19-01-31 QUESTIONS WE WILL ADDRESS TODAY How does what you eat - PDF document

19-01-31 BRAIN FOOD EATING FOR ENERGY, FOCUS, AND A HEALTHY MIND Registered Die;;an Nutri;on Coaches Who am I? 1

19-01-31 QUESTIONS WE WILL ADDRESS TODAY ● How does what you eat affect your mood, energy, and hunger? ● Which foods will help increase your energy and focus? ● How does what you eat affect the health of your mind over ;me? ● Strategies to deal with ‘emo;onal’ ea;ng and stress THE FOOD – BRAIN CONNECTION ● What you eat can have a POWERFUL effect on your energy and concentra;on levels as well as the health of your brain as you age ● Some of the BEST ways to manage your energy, mood, and hunger is to: ○ Eat foods that FILL YOU UP ○ Choose food that provides SUSTAINABLE ENERGY ○ Reach for NUTRIENT DENSE foods most oRen ● STAY TUNED to learn how to avoid ‘hanger’ and how to keep both your body and mind healthy for the years to come! LET’S GET STARTED 2

19-01-31 WHERE DOES BRAIN FOOD COME FROM? ● Your brain’s first and main source of energy = CARBOHYDRATES ● Carbohydrates = Sugar ○ Although carbohydrates oRen get a bad rap, they are essen;al for our body to func;on at it’s best ● Understanding how your body responds to sugar is important, even if you DON’T have diabetes By managing our SUGAR AND THE BRAIN blood sugar we can manage our: • ENERGY • MOOD • HUNGER Ideally we want our blood sugar to rise and fall gradually throughout the day to help promote sustained energy, a stable mood, and controlled hunger – aka avoid HANGER! 3

19-01-31 BUT HOW? ● It is important to know the difference between carbohydrates that fuel you and carbohydrates that rob you of energy Refined Carbohydrates Complex Carbohydrates • Energy rises but falls quickly • Sustained energy • Results in the ‘CRASH’ • Stable mood • Don’t satisfy & leave you • Reduced Cravings = searching for more Improved Focus! ANYTHING ELSE? ● There are other ways to ‘make your carbs last longer’ ● Including foods that are high in PROTEIN and HEALTHY FATS is an important way to ensure you are geWng all the nutrients you need for a healthy body and brain ● All foods are made up of a combina;on of either Carbs, Proteins, and/or Fats ● By choosing healthy op;ons from each of these categories it will help keep you func;oning at your best! EXAMPLES Carbs Protein Fats Whole grains: Lean meats: quinoa, Chicken Healthy Oils: barley, brown breast, turkey, Canola, Olive rice, whole fish wheat pasta Pulses: Nuts and Nut Lentils, Beans, Butters Starchy Chickpeas vegetables such as sweet Dairy: Cottage potatoes Cheese, Seeds Greek Yogurt, Milk Eggs 4

19-01-31 BUT WHERE? ● Examples of food that make you feel ;red, restless, and foggy- headed: BUT WHERE? ● Examples of foods that increase energy and focus: SAMPLE DAY Breakfast Lunch Dinner • 2 slices whole • 1 cup whole • Roasted salmon wheat toast wheat pasta with sweet potatoes, brussel • 2 Tbsp Peanut • ½ cup pasta sprouts, and Butter sauce with ground turkey, beans, asparagus • 1 cup milk drizzled with onions, and canola oil peppers • Dessert = Plain • 2 cups salad with a homemade olive greek yogurt, 1 Tbsp honey, and oil and vinegar dressing sliced berries Don’t forget to add in healthy snacks and drink plenty of water throughout the day! Dehydration can contribute to brain fog too! 5

19-01-31 Our food choices not only influence our mood, but our mood can influence our food choices • Stress increases cor;sol which increase insulin and affects blood sugars • Fa;gue can result in choosing sweet foods for quick energy boost • Boredom/procras;na;on can result in grazing mindlessly We like to ask our clients: • What kind of hunger am I experiencing? • Stomach vs Mouth (distract) vs Heart (nurture vs nourish) Are you a Mindful or Mindless Eater? TOP TIPS FOR THE SHORT TERM • Avoid skipping meals – leads to ++ PM. Stash snacks in your desk, trunk, gym bag, purse, pantry • Pack protein-rich aRernoon snack to last un;l supper • Include healthy carbs in modera;on at lunch • Track water intake using app, schedule it • Eat slowly and un;l you’re comfortably full – 80% full, no longer hungry • No restric;ve die;ng = pre-occupa;on w food • Track energy and learn about yourself 6

19-01-31 IN A SLUMP? ● PRO TIP! ○ If you find yourself restless at your desk, unable to concentrate, or if you are experiencing a low mood, ask yourself these 3 ques;ons: 1) When was the last ;me I ate? 2) Have I been drinking water today? 3) Have I eaten foods that fuel me today or lots of sugary treats? LET’S DIG DEEPER! ● Some interes;ng news: ○ Brain food isn’t important just for short term energy and focus but also for keeping our mind healthy in the years to come ○ New research is constantly being done to learn how diet may affect the health of our brains as we age. ■ FACT: According to the Alzheimer Society of Canada ~ 564, 000 Canadians are living with demen;a THE MIND DIET ● The MIND Diet is a combina;on of two different ea;ng styles: Mediterranean + DASH • Emphasis on natural PLANT-BASED FOODS • BERRIES as the most common fruit choice • Consumption of FISH – at least 1x/week • Limited intake of other animal foods and high saturated fat foods 7

19-01-31 10 HEALTHY BRAIN FOODS ● The MIND Diet Studies iden;fied 10 healthy brain foods: 1. Green Leafy Vegetables 2. Other Vegetables 3. Nuts 4. Berries 5. Beans 6. Whole Grains 7. Fish 8. Poultry 9. Olive Oil 10. Wine 5 FOODS THAT WON’T HELP YOUR BRAIN ● The MIND Diet Studies iden;fied 5 unhealthy brain food groups: 1. Red Meats 2. Butter and Stick Margarine 3. Cheese 4. Pastries and Sweets 5. Fried/Fast Foods NUTRIENTS OF INTEREST ● Although evidence is s;ll not clear, there may be some benefit to making an effort to consume more of the following nutrients : Vitamin - Antioxidant commonly found in ORANGE fruits and vegetables A - Antioxidant commonly found in citrus fruits, bell peppers - Antioxidant commonly found in vegetable oils and nuts Vitamin - Essential fatty acid commonly found in fatty fish such as salmon, trout, C herring - Found in many common foods including meat, starchy vegetables, and Vitamin some fruit E - Only found naturally in animal foods such as shellfish, eggs, and cheese - Found in leafy greens, legumes, and is added to some grain products in Omega-3 Canada B6 - Many Canadians need a supplement as is not found in many common B12 foods 8

19-01-31 HEALTHY BRAIN = HEALTHY YOU Our brains control every aspect of our life including how we feel, function, and think. Start eating for energy, focus, and a healthy mind today! ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? THANK YOU! Stop the weight gain and ini;ate weight loss ● Develop healthy habits to maintain weight lost ● Manage and eliminate food cravings ● Improve your rela;onship with food (become in control of ● your food choices) Prevent or manage health concerns ● Improve physical appearance ● Achieve op;mal wellness through balanced nutri;on ● Become more energized ● Other nutri;on services: Cooking classes ● Recipe/ menu development and analysis ● Nutri;on labeling ● “Lunch n’ Learns” Susan Watson, BHNsc. ● Registered Dietitian Spokesperson Ac;vi;es ● www.alittlenutrition.com Grocery store tours ● Email: susan@alittlenutrition.com Corporate Wellness ● 204-792-1893 Menu and Meal Planning ● Follow my Blog or Facebook to get recipe and nutrition tips 9

19-01-31 REFERENCES ● Morris, M. C., Tangney, C. C., Wang, Y., Sacks, F. M., Benneo, D. A., & Aggarwal, N. T. (2015). MIND Diet Associated with Reduced Incidence of Alzheimer’s Disease. Alzheimer’s & Demen/a : The Journal of the Alzheimer’s Associa/on , 11 (9), 1007–1014. hop://doi.org/10.1016/j.jalz.2014.11.009 ● Morris, M. C., Tangney, C. C., Wang, Y., Sacks, F. M., Barnes, L. L., Benneo, D. A., & Aggarwal, N. T. (2015). MIND diet slows cogni;ve decline with aging. Alzheimer’s & Demen/a : The Journal of the Alzheimer’s Associa/on , 11 (9), 1015–1022. hop://doi.org/10.1016/j.jalz.2015.04.011 10