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BITESIZE | Avoid These 3 Foods For Better Brain Health | Max Lugavere #443

Apr 11, 2024 19m 7s 10 insights
Today’s guest shares evidence-based principles that will help all of us protect our brain health. Feel Better Live More Bitesize is my weekly podcast for your mind, body, and heart. Each week I’ll be featuring inspirational stories and practical tips from some of my former guests. Today’s clip is from episode 330 of the podcast with science journalist and New York Times bestselling author, Max Lugavere. Max is on a mission to help people feel better, live longer, and maximise their brain health by optimising their diet. In this clip he shares the three food types that we should think about cutting out of our diet – and why.  Thanks to our sponsor https://www.drinkag1.com/livemore Support the podcast and enjoy Ad-Free episodes. Try FREE for 7 days on Apple Podcasts https://apple.co/feelbetterlivemore. For other podcast platforms go to https://fblm.supercast.com. Show notes and the full podcast are available at drchatterjee.com/330
Actionable Insights

1. Reduce Ultra-Processed Foods

Cut out or significantly reduce ultra-processed foods from your diet because they are linked to increased risk of early mortality and dementia, are designed to be over-consumed, and make self-control difficult, often leading to a calorie surplus.

2. Prioritize Minimally Processed Foods

Prioritize minimally processed foods because consuming them to satiety can lead to a calorie deficit, demonstrating that food quality influences the quantity eaten and supports overall health.

3. Minimize Industrial Seed Oils

Minimize your consumption of industrially produced, refined, bleached, and deodorized grain and seed oils (like canola, corn, soybean, grapeseed oil) because they are ultra-processed and did not exist in the human food supply prior to 100 years ago, and reducing them often leads to overall health benefits.

4. Use Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Swap industrially produced grain and seed oils for extra virgin olive oil because it is cardioprotective, neuroprotective, supports metabolic health, is anti-inflammatory, and is chemically stable for cooking, unlike other refined oils.

5. Minimize Added Sugar Intake

Be mindful of and minimize added sugar in your diet because it contributes empty calories, increases hyper-palatability, can perpetuate hunger, may drop testosterone, increases blood pressure, and elevates insulin, which promotes fat storage.

6. Check Labels for Hidden Sugar

Carefully check food labels for hidden added sugar, as it goes by many different names and is present in many products, ensuring you don’t unknowingly consume excessive amounts.

7. Choose Foods for Cognitive Health

Make daily food choices that support your cognitive health and long-term well-being, as diet and lifestyle play a major role in influencing your cognitive destiny and preventing conditions like dementia.

8. Embrace Incremental Dietary Changes

Focus on making small, incremental dietary changes rather than striving for perfection immediately, as even minor reductions in unhealthy foods or increases in healthy ones will accumulate to provide significant health benefits over time.

9. Consider High Oleic Sunflower Oil

Consider using high oleic sunflower oil as an alternative if extra virgin olive oil is not available, as it is chemically stable and has a fatty acid profile similar to avocado oil.

10. Consume AG1 Daily

Consider consuming AG1 daily as it supports digestion and contains five strains of gut bacteria shown to enrich the gut microbiome by increasing beneficial bacteria up to tenfold.