The Happiness Diet: A Nutritional Prescription for a Sharp Brain, Balanced Mood, and Lean, Energized Body
Tyler G. Graham
Language: English
Pages: 304
ISBN: 1609618971
Format: PDF / Kindle (mobi) / ePub
For the first time in history, too much food is making us sick. It's all too apparent that the Modern American Diet (MAD) is expanding our waistlines; what's less obvious is that it's starving and shrinking our brains. Rates of obesity and depression have recently doubled, and while these epidemics are closely linked, few experts are connecting the dots for the average American.
Using the latest data from the rapidly changing fields of neuroscience and nutrition, The Happiness Diet shows that over the past several generations small, seemingly insignificant changes to our diet have stripped it of nutrients―like magnesium, vitamin B12, iron, and vitamin D, as well as some very special fats―that are essential for happy, well-balanced brains. These shifts also explain the overabundance of mood-destroying foods in the average American's diet and why they predispose most of us to excessive weight gain.
After a clear explanation of how we've all been led so far astray, The Happiness Diet empowers the reader with simple, straightforward solutions. Graham and Ramsey show you how to steer clear of this MAD way of life with foods to swear off, shopping tips, brain-building recipes, and other practical advice, and then remake your diet by doubling down on feel-good foods―even the all-American burger.
into restaurants with all-you-can-eat pasta buffets. The fact that fat and protein are filling is why steak restaurants challenge customers to eat supersize cuts of meat—like a seventy-six-ounce rib eye in under an hour—and offer free meals if customers do so. (If they don’t, of course, they pay in full.) Vegan restaurants would have just as much success if they challenged customers to eat seventy-six ounces of asparagus. Either task is nearly impossible. Need a Fix? While many of us have
are the two forms that we use in our brain and in our hearts. These two fats are metabolically active, meaning nature uses them to do some of the most amazing things. Humans use them to form complex thoughts and build hearts that can beat billions of times without stopping. Salmon use them to migrate thousands of miles through cold ocean waters. These fats are also found in the tail of sperm and the wings of hummingbirds. If you want to think fast or run quickly, you want a diet rich in these
brain from free radicals, especially the omega-3 fats DHA and EPA, which are concentrated in neurons. Emerging science shows tocotrienols are important neuron protectants, as they block inflammatory signals that kill brain cells. In studies of the elderly, those who eat a variety of tocopherols from food show a significant decrease in both cognitive decline and the onset of Alzheimer’s disease. And patients with clinical depression have significantly lower vitamin E levels. Aside from protecting
diced (wear plastic gloves when handling) Make It Savory: 1 handful parsley, finely diced 2 links, cut coarsely, chorizo sausage Make It Aromatic and Spicy: 2 tablespoons tarragon 3 Thai chile peppers, finely diced Ginger Mackerel Mackerel tops pretty much all other fish when it comes to omega-3s. But there is a blessing and a curse to this fish: Many avoid it because its rich oils can create a “fishy” taste. So, in walks ginger. Not only does the ginger tame any off notes, you also get
A, Colacicco AM, Frisardi V, Santamato A, Ranieri M, Fiore P, Vendemiale G, Seripa D, Pilotto A, Capurso A, Panza F. Dietary fatty acids, age-related cognitive decline, and mild cognitive impairment. J Nutr Health Aging. 2008 Jun-Jul;12(6):382–86. Sommerfield AJ, Deary IJ, Frier BM. Acute hyperglycemia alters mood state and impairs cognitive performance in people with type 2 diabetes. Diabetes Care. 2004 Oct;27(10):2335–40. Spangler R, Wittkowski KM, Goddard NL, Avena NM, Hoebel BG, Leibowitz