Health starts on our plates. My promise to you is that although my recipes are influenced by the thousands of research studies I’ve read on nutrition and medicine, they are far from boring. My motto in the kitchen is Flavour as well as Function and you’ll learn how a delicious diet can create a more resilient body and mind. Step away from the scales and calorie counters and open yourself up to the wonderful world of eating to benefit your body and beat illness.
To kick off the ‘eating to beat illness’ discussion there is simply nowhere more fascinating to start than with the brain. Our most prized possession, it controls the centres for movement, thought, emotion and all the automatic processes such as breathing and heart rate that we do not have to consciously concern ourselves with. Quite literally, it is the most advanced machine ever known to us and, unlike the latest computer or most sought-after gadget, we all have one.
Our skull houses trillions of neural synapses (the junctions between nerve cells); these carry information across different brain centres that have specific functional roles for the body. The beautiful coordination of these electrical signals determines our actions and thoughts which are generated in these centres.
Of late, however, our brains are under fire. As a medical doctor, I witness the aftermath of conditions such as dementia and strokes all too often, and the prevalence of these is increasing.1 These conditions reveal the vulnerability of the brain and body once these centres become affected and a culmination of insults have taken place.
Dementia is now the second leading cause of death in the UK and cases are rising.2 Before you assume it is a natural part of ageing and a consequence of our population living for longer, there is clear evidence to suggest the contrary. Our lifestyles drastically impact the health of our brain and this chapter will help you understand why and how we can protect ourselves and optimise our brain power.3
Loss of emotional intelligence, inhibition of thoughts, motor-control deficits, memory impairment and many more signs illustrate exactly why diseases of the brain are so life-changing. It’s the experiences of these patients that push me to highlight the impact of diet and lifestyle and how we use the tools within our control. And it starts with our plates. I haven’t written these symptoms to scare you, but rather to highlight how beautifully coordinated our brains are and the consequences of poor lifestyle choices that are preventable.4 We tend only to value the importance of such organs when we have lost control of their precious functions and, while you may consider these conditions to only be relevant in later age, I’m here to inform you that looking after your brain is a lifelong process.5 The acceptance that you ‘naturally’ lose brain function as you age is a myth6 and I want to show you that looking after your brain can be enjoyable and delicious!
NEUROPLASTICITY
The ability of our brain to harness new neural connections, create new brain cells and positively adapt its function in response to stimuli from our environment is a concept known as ‘neuroplasticity’. It is one of the most fascinating and promising topics I have come across in recent years, and one where food and lifestyle play a pivotal role.7 Previously, it was not commonly believed that cells of the nervous system could regenerate or improve their function. It was conventional thinking that after childhood development, our brains were relatively ‘static’.8 However, research is demonstrating that not only can we change the synapses to improve our memory and the general functioning of our brain, but it could be a useful tool in the management of conditions such as neurodegenerative disease, like dementia.9 As you read, you will understand how diet and lifestyle are involved in this neuroplastic process in a way that can positively impact our brain health.
BRAIN INFLAMMATION
By changing the internal environment of the body, we can create the perfect setting for the cells of our nervous system to function optimally.7 Oxidative stress is a topic we will visit later on (here), but our brains are particularly susceptible to an imbalance in inflammatory proteins. It has been demonstrated in many studies that an ‘inflammatory western diet’ (high in sugar, refined carbohydrates, processed foods and salt) is disastrous for brain health.10, 11 In addition to putting people at risk of heart disease and stroke, which all raise the risk of neurological disorders, this western-style diet promotes inflammation that could disrupt the blood-brain barrier – a protective layer that surrounds the central nervous system and is integral to the health of your brain.10
In contrast, diets high in polyphenols (the types of plant chemicals that we find in colourful fruits and vegetables) are shown to reduce oxidative stress, which may explain their benefits to brain health.12 The Mediterranean diet contains an abundance of different polyphenols and has long been recognised as one of the healthiest diets to follow for most people.13 In general, it consists predominantly of plant-based proteins, plenty of pulses, quality fats from nuts and seeds as well as colourful vegetables and oily fish. The diet has been shown to reduce the incidence of vascular disease that can contribute to poor brain health, and protects against diabetes, which we know is related to declining mental ability.14 Oxidative stress and inflammation are generally reduced in those adhering to a Mediterranean style of eating, which is in part explained by the sheer number of antioxidants found in the fruits and vegetables consumed.15
MIND DIETS
As well as the potential of diet and lifestyle to reduce the incidence of neurodegenerative conditions, I think it’s also important to bring attention to some of my patients’ anecdotes following improvements to their diet and lifestyle. I regularly hear comments such as, ‘I feel clearer in my head’, ‘my mood has improved’, or even, ‘I have so much more energy these days’. I recognise that these are soft and subjective statements but – despite no concrete, clinically validated method of measuring these outcomes – it gives me further hope that positive diet and lifestyle changes could improve the lives of everyone and not just those labelled with a condition. The improvements in mental clarity and mood could potentially be explained by reducing inflammation in the brain and oxidative stress, but there’s a lot more to learn in this field.16
A specific diet, appropriately called the MIND diet, was born out of some of the research looking at the correlation of high vegetable intakes and lower rates of dementia.17 This study, plus many others, have highlighted certain ingredients as beneficial to the resilience of our brains and I’d like to bring attention to them. It is by no means a definitive list of ingredients you ‘must have’ to protect your brain, nor is it a suggestion that we can radically renew our brain cells using these foods. However, it is an introduction into how incredible and impactful our diet can be to the function of our brain.3 Hopefully this will prompt you towards a healthier perspective that could potentially offer protection