Improve Your Memory with Real Food & Vitamins
February 25, 2018
Is your memory slipping or are you noticing more "senior moments?" What we put into our brain is what we will get out of it. Learn how you can improve your memory with real food and a few key vitamin supplements. Plus, we will also share how people in their 20s and 30s can help prevent Alzheimer's in their future.
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Transcript
KARA: Good morning. Welcome to Dishing Up Nutrition. This is brought to you by Nutritional Weight & Wellness. My name is Kara Carper. I'm a licensed nutritionist. I also have a master's degree in holistic health. I've been working with clients individually at Nutritional Weight and Wellness for the past 10 years and when I'm at home I do really enjoy cooking. I do have to say though, my husband does quite a bit of our cooking as well, but between the two of us we always cook real food for both of us and for our daughter, so you know, we're creating new and interesting meals, especially trying to keep those kids interested in their food. They can be a little picky. And then it's kind of fun to share those things with my clients as well. We have a saying at Nutritional Weight and Wellness, food comes first for healing and for health, so it's kinda nice that what we enjoy doing at home fits right in in the office as well. Joining me today as my cohost is Carolyn Hudson. Carolyn is a registered and licensed dietitian and she originally trained to become a dietitian in Canada. How many years ago was that Carolyn?
CAROLYN: Oh boy. So many years. Sometimes I feel a little old, but it's actually been about 38 years and part of my experience was working with people who lived on real food like fresh caught fish or lobster, clams, moose. They also ate wild fiddleheads and mushrooms and kelp. So I was really, really lucky to have been exposed to all those new and interesting real foods while I was raising my two boys and now I have to say they have become very adventurous eaters and they focus on real food that is good for them all the time. So now I just love working at an organization which practices the belief that food comes first for healing and for health. And I may not really be teaching my clients how to eat moose or fiddleheads, but I'm teaching them, I am teaching them to choose grass-fed beef, which actually is very similar to moose and teaching them the tricks to cook and prepare it properly. People kind of forget that grass-fed beef is much lower in fat than the grain fed meat. So it needs some special care to make sure it turns out tender and not really chewy.
KARA: And it does have more Omega-3s. Yeah. So over the past 10 years as I've been working with clients, a lot of people come in with weight loss as a goal and people have been very successful. So we're, you know, Carolyn and I are just kind of talking about the different reasons that people come to see us and make an individual consultation. But people do come to us to lose weight and they do it by eating real food. Examples would be that they eat real fat like butter or olive oil, vegetables as their carbohydrates and high quality meats. Like you were saying, grass fed beef is a perfect example.
CAROLYN: Right, exactly. And we've also worked with a lot of clients were experiencing a variety of health problems. They may have an autoimmune disease. Boy, I'm seeing a lot with that. Uh, you know, autoimmune diseases these days such as, you know, MS or a fibromyalgia, asthma, Hashimoto's thyroiditis, or rheumatoid arthritis. Currently there are so many autoimmune diseases and for most of them, diet makes a really big difference.
KARA: Isn't that true? I just had someone last week with Ulcerative Colitis, which is another autoimmune disease. We also have helped people with pre-diabetes. We actually see people reverse their pre-diabetes and sometimes their type two diabetes. So just letting listeners know this is a possibility with nutrition. We have clients that come to us with osteoporosis, ADD or ADHD, arthritis like osteoarthritis, autism, PMS. People come with all kinds of hormonal imbalances such as premenstrual syndrome, menopausal issues, infertility, really many other conditions. And we find that the right food and the right nutrition can make a huge difference for these clients.
CAROLYN: And recently we have seen more and more clients concerned about their memory and their brain health. So if you are experiencing those senior moments, and maybe you're not even a senior yet, I encourage you to stay tuned.
KARA: You know, I just heard a saying that, you know, with, in regards to Alzheimer's and memory issues, that it doesn't happen. We think it happens when people are 50, 60, 70, 80, that starts when people are in their twenties and thirties. It just takes 30 years to progress fully.
CAROLYN: Well, actually, my sister actually has a very, very close friend in his thirties with Alzheimer's.
KARA: And it's already manifested?
CAROLYN: Yeah, he's a doctor, and to give up his practice. And so yeah, it's very, very sad.
KARA: But for those people that maybe listening in their twenties and thirties, you know, we can do a lot of prevention at those ages to prevent what we want to avoid in our fifties, sixties, seventies. So today on Dishing Up Nutrition, our focus is on how you can improve your memory with real food and a few key vitamin supplements.
CAROLYN: And you know, have you ever thought, this is really interesting, what I put into my brain is what I get out of it. Really? Have you ever thought about that? I think maybe that's a new concept, and might take you a while for that to kind of sink in. So I'm going to repeat that. What I put into my brain is what I get out of it.
KARA: There are no short cuts to a healthy brain. It requires you to make a commitment to your brain health to ensure that you, you know you're functioning as well as possible in that area.
CAROLYN: Yeah. You know, and that commitment to your health, a commitment to your brain. That's also a very interesting concept. Listeners, have you made that commitment to your brain?
KARA: Here's an example. When one of my clients who happens to have a gluten sensitivity asks me, is it okay if I just have a croissant sandwich at a party every once in a while? Because you know, there's not really going to be anything else for me to eat there. What am I supposed to say? I mean, the answer is no, unless you want issues with brain fog, cramps or joint inflammation and pain, bloating, muscle aches. So also, if you're worried about your memory and brain function, you might need to say no to some of those types of foods. Fast food is another one, soda, chips, pizza, French fries. Even a lot of those mochas at the coffee shops are loaded with sugar and trans fats. And we're going to be talking a lot about alcohol in the show, aren't we, Carolyn? Some people might need to start saying no to some of those evening cocktails if they're serious about their health and about protecting their brains.
CAROLYN: Right. So let me ask a few questions. Are you starting to forget words? You know, maybe you're having trouble with word recall and you just can't remember what something is called. So you're constantly saying, you know, that, that, that thing. You're listening to Dishing Up Nutrition, brought to you by Nutritional Weight & Wellness. What foods nourish your brain and help you with your memory? Number one on our list is good, beneficial fats, butter, coconut oil, olive oil, olives, avocados, and a variety of nuts. About seven tablespoons per day is a must. Number two on our list, animal proteins such as beef, pork, salmon, chicken, turkey, lamb and sardines. And you should have about 12 to 16 ounces daily. And number three on our list is a variety of vegetables like spinach, kale, broccoli, sweet potatoes, Brussels sprouts. And be sure to stay away from those processed foods. So if you have any questions for us today, you can please call us in studio and we'll be here to answer your questions. So again, I just wanted to repeat those quick things. That would be, you should be eating lots of good, beneficial fats, good animal protein, and a variety of vegetables. That will be great.
KARA: Welcome back to Dishing Up Nutrition. If you're looking for healthy habits for your brain, you have to consider your sleep. Since we spend about a third of our life sleeping, sleep helps us to concentrate. It helps us with our memory and it helps us with our decision making. Most importantly, sleep plays a key role in helping clear out toxins and keeping neurodegenerative diseases at bay. So last Saturday we had a wonderful seminar. It's called the Menopause Survival Seminar. Three quarters of the women in the class said that they had trouble sleeping. Many of them were sleeping only four to five hours per night. That's actually, we consider that risky behavior. And I mean the reason is that there are so many, so many studies on lack of sleep and weight gain, but a ton of health issues also just related to the brain. So I strongly encourage anyone not sleeping seven and a half to eight hours on most nights to make an appointment with one of us at Nutritional Weight & Wellness. Make an appointment with a nutritionist. I personally really understand sleep issues and I know that I can help people conquer their problems. And now that I'm sleeping most nights and I just feel so much better if I am getting eight hours, I would love nine, but I'm pretty happy with eight, you know, I feel so much better. The difference is pretty remarkable and at Nutritional Weight & Wellness, we think of sleep issues as a nutritional issue. A lot of people don't make those connections. Sleep issues can be overcome. Sometimes it just takes some trial and error and we love seeing people in person for an appointment. Sometimes it's easier though, we also do phone appointments. You can call 651-699-3438 to set up an appointment. And again, just remember lack of sleep on a regular basis is considered risky behavior.
CAROLYN: Well, we have our first caller, so. It's Allie, welcome to Dishing Up Nutrition. What's your question?
CALLER: Yes. Hello. Thank you. I recently had a blood test done to look for some allergies and the only allergy that came up for me was a wheat allergy at .12 and I'm going to see a doctor this week. It's an allergy specialist, but I was just wondering if you could help me understand when I heard you talking about gluten intolerance earlier in the show and is this related just seeing a wheat allergy come up on a blood test?
CAROLYN: Oh, absolutely. Yeah. We really see this a lot of times, so a lot of times they'll say, oh, you know, you're not a celiac, but we have a lot of people who come in with wheat allergies and therefore we really do stress the gluten-free eating. Kara, do you have something?
KARA: No, I totally agree. I think some of it is based on the testing and so I feel like it's a little bit easier to test wheat with the blood test. The blood test might not be looking specifically at gluten. There are a lot of great tests out there like enterolab.com that specifically looks at gluten and you know, that's just a different type of a test. It is investigating whether it's a gluten sensitivity, but I can, I'll just be honest, in all of our years of practice, most people who have a wheat allergy or sensitivity are sensitive to gluten, which is the protein found in wheat.
CAROLYN: Right. The most common protein in wheat.
CALLER: OK, so even I've got about four or five days before I see the allergist I've been giving up wheat now that I found this out, just to see if that makes a difference. Do you think that's a good decision to do that?
CAROLYN: Sometimes it does alter the test when you're going back in. I don't know what you're going to be doing with your allergist. If he's going to be testing you again or just talking to you about that, you know, if you give something up sometimes it doesn't show up in the next test.
CALLER: Oh, okay. Okay, great.
KARA: I would say if that was a results of your lab tests though, I would encourage you to continue on with wheat free and actually more specifically going gluten free, so then you would have to look at barley, wheat, oats and rye. But great question.
CAROLYN: Yeah, thank you. Allie. Thank you. Okay. So before we went to break, I was asking you a few questions, like are you having trouble maybe recalling words and you say something like, oh, you know, that, that, that thing. Or maybe you're having trouble remembering people's names. Or are you always losing your keys or even worse, your car? I think recently there was an article in the paper where it was reported that a gentleman lost his car in the parking ramp and it took him days to find it again. That's really scary. And I even have a personal family story. A friend of mine had that experience and although, you know, we kinda laughed about it. It was really scary for her.
KARA: That is a scary idea. I mean, yeah, we can kind of joke and everything, but with the rate of dementia and Alzheimer's, the prevalence these days, it's kind of scary to have situations like that occur. You know, is it time to make your memory a priority? It all starts with what you're doing to support your brain. So have you made a commitment to keeping your brain healthy?
CAROLYN: Perhaps you said to yourself, I don't want my later years to be filled with dementia or Alzheimer's. I want to recognize my children and my grandchildren and call them by name. I want to be able to reminisce with them about their lives throughout the years and also carry on an intellectual discussion with them. You know, Kara, my father recently passed away, just shy of his 94th birthday and the hardest thing the last few years was witnessing that total loss of his short term memory and not being able to have a good conversation with him. That was really, really hard.
KARA: Yeah, I mean once you put it that way, I feel like that's such an emotional issue. It makes you want to protect your own brain. It makes me want to think about my brain. You know, thinking about our kids and our grandkids and what that's gonna look like in decades. Let's take a look at one habit that you may need to change. You may need to give up alcohol or at least cut way back on the amount and the frequency that you're drinking. Remember back in the old days, you might have a couple of dry martinis before dinner. Then a couple glasses of wine with dinner. Well, things have changed. Author and psychiatrist, Dr. Daniel Amen says for a good memory, stop drinking alcohol. It's not a health food and it increases your risk of developing dementia and Alzheimer's. You know Dr. Amen, Carolyn, you've seen his books and his research. He's the guy who does the scans of the brain, like the before and after. It's pretty phenomenal. He knows what he's talking about when it comes to the brain. What can you have in place of alcohol? You could have a glass of sparkling water on ice with some lemon or fresh lime in there. You could have herbal ice tea, just not with added sugar. I love the Mendota Springs or the LaCroix, all those different flavored sparkling waters. Remember that alcohol is toxic to the brain and it's detrimental to your brain and your memory.
CAROLYN: And Kara, I can't believe it already time for break. You are listening to Dishing Up Nutrition and we're discussing food and vitamins to support your memory. Changing your habits is not an easy thing to do. And in today's crazy fast paced world, it often seems like there just isn't enough time to eat anything other than fast food. So that's exactly why we offer nutrition classes and nutrition therapy and we offer it during the day and in the evening. We do know that for most of us, change really doesn't come easy. It's really easy to slip back into those old brain habits. So honestly, most people need ongoing support. Over 5 million people in the US have been diagnosed with Alzheimer's and to date there is no drug that treats the underlying cause. So we encourage you to get on our Weight & Wellness eating plan to support your brain health and your memory. You can call us at 651-699-3438 to ask some of your questions or make an appointment or go to weightandwellness.com to sign up today.
KARA: We're back. You're listening to Dishing Up Nutrition. As most of you know, we always encourage you to eat right to think right, but sometimes key supplements are also needed to help you restore your brain health and your memory. Through analyzing symptoms, we can help you individually find vitamin supplements that will be the most effective for your memory. We know that vitamin D is critical, right, so we talk about vitamin D and especially where we live in the northern latitude. We often recommend another supplement called Omega-3 DHA 200 to 600 milligrams per day and that's specifically for brain health and memory. And we also talk quite a bit about magnesium and magnesium is very important for the brain as well. There's another great supplement people may not have heard of, we carry it on our office and it's called Brain Vibrance. And that's got a whole list of ingredients, phosphatidylserine and choline, I believe, just a lot of nutrients to support the brain and that's great if people are struggling with their memory. But you know, if you want a fine-tuned plan, set up an appointment and we can put that together for you. And you can call 651-699-3438 if you're interested in finding out more about an appointment.
CAROLYN: Yeah. And Kara, I'd like to, you know, put a little plug in for our Nutrition 4 Weight Loss series. You know, we are extending our $50 discount for early bird special for that Nutrition 4 Weight Loss series, which is beginning next week. That week of February 26 and there's actually still room in St. Paul, Lakeville and then I'll be teaching the one in Eden Prairie and I know there's still room there, so I'd love to have a good showing for that, for that class and have a great support throughout the 12 week series. So to sign up for that series Nutrition 4 Weight Loss, you can call us at 651-699-3438.
KARA: So we're extending that $50 discount. It's a great deal.
CAROLYN: It's wonderful. The fact that we still have room, that's kind of amazing. So many of my clients, especially those who are retired, have a glass of wine before dinner. Just before we were going to break, we were talking about alcohol, right? And then they might even have a glass or two after dinner or a scotch, maybe even an after dinner drink. So we know that alcohol interferes with sleep and you were talking about how important it is to get good sleep. Good quality sleep. And when we're drinking alcohol, that interferes with the sleep, but also interferes with how your brain detoxifies during that sleep.
KARA: Right. During sleep there's so much detoxification.
CAROLYN: There's a lot going on when we're sleeping, right?
KARA: And people might think, oh, I sleep great when I drink alcohol. Right? But they might get to sleep okay. But actually, even if they do think they're staying asleep, it's a very light. It's not that deep restorative, detoxifying sleep. So the first habit to practice, to improve your memory is to remove alcohol from your diet. And I know what some of you are saying, wait a second, I thought I was supposed to drink red wine every day because it contains resveratrol, which they claim has anti-inflammatory benefits and that's supposed to improve my memory. We've heard that. We heard that, right? We have an answer about that.
CAROLYN: Yeah. Yeah. Resveratrol is a healthy nutrient for your brain. And yes, it has been found to improve your memory but, the big but, to get enough resveratrol to effect a change you would need to drink, get this, 200 glasses of red wine. That's right. 200 glasses of red wine. Well, I think that would be a little bit toxic, right? Not just for your brain.
KARA: That's a lot of calories too, by the way.
CAROLYN: But it's gonna be bad for your brain and your body. So if you want resveratrol, take it in a supplement. You know, one glass of red wine contains only one milligram of resveratrol and most supplements contain 100 to 200 milligrams. So the researchers in Germany actually compared 23 different participants who were supplemented with 200 milligrams of resveratrol daily with 23 people who did not receive the supplement. And they found that those that were given the resveratrol had a significant improvement in remembering words. Plus, they actually had a reduction in body fat. Yeah, that was a surprising part of the study too.
KARA: So just to reiterate what you said, a glass of red wine contains one milligram of resveratrol, but in the study they were using a supplement with 200 milligrams.
CAROLYN: Exactly.
KARA: Way completely different. You know, if you're wondering what to do for memory is the first thing that you're gonna do be to have red wine to get that resveratrol? The first habit is to eliminate alcohol. And if you want to take resveratrol, take 200 milligrams in a supplement form. It's just interesting how the liquor industry has promoted red wine as a health food when actually the opposite is true. So that's kind of shows you the power of advertising. And sadly we see this all the time with the media and with, we call it TV nutrition. If lie is repeated often enough, it seems like it becomes truth. So anyway, that resveratrol shows some compelling data.
CAROLYN: Yeah, absolutely. We believe, you know, it can do the job well. It can do part of the job, but it doesn't do it well enough all alone. It needs to be a part of a much bigger approach that focuses on guess what, diet, real food, lifestyle and other important supplements. Unfortunately, when our memory is that damaged, it can rob us of our ability to make good decisions and actually disconnect us from our loved ones. And more than that, memory problems can steal our independence. And I have to go back to my dad when he lost his independence, he got lost a couple times. I think that actually might have been three times and it was pretty, pretty serious. He didn't show up for an appointment and everybody was looking for him and you know, that was when he had to stop driving. That's a huge blow to your independence, isn't it? I can't even imagine it. But you don't want that to happen to you right?
KARA: Right, so you saw the signs. You were saying when we were talking before the show, they just became more typical as time went on. That was happening all the time then and not sporadically. So you might be thinking, how do I feed my brain to have a better memory? Well, we've talked a lot about stopping alcohol and another thing that we recommend is to eliminate high fructose corn syrup that's found in soda. It's actually found in some baby food, cereal, pasta sauce, lot of salad dressings, definitely candy bars. We see it in ice tea, sweetened yogurt so we always recommend plain. You're going to find high fructose corn syrup in pizza, bread, muffins, cereal bars, and granola bars, even coffee creamers, ice cream. I could go on, but you kind of get the picture. It's in processed foods. Exactly. It's even in cough medicine and children's vitamins. Just, you know, always read labels. If you see high fructose corn syrup, just don't buy that product, whether it's a food, beverage or vitamin. The US Department of Agriculture reports that the average American consumes at least 40 pounds of high fructose corn syrup per year.
CAROLYN: Forty pounds. Wow. That's a lot. My goodness. But research has found that people who follow a diet made up of those high carbs, the bread, the pasta, the potatoes, rice, fruit juice and sugar have a 400 percent increased risk of developing Alzheimer's disease.
KARA: What? Can you say that again?
CAROLYN: Absolutely. Okay. Researchers have found that people who follow a diet made up a bread, pasta, potatoes, rice, fruit, or fruit juice have a 400 percent increased risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. So I ask you, are you eating a high carb, high sugar diet? Is the following scenario a typical way you eat? You start the day with a couple of cups of cereal, which is a very high processed, carb breakfast, and then for a morning snack you eat a blueberry muffin and then you will have pizza for lunch, at least two or three pieces, and then could have a coke and M&M's, that's straight sugar for your afternoon snack and all day. And then to top off the day you're going to have a bowl of pasta and meatballs or shrimp. Pasta's another one of those high carb meals. And you could have consumed over 200 grams of carbs in a day. And believe it or not, Kara, it's time for our last break. So you are listening to Dishing Up Nutrition, and I think many times caregivers just give up trying to help parents or spouses with memory problems. They don't understand that just because mom or dad or grandmother wants to eat sweets all day, that's exactly what they should not be eating. If their brain is locked up with insulin resistance, the glucose can't get into its cells and that's a natural reaction to crave those sweets then. It's all biochemical. Sugar and more sugar just increase the downward spiral and we know change is really, really hard, so you need knowledge and support to make some of those hard core decisions and changes. I believe we can help so you can call us at 651-699-3438 and make an appointment.
KARA: Welcome back. You're listening to Dishing Up Nutrition. If you have ADHD or you're a parent of a child with ADHD, we encourage you to sign up for The Food Connection to ADHD Seminar. It's on Saturday, March 17 at our Maple Grove location. And we know that changing the diet can be hard, but research has concluded that eating sugar increases ADHD symptoms. Gluten also increases symptoms for many as well as soda. Learn what foods increased symptoms and what foods reduce symptoms. If you want to register or find out more about the class, call 651-699-3438. Also, just a heads up on next week's show. Be sure to tune in because JoAnn and Kate are going to be discussing foods for ADHD.
CAROLYN: Great and it looks like we have another caller. So, Diane, welcome to Dishing Up Nutrition. What's your question for us?
CALLER: Hi. I have a question about coconut oil. I was watching one of those doctors shows and I know they do a lot of stuff for shock value, but it was about coconut oil and cooking with it. When you cook with it, it changes it and that's actually, you know, they said it's not good for your brain and actually causes dementia. So I was wondering if there was any real research behind that?
CAROLYN: Diane, I'm not sure which show you were watching, but you know, there's a lot of those shows. Remember that's TV nutrition. So at Nutritional Weight & Wellness, we believe coconut oil is good for you, is one of those natural healthy fats. The one thing I would say though with cooking with it, you do need to keep your temperature medium to even low, you know, 325 would be the absolute max that I would go with coconut oil.
KARA: Yeah, personally I haven't seen research that it's bad for your brain and it's going to cause dementia when you cook with it. But I mean anything, if you cook it at too high of a temperature, oils can get damaged.
CAROLYN: Yeah, so I mean all of those healthy natural fats, we really like people to have about seven tablespoons of those every day and we say that they do protect your brain. So I think I would take that with a grain of salt.
CALLER: Okay.
KARA: I put coconut oil or mct oil in my coffee every day. So that is one way to use it. But yeah, like Carolyn said, just kind of low to medium.
CAROLYN: I cook my eggs in coconut oil every morning, but I make sure, you know, on a stove top I always put it even on a notch or two below medium. So I'm very careful with the temperature that I'm cooking those fragile fats with.
CALLER: Okay. And then one more question. Sometimes I cook meals ahead for the week and I will make rice or potatoes and cook it in either extra virgin olive oil or coconut oil. And I had also read somewhere that if it is in the fridge overnight, it changes the insulin, so it's resistant and that is bad for you. Is it still something I should avoid?
CAROLYN: I haven't heard that. I'm sorry. Diane. Again, we make meals in bulk all the time. We refrigerate them, we freeze them. I have not seen any research out there about that refrigeration or freezing damages those oils.
CALLER: Well, I know that it's actually good. It changes the carb I think so that it's a slower release into your system.
CAROLYN: It doesn't change the carb, what it does is that fat adds to the length of time that you are digesting your foods and so there's a slower release of that glucose or sugar into your bloodstream because you've added that fat. I think that that's what you're hearing.
KARA: It slows the absorption of the carbohydrates if there's a fat mixed with the carbohydrate. Does that sound more like what you're saying?
CALLER: Yeah.
KARA: Sorry, I misunderstood that question. Yeah, sorry, but good catch Carolyn.
CAROLYN: Yeah, so eating in balance. You've heard us probably talk about that a million times. Eating a protein, fat, and carb together each time that you eat. So thank you very much for your call.
KARA: Have a great day. Thank you.
CAROLYN: So before we went to break, we were talking about those high carb meals and snacks that people have and if you're doing that, we've talked about this, you know, a couple of cups of cereal and pizza for lunch and coke and M&M's and then pasta and meatballs for dinner. That would be about 200 grams of carbs in one day, which really turns into about 50 teaspoons of glucose or sugar in your body, so biochemically, this is way, way too much for your body and your brain unless you're running a marathon. And really even then it's just plain too much.
KARA: We even worked with marathon runners and you know, there's that whole misconception about, you know, you have to carb load, you have to carb load. We have a lot of athlete clients who do just fine with vegetable and you know sweet potatoes and things like that for carbs. But we should really limit our carbohydrate intake to about a hundred grams per day and limit our added sugar consumption, so that's when you see sugar on the label, to six teaspoons per day. So with that information, just think to yourself, do I need to make some changes to my eating? We all know that sugar and processed carbohydrates taste good and a lot of people crave them. Why are they so damaging to our brain? Amy Berger, the author of The Alzheimer's Antidote explains it really well. She states that excess sugar and processed carbohydrates often lead to insulin resistance, which means we have insulin resistance, not only in our body, we have insulin resistance in our brain. If you're wondering why that's a problem, well you probably have heard that insulin resistance can lead to type two diabetes, but researchers are now realizing that high sugar, high carb eating can lead the brain to have type three diabetes. That's what they're calling it now, aren't they? So it's like too much sugar, too many carbs lead to inflammation in the brain, and basically type three diabetes of the brain. That's the thing that can lead to dementia and memory problems. Carolyn can you kind of explain more about type three diabetes?
CAROLYN: Absolutely. So first you know the preferred fuel for our brain is glucose or sugar, so the brain doesn't really want too much or too little. So the correct amount would be from like a bowl of chili that you had for lunch, but that blueberry muffin or bowl of cereal, that would be too much sugar.
KARA: So the problem occurs when people eat 200 or more grams of carbohydrates per day. That creates a coating on the cell receptor so glucose can no longer get into the cell. And without fuel, the cells simply wither up and die. And many researchers believe memory problems are a result of insulin resistance in the brain caused from eating high sugar and processed carbohydrates for too many years, you know, not just on a Saturday night, but people are eating this way for decades.
CAROLYN: Yeah. So for 40 years we've been given the wrong and bad messages, eating high processed carbs and low fat, that's actually bad for your brain and bad for your body. So you need to think about how do you change that forty years of bad information, wrong information? You need to change your habits and make sure that you're not eating that way with that high sugar and high process carbs.
KARA: That's right. So it looks like it's time to wrap up the show.
CAROLYN: Our goal here at Nutritional Weight & Wellness is to help each and every person experience better health through eating real food. It's a simple yet powerful message. Eating real food is life changing. Thank you for listening and have a healthy good food day.
