Every bite of food on your fork affects the health of the entire body. As Hippocrates, the Father of Medicine, said 2,500 years ago, “All disease begins in the gut.” Adjusting food on your fork is a lifestyle change proven to yield incredible results. The initial results can renew energy and increase commitment to make additional lifestyle changes that will further advance health and fitness.

What we eat matters for every aspect of our health, especially our mental health. Hippocrates also believed the body should be treated as a whole, and not just a series of parts. Many functional clinicians and nutritionists witness clients who deal with brain fog, mood disorders, depression, anxiety, and other illnesses experience amazing improvements when they change the foods they put on their fork. Like Hippocrates, this modern theory is based on observations and study of the human body.  Watch out for:

• Processed carbohydrates with refined flours and sugars
• Processed meats like cold sandwich slices and processed bacon
• Industrial seed oils like canola, peanut, corn, and vegetable oils
• Pre-packaged foods with added sugars and preservatives
• Artificial sweeteners
• Foods tainted by GMOs
• Gluten

Current research shows that many people with a variety of cognitive and mood disorders have gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms that mirror the severity of their conditions, including: (2)

• Anxiety
• Parkinson’s disease
• Alzheimer’s disease
• ADHD
• Sensory processing disorder
• Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD)
• Schizophrenia
• Psychosis
• Autism

Many clinicians believe that these conditions are linked to microbiome diversity, which is disrupted by consumption of food products and antibiotics, stress, and environmental toxins. Symptom improvement has been observed alongside increased diversity of gut bacteria populations. The food on your fork can play a role in this process. (2)

According to the World Health Organization in 2018, more than 300 million people of all ages worldwide suffered some level of depression, many to the level of disability. The solution could be as simple the food on their fork – what they’re eating or not eating. Ancestral health expert Chris Kresser believes that inadequate nutrition is a significant contributor to the rising rates of depression, and that proper nutrition could be one of the most effective treatments for depression.(1)

Every 65 seconds a person develops Alzheimer’s Disease in the United States of America. More than 5.7 million Americans are diagnosed with this disease, and that number is expected to triple by 2060, according to the CDC. An estimated $250 billion is spent every year for Alzheimer’s care in America, a cost that is expected to bankrupt Medicare. (4) Alzheimer’s prevention advocates like Dr. David Perlmutter and Dr. Dale Bredesen believe that up to 95% of Alzheimer’s cases can be prevented with a multifactorial approach. Food, movement, and stress reduction are the right kind of lifestyle that fosters neuroplasticity so the brain ages successfully.

With a little creativity, health coaches can help you find foods that look good, taste good, and make you feel good! Eat more whole foods not created in a factory from refined flours, refined sugars, and industrial seed oils. These foods are usually pre-packaged conveniences in center aisles of the grocery store. Ideal foods that should occupy your cart usually are located around the perimeter of the store: fruits and veggies, some meats, and some dairy. Every individual has different nutrition requirements and possible restrictions they can learn about from a qualified practitioner.

Adjustment of the food on your fork and grocery shopping habits does take an investment of time and a commitment to change, but your brain and cognitive health are worth it! As a health coach, I can help you sort through and take action on lifestyle recommendations that you discover and are approved by your doctor. Together, we will create a plan that works for you. Creative solutions unique to your desires and abilities make the process of change easier and less stressful. I look forward to working with you to strengthen your cognitive health. Available times are on my calendar.