To keep your mind sharp and your brain healthy,
you want to limit and avoid certain foods which actually
worsen memory and lead to more inflammation.
I'm Doctor Uma Naidu. I'm a nutritional psychiatrist,
brain expert, and on the faculty at Harvard Medical School.
The first one is added in refined sugars.
Now these are unhealthy for the brain because they cause
inflammation in both the brain and the body.
They can be found in the usual suspects,
candies, and cakes, but they're also found in savoury foods
that you don't realize,
like store bought pasta sauces,
salad dressings, and even ketchup.
The second group is processed and ultra processed foods.
And here's my tip for you.
When you read the food label,
if it's words that you cannot pronounce and it's a
really long list of different ingredients,
try to cut back and limit these foods because they're
really not good for your brain or your body.
The next group is industrial and processed seed oils.
These can be found in things like corn oil and
soy.
The problem is that they actually cause inflammation by increasing
your levels of Omega 6 fats over Omega threes.
This leads to inflammation in both the brain and the
body.
So try to cut back on them and they are
specially found in fast food restaurants.
The next group is fried foods.
These usually are fried in unhealthy fats which cause pain
inflammation.
A 2016 study looked at factory workers and what they
consumed in terms of fried foods and their level of
depression,
and sure enough found that a high consumption of fried
foods was associated with lower sense of mood and therefore
depression.
The next group is artificial sweeteners,
often found on things labeled no sugar or low sugar.
Unfortunately, artificial sweeteners, most of them,
are disruptive to your gut microbiome,
so stick to more natural sources like a touch of
honey if you want.
Something sweet, or even a spice like cinnamon can add
sweetness to your foods and fruit.
Now you've heard about these foods that can be damaging
to the brain and to the body.
It's very hard to avoid these foods.
So what I would suggest is be mindful.
Eat less of them. Try to consume more healthy Whole
Foods,
especially if you want to keep your brain sharp and
your mind focused.