Optimal Brain Nutrition

The human brain functions best on a diet high in fat and protein, with a focus on organically or locally grown foods free of herbicides and pesticides. Ethical meat—sourced from free-range animals not treated with antibiotics or growth hormones—is recommended. For further reading on brain nutrients, see Primal Body, Primal Mind by Nora Gedgaudas.

Brain Food

• For the best results, select grass-fed and grass-finished meat. If this is unavailable, meat finished with legumes is the next best option.
• When choosing poultry, prioritize chicken, duck, and turkey raised on the range and finished naturally. Poultry finished with marigolds is a good alternative if the best option is unavailable.
• Wild fish
• Wild game
• To further support sustained brain energy, include healthy fats and oils from butter, lard, coconut oil, olive oil, avocado oil, nuts, and nut butter.
• Farm fresh free-range chicken, duck, or turkey eggs
• Vegetables
• Incorporate fresh and dried herbs, including super greens such as alfalfa, barley grass, wheat grass, nettle leaf, spirulina, and chlorella, to enhance the nutrient density of your diet.
• Finally, include fresh fruit—especially tart varieties like apples, berries, lemons, limes, and mango —and fatty fruits such as avocado—to provide antioxidants and healthy fats beneficial for the brain.

My preference for dairy is for goat or Jersey cow milk. Goats and Jersey cows are smaller than Holstein cows, making the Holstein milk molecules harder to digest, especially if you have sensitivities. Raw milk, butter, and cheese are best if available.

The brain is a complex organ that requires a diet higher in fats and proteins; without these nutrients, one may feel fatigued, unfocused, and scattered, and may struggle with memory and concentration. If we consume processed foods with artificial coloring, additives, and nitrates, or feed them to our children and animal companions, it can affect our thoughts, mood, and emotions.

Fats

Fats are essential for overall health, especially when we aim to enhance brain function. The brain (dry weight) is more than 50% fat and holds the body’s highest concentration of DHA.  DHA comes from Omega-3 essential fatty acids (EFAs) found in certain foods. The body does not manufacture Omega-3 or Omega-6 fatty acids; we must obtain these nutrients from our diet.

EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) is converted in the liver to DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) from omega-3-rich foods and is necessary for a healthy brain/mind, and body.

Average brain levels of DHA have declined over the last 100 years; consequently, our brains have shrunk by approximately 10% due to a lack of Omega-3-rich foods in our diet. This occurred due to an increase in grain fed to our livestock. Omega-6 essential fatty acids are plentiful in vegetable oils, nuts, seeds, and grains. Our health has been compromised by an increase in Omega-6 EFAs and a reduction in Omega-3s; therefore, excessive Omega-6 EFAs can diminish brain function, cause inflammation, and lead to hormonal imbalances.

All fats and oils, whether vegetable or animal in origin, are some combination of saturated fatty acids, monounsaturated acids, and polyunsaturated acids.  The best way to get your essential fatty acids and other healthy fats is to eat products from animals that are grass-fed only: butter, ghee, lard, eggs, cheese, milk, kefir, and yogurt, preferably from raw dairy, and healthy fats from nuts, coconut, and olive oil.

OMEGA 6 EFAs

• Linoleic
  acid (LA)
  Soy, corn, cottonseed, safflower oils, sunflower, canola
• Gamma-linolenic
  acid (GLA) Evening
  primrose, borage, black currant oil
• Dihomo-gamma-linolenic
  acid (DGLA)
  Liver and other organ meats
• Arachidonic
  Acid (AA)  butter,
  lard, animal fats, brain, organ meats, egg  yolk, seaweed

OMEGA 3 EFA’S

• Alpha-linolenic
  acid (LNA) flax
  oil, green vegetables
• Eicosapentaenoic
  acid (EPA) fish
  liver oils, fish eggs
• Docsahexaenoic
  acid (DHA) human
  milk, organic egg yolk, fish liver oils, fish eggs, liver, brain, and other
  organ meat

Focus on consuming omega-3 EFAs that come from animal sources raised on a grass-fed diet.

OLEIC ACID OMEGA 9 Non-essential Fatty Acids

Oleic acid is a monounsaturated fatty acid known as an omega-9 fatty acid that is found naturally in many vegetable and animal sources. Oleic acid is usually found trapped in triglycerides, which are lipids closely connected to oil production and secretion.  Blood triglycerides help the liver separate fats and glucose (simple sugars). Oleic acid is a larger molecule, so it can slide by other molecules without bonding, ensuring free flow of blood without forming plaques that are known to block arteries. Oleic acid is also known to enhance brain function and support the nervous system.

• Supports memory, and optimizes the functions of the brain and neurological system
  transmission.
• Rich in antioxidants.
• Strengthens the cell membrane integrity helps in repairing cells and tissue
  damage.
• Improves the functioning of the heart and circulatory system.
• Helps in fighting cancer, especially breast cancer.
• Reduces inflammation of the joints.
• Aids in weight loss.
• Helps in relieving symptoms of asthma.
• Reduces atherosclerosis known as clogging and hardening of arteries.
• Helps maintain blood sugar by reducing insulin resistance.

Foods Rich in Oleic Acid

Avocado, almonds, bacon, beef, beef tallow, butter, cashews, cheese, chicken, eggs, hazelnut, macadamia nut, olive oil, pistachio nut, pork, tahini

Herbs and certain foods with bitter, sour, and pungent flavors aid in the digestion of fats and proteins. Turmeric, dill, peppercorns, basil, lemon, juniper berries, ginger, cayenne, cinnamon, and garlic are just a few of the ingredients.

Protein

Protein accounts for approximately 20% of our body weight and is a primary constituent of hair, skin, nails, eyes, and internal organs. Proteins are complex molecules composed of combinations of 22 naturally occurring amino acids. Out of those 22, nine are essential; Essential amino acids are Histidine, Isoleucine, Leucine, Lysine, Methionine, Phenylalanine, Threonine, Tryptophan, and Valine.

• Animal Sources: eggs, cheese, butter, milk, whey, yogurt, meat, poultry, and fish
• Vegetable sources: legumes, fermented soybean curd, nuts

Herbs that assist in fat and protein digestion are bitter and sour in flavor, such as:
Dandelion greens and roots, burdock root, chamomile flowers, orange peel, lemon peel, and Hawthorne berries are just a few.

Add some cardamom, ginger, or cinnamon; it helps with digestion (spicy-warm foods help digestion).

Whole, natural foods are rich in antioxidants, which have anti-aging properties and are known to boost our memory and cognitive function.

Emotions and Digestion

Emotions such as excessive worry, anxiety, and eating too quickly can have a profound impact on digestion, making it difficult to break down food, which in turn can affect the brain’s ability to function optimally. For digestion to be efficient, it is essential to have a calm, quiet mind, allowing digestive enzymes to function effectively. If you are under too much stress, it is better to prepare cooked food, taking stress off the digestive system, such as soup made with bone broth, a stew, or congee with protein and fat.  This will be easier to digest and assimilate, providing enough fat, protein, and minerals to support brain function and sustain you for hours.

Are you aware that too much stress or trauma can compromise your digestive system, creating a myriad of other health problems?

Do you know EEG-Neurofeedback gets rid of too much stress, which can cause anxiety, depression, and excessive worry?

Are you aware that excessive stress affects the nervous system, which is connected to the brain through the spinal cord, and is also connected to our endocrine and limbic systems, as well as all other organs, glands, and systems? For those who suffer from chronic digestive issues and other health problems due to life’s stressors or trauma, EEG-Neurofeedback gets rid of too much stress. Too much stress affects the nervous system, which is connected to the brain through the spinal cord and, in turn, is connected to our endocrine and limbic systems, which are linked to all other organs, glands, and systems.

The Right and Left Sides of the Brain