Pantry basics for Alzheimer's prevention, Part 1.
How great that you are the kind of person who knows to be mindful of the day-to-day foods in your diet. Someone who truly cares!
However, the fact that cases of dementia have risen 140% since 2000 is why we need to take a closer look at some of the foods we have on a regular basis since there are some definite links. First, I want to emphasize the principle here is to not be fearful - but rather to be smart since there is something we can do about it!
The good news is studies have proven that the right diet can lower the risk of Alzheimer's by nearly 40%. This is huge - you can dramatically preserve the long-term health of your brain via the foods you choose to eat every day.
What it boils down to
The biggest factor for the enduring, long-lasting neurological system is healthy circulation. (This is something that I covered extensively in my online brain health classes last year.) The abbreviated version is, inflammationis the biggest enemy when it comes to brain health. Inflammation of tissues in the body restricts blood-flow.
I've always emphasized that if there ever was a 'silver bullet' to health it would be oxygen, nutrient rich blood. Circulation of this silver bullet is what preserves the health of everything in the body, especially the most sensitive things like the brain. So, in essence, the key is to hone the anti-inflammatory diet in order to optimize blood-flow. Make sense?
The cheat-sheet of the most important foods
- Foods high in omega 3 fatty acids. The best sources? Salmon (assuming it's not overcooked) and raw nuts and seeds (especially almonds and chia seeds). Not roasted nuts and seeds. Need I mention the brilliance of the Infinity sprouted nuts and seeds? Raw nuts and seeds are natural anti-inflammatories. Omega-3 supplements can be useful for this purpose, too, but the whole, unadulterated food is always better.
- Foods high in antioxidants. Most raw fruits and vegetables have at least some antioxidants, but the highest? Berries - especially blueberries. Antioxidants are what hunt down the inflammation-causing free radicals that can otherwise age the body faster than anything.
- Foods high in chlorophyll. Chlorophyll is what makes green foods green. The highest? Blue green algae like spirulina and chlorella. I'll share here that spirulina is the number one ingredient of Infinity Greens, for this very purpose. Kale, arugula, chard, spinach, basil, and mustard greens are also excellent sources. How chlorophyll works - Alzheimer's is linked to buildup of proteins in the brain that cause nerve cells to die. Chlorophyll gobbles up toxins in the bloodstream including random proteins that don't belong there. Hooray for the genius-ness of nature.
- Turmeric is nature's number one anti-inflammatory for improving blood flow - BUT ONLY when combined with pepper. Pepper is a catalyst for curcumin which is the active element in turmeric. This has been known in Ayurveda for millennia and is the foundation of Infinity Turmeric.
- Kimchi and sauerkraut - healthy bacteria from fermented foods like sauerkraut and kimchi are the building blocks of a strong digestive system. Digestive health is directly linked to brain health in several ways which I covered in a previous newsletter, and you can read it here if you haven't already.
This newsletter is part one. In Part Two we'll identify the foods to avoid for preserving the health of your brain.
Thank you for reading this article, my friend, and I invite you to share it with someone you care about.
Billy