthy phytonutrients and antioxidants, and research has shown that they are good for brain function and memory.
•Avocados are a great source of the healthy fats our brain needs to work at its best.
•Dark green leafy vegetables are full of vitamins, minerals, and fiber that are essential for a well-functioning nervous system.
•Coconut oil tastes fantastic and contains a kind of fat that can be directly used as fuel by the brain.
•Walnuts are rich in a type of fat called omega 3, which is known to be important for optimal brain function. In addition, they are rich in helpful polyphenols, antioxidants, and vitamin E, and observational studies have shown that walnut eaters have better brain function.
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You can listen to me talk about the amazing power of blueberries as well as other foods that help to feed the brain in my Feel Better, Live More podcast conversation with Dr. Lisa Mosconi at drchatterjee.com/lisamosconi |
HAPPY BRAIN SMOOTHIE
Spend five minutes nourishing your “gut-brain axis” with this delicious smoothie.
Throw these gut-enhancing ingredients into a blender and blitz until smooth.
¾ cup milk (cow’s, goat’s, or unsweetened plant milk, e.g., almond)
3 tablespoons kefir
1 heaping tablespoon almond butter (or peanut butter)
1 small avocado
6–8 raspberries
½ tablespoon 100% cacao powder
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground turmeric or ½-inch fresh turmeric root
1 teaspoon psyllium husks or ½ teaspoon ground psyllium husk (optional)
a pinch of ground ginger or ¼-inch fresh ginger root (optional)
•Kefir is lovely and creamy and provides you with a source of live bacteria or “probiotics” that can help improve your gut health.
•Almond butter contains biotin, which is essential for the health of your gut barrier; zinc, which supports brain health; and magnesium, which helps give you more energy.
•Raspberries are a rich source of polyphenols, which feed your gut bugs and help them produce short-chain fatty acids that can help support brain health.
•Cacao powder is a source of flavanols, which are known to support the heart and to potentially help our brains as well.
•Cinnamon helps improve brain health by helping you balance blood sugar levels and contains particular polyphenols that help the brain stay young.
•Turmeric is a source of curcumin, a natural substance, that feeds gut bacteria and has beneficial effects on the brain.
•Psyllium (optional) is a soluble fiber that results in low gas production, so it is great for those with a tendency to bloat.
•Ginger (optional) is a source of gingerols, which are anti-inflammatory and can help calm upset stomachs.
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This smoothie has been created by the brilliant neuroscientist, nutritionist, and expert in the gut–brain axis, Miguel Toribio-Mateas (@miguelmateas). Listen to my conversation with him on my Feel Better, Live More podcast at drchatterjee.com/miguel |
THE GUT BUGS HEALTH SNACK
Feed your gut bugs the foods they love.
Your gut bugs love the fiber that’s found in bright, colorful vegetables. No matter what food tribe you might subscribe to, whether you’re vegan, low-carb, paleo, or a passionate meat-eater, pretty much all mainstream nutritionists agree that eating more veg is a good thing. Why not spend five minutes each day focusing on giving your gut bugs a tasty but healthy snack that they will love?
•Chop up some of your favorite vegetables to either eat now or take with you for a snack later on when you are out and about.
•Carrots, cucumber, peppers, celery, radishes, etc. work especially well.
•If eating immediately, you can team them with your favorite type of nut butter or hummus for a delicious and healthy snack that will also help you nourish your mind.
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You can listen to a detailed conversation between myself and Professor Tim Spector on gut health at drchatterjee.com/timspector |
