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Food on Mood and Cognitive Performance

What do we know about food?

  • Food is essential to life-but are we eating the right thing?

  • Over the course of time, food has been severely modified from its original form

  • The Standard American Diet (SAD) has significantly impacted both physical and mental well-being

  • We are seeing significant increases in mood-related disorders and stress levels-is our dietary intake and lifestyle have some fault?

  • Food can either be POISON or MEDICINE

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What about food on the brain?

  • Food impacts numerous neurotransmitters-either for good or detriment. The primary neurotransmitters:

  1. Serotonin

  2. Norepinephrine

  3. Dopamine

  4. Acetylcholine

 

  • Food impacts mitochondria

    • biogenesis (creation)

    • ​cellular respiration

      • energy creation​

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Ketogenic Diet on

Brain Functioning

What is a Ketogenic Diet?

  • Low carbohydrate (5-10%), moderate protein (20-25%), high fat (75-80% or higher)

  • Significant reduction/elimination of processed sugars and carbohydrates

  • Having the body run on ketone bodies instead of glucose.

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What are Ketones?

  • Source of fuel produced by the liver from fat

  • Another source of fuel for the brain!

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Ketones and the Brain

  1. Okay....it's true...the brain does need glucose...HOWEVER
    • We create glucose via a process called gluconeogenesis​
    • This process does not require us to eat carbohydrates!
  2. Ketones are responsible for increased efficiency in ATP production within mitochondria​
    • Ketones can result in increased energy​ for brain functioning
  3. Because there is a lot more fat than glucose available in our body, we can tap into these reserves and have increased and sustained cognitive effects​
  4. You can enter into ketosis via fasting or eating a low-carb, moderate protein, high fat diet.
  5. Your brain neurons are protected by myelin (which is composed of fat)
    • This is responsible for faster neuronal processing​
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Light

Does light exposure have an impact on mental and physical well-being?

Exercise

What effects does exercise have on overall physical and mental performance?

Water

Does the type of water I drink matter? What does water have to do with mental and physical well-being?

Sleep

Sleep better for better physical and mental well-being

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