In our series of SEEDS – what Dr. John Arden writes are the ways that we can nurture our brain, we explore the fourth seed which is: Diet.
We are all pretty versed these days in what it means to eat healthy; avoiding trans fats, fast foods and sugar while loading up on fresh vegetables and fruits. It means less processed foods, and balanced amounts of whole grains, dairy and protein. Sometimes, the lesson we need to learn is moderation and portion control.
In any case, when we focus on providing our brains with a healthy diet, it helps to calm the nervous system while increasing our brain clarity, concentration and ability to focus. A healthy diet also helps to regulate mood (we all know what it feels like to be ‘hangry’) as well as sleep.
Dr. Arden notes:
“We are what we eat, and the cornucopia of chemicals that operate our brain with doesn’t come out of nowhere; they’re not immaculately conceived. Our body makes these brain chemicals based on the foods that we eat or do not eat. Every one of these neurotransmitters has a precursor amino acid, and if you want to starve your brain of these chemicals, you can have a bad diet, or skip breakfast, or eat simple carbohydrates, or fried foods, or whatever—but you’re going to end up rendering your brain incapable of learning and incapable of having positive thought. So diet is absolutely fundamental.”
To read up on Canada’s Food Guide: https://food-guide.canada.ca/en/
To visit Dr. John Arden’s website: https://drjohnarden.com/
The quote by Dr. Arden in this post was found in the following article: https://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/planting-seeds-of-healthy-brain-we-interview-dr-john-b-arden-031914
Photo credit: http://Photo by Vince Lee on Unsplash
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