Can Food Make Me Smarter?

Back in December I started eating less bread, rice, pasta and cereal. This was tricky because I already follow a plant-based (with occasional fish) diet. When you have already stripped out meat, cheese and eggs, what's left? However, I was motivated by a nagging reminder...I kept forgetting words.

I've been reading several books on brain health and there is a theory that the rise of dementia, Alzheimer's Disease and general brain deterioration may be the quantity of grains we eat. Grains raise our blood sugar and, consuming too much of them, can produce insulin resistance. Furthermore, some people experience inflammation (another brain combatant!) when they consume wheat-based (gluten-containing) products. While I am not in this camp, I thought I'd do an experiment on myself and eat more vegetables and fruit to replace the extra grains. What came was a surprise.

Kale and Carrot Salad

After a month of eating a daily salad, I actually started craving salad. Salads became my base for most dinners. Throw a piece of smoked mackerel or a can of sardines on a salad. Roast walnuts and sprinkle tofu on a salad. Crumble a veggie burger on a salad. What's more, while I used to think of salads as the thing that came before the main meal. Now, I feel full and satisfied with just a big salad. Beyond salad, I learned several tricks for making meals delicious without grains...

Matar Tofu on Cauliflower 'Rice'

Frozen "riced" cauliflower can be a substitute for rice under stir-fries and Indian dishes. Roasted vegetables make a fantastic, filling side-dish replacing white potatoes. Zucchini noodles (prepared correctly) are just like pasta. Pureed turnips and cauliflower make a mashed "potato" that is sweet and creamy. Lay a piece of pecan-encrusted perch on your mashed turnips for a mouth-watering dinner. Yum.

Nearly 3 months into my experiment, I've lost weight, discovered boundless energy and I've run two Spartan races. I spend a lot of time in the produce section of the grocery store and race through the rest. Am I thinking more clearly? Not yet. But, case studies show dietary changes can take 4-6 months to have an effect on the brain. 

Every dietary improvement can impact your life. Want to work on your nutrition plan? Email me at mark@betterlivingfitness.com to get started. www.betterlivingfitness.com

Thai Curry Soup with Zucchini Noodles

Better Living's Nutrition Counselor, Becca Addison: 'Food is Not the Enemy'

One of the newest members of our staff, Better Living Fitness' Nutrition Counselor Becca Addison, learned the hard way that being a fanatic about food and weight loss is the wrong way to achieve your health and fitness goals.

Becca has been running competitively since the eighth grade. She's so good at running, in fact, that she was invited to the most recent Olympic trials.

“The problem was, I had a calf injury and got hung up on thinking that, after the injury, I had to eat perfectly so I wouldn't gain weight and mess up my times after my calf healed,” she remembers.

“I became so stressed about food that, even though I wasn't under-eating, I threw my body out of whack and my times fell off too much,” which meant that Becca had to miss trying out for the Olympics.

“That experience is why I find the weight loss thing tricky,” she says, “...and it's the reason I want to help people have a positive relationship with food. Being obsessed with food and eating 'right' really affected my life, and I'd like to help my clients avoid the same kinds of mistakes.”

Becca, who has a Master of Science in Nutrition and Dietetics, joined the staff here at Better Living Fitness after doing an internship at the University of Michigan's School of Public Health. She says that she first became interested in nutrition as an undergraduate.

“I was a super-picky eater when I was younger, then when I was in college I was surrounded by all these new foods,” she says. “At the same time, I was a collegiate runner and realized that I needed to start eating well to improve my performance – learning how different foods affected my running performance is what got me into nutrition science.'

Becca, who joined Better Living Fitness in February, says one of the hardest parts of her job is working with clients who are overly concerned about weight loss.

“Too much focus on weight loss makes people fight food and think of food as the enemy,” she says. “I try to encourage people to focus on motivations like how they feel during and after eating and the energy they can get from different foods. That's a better, healthier approach, because it lets you be more adventurous about food and it's a way to liking and respecting your body more.”

“In my background in sports, I've seen obsessions with weight loss turn into eating disorders, especially in younger people. I don't want anyone to think of food as being 'bad,' but to enjoy all foods – just in moderation,” she says.

These days, Becca is working on becoming a certified personal trainer so she can address both exercise and nutrition. At the same time, she's still running regularly.

“I love the people that I train with!” she says, “and I love pushing myself and being competitive with other people. When I finish a race and know I gave it everything I had, that's a huge boost for my self-esteem!”

Becca is also enjoying providing nutrition counseling to Better Living Fitness clients. “I like how everyone who comes to Better Living has different health and fitness goals,” she says. “I like working with people one on one, and getting to know and talk with them as we figure out together how to improve their health.”

If you'd like to learn more about how you can enjoy food and achieve and maintain a healthy weight as part of your health and fitness goals, click here today to set up your appointment with Becca!