I was listening to an interview by Dr. David Perlmutter, neurologist and author of Grain Brain, yesterday and was really impressed with his ideas. I didn't agree with everything he had to say, but thought he had some really interesting information to share.
When cravings hit
What do you do when you are all sleep deprived at that airport and your brain is shouting at you to go get that Cinnabon you keep smelling? Dr. Perlmutter says he goes to a mirror, looks himself in the eyes, and asks "Who wants that Cinnabon? Me or my reptile brain?"
Your reptile brain is like your Hulk brain, making decisions for you without you hardly thinking about them. You need his quick, impulsive thinking for things like slamming on your brakes to avoid a crash. But he can also cause you to make poor food choices as well. You wouldn't like the Hulk when he's hangry.
Avoiding the "low carb flu"
If you have ever tried the Ketogenic or Paleo Diet you may have experienced what is known as the "low carb flu". Symptoms are what you might expect: low energy, irritability, very hungry, brain fog. I just call that being hangry.
To avoid catching that particular flu strain make sure you: take in adequate amounts of potassium and magnesium, eat healthy fats, drinks plenty of water, and exercise.
Reducing Alzheimer’s risk
He personally does 3 things to reduce his risk:
-exercises daily
-eats fewer carbs (5o grams or less/day) and more healthy fats
-always goes for real food first, but believes in supplementing with: vitamin D, Omega 3s (fish oil), whole coffee fruit concentrate, turmeric, a good probiotic, and B complex when needed.
I found it all pretty interesting, hope you did as well!