Calgary Herald (Alberta), Shelley Boettcher
Published July 12, 2006
Stay away from trans fats to safeguard your heart. Eat fibre and avoid fat to protect your colon. Cover up when you're in the sun to prevent skin cancer.
When it comes to health advice for our bodies, we're surrounded by it -- except when it comes to protecting our brains, says American naturopath Alan Logan. And although the brain may only take up two per cent of our body's weight, he says, it needs a huge amount of energy to make it work properly.
That's why Logan has written The Brain Diet (Cumberland House, $31.95), a scientific study-laden book that examines the connection between the brain and nutrition, mental health and intelligence.
Written for the average person, it's an easy-to-read book that contains solid nutritional advice for raising smarter children, improving mental and physical health, as well as reducing one's chances of developing depression and genetic diseases, such as Parkinson's, Alzheimer's and multiple sclerosis.
"I'm trying to come from a rational research perspective here," Logan says. "What my research has shown is that nutrition can influence genetic expression. I'm talking about maximizing the brain's potential."
The book took two years to write, and is filled with ideas for anyone who wants to improve their health, or that of their families.
There is even a selection of recipes -- such as Cilantro Rice and Chicken-Shitake Stir-Fry -- for those who want help incorporating his advice into their kitchens.
Logan fell into the naturopathy field almost by accident. He was studying psychology at the time and working a variety of part-time jobs, including a stint as a security guard. He also suffered from migraine headaches. His doctor referred him to a neurologist, who referred him to a naturopath. The naturopath suggested a few changes in Logan's diet, the headaches vanished and Logan discovered his new career path.
After taking his pre-med requirements at the State University of New York, he completed his naturopathy studies at the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine in Toronto. He's currently a faculty member of the Harvard Medical School's Mind-Body Institute, and is the nutrition editor of The International Journal of Naturopathic Medicine.
Logan decided to write The Brain Diet when he decided not enough was being done to encourage the importance of omega-3 fatty acids (the kind found primarily in fish and flaxseed) in the diets of North Americans.
He was especially interested in the link between depression and omega-3 fatty acids. Countries whose citizens consume high amounts of fish have lower rates of depression than countries whose citizens consume very little. Other new studies, he says, prove omega-3 oils can increase the effectiveness of certain antidepressants.
"I'm not some kind of maverick who says, 'Take fish oil instead of your antidepressant,' " he says. "I'm a firm believer in traditional medicine."
Yes, Logan is not anti-doctor, and he isn't just looking to improve North America's collective mood. Give him a health-related subject, and he'll likely have an opinion -- and a major independent study or two to back up his beliefs.
- On detox diets (diets that advocate avoiding certain foods for a certain number of days; during that time, you ingest herbal supplements that supposedly remove toxins from the body): Although food intolerances are real, detox diets are a thing of the past, says Logan. Instead, cleanse your body (and therefore support your brain) every day, through high-fibre, low-sugar and low-fat diets that emphasize fruits, vegetables and essential fatty acids.
"We need continuous, steady support for our bodies, not some harsh occasional cleanse that may or may not work," he says.
- On sleep-- Get some. People who are sleep-deprived tend to eat more high-sugar, high-carbohydrate foods, he says, neither of which, of course, is good for us.
"Sleep deprivation promotes alterations in mood and changes in caloric intake. Sleep deprivation may drive obesity, and in turn, the chemicals (free radicals, cytokines) associated with carrying excess weight may alter mood and brain health."
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Learn more
Check out one of the following
websites, says Alan Logan, author of The Brain Diet:
- The Environmental Working Group (
www.ewg.org): "Provides up-to-date information on mercury in fish and pesticides in produce."
- Food and Behaviour Research (
www.fabresearch.org): "Food and Behaviour Research is a charitable organization dedicated to advancing scientific research into the links between nutrition and human behaviour and to making the findings from such research available to the widest possible audience."
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Double Wild Salmon and Rice
This flavour-packed dish, excerpted from The Brain Diet by Alan Logan, is also filled with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and omega-3 oils -- just the ticket to a healthy brain.
1 tsp (5 mL) canola oil
4 fillets wild salmon
sea salt and black pepper to taste
11/2 tsp (7 mL) fresh ginger, finely chopped
11/2 tsp (7 mL) fresh garlic, finely chopped
1 tsp (5 mL) low-sodium soy sauce
12 large asparagus spears, steamed
1 cup (250 mL) wild rice, prepared as per package directions
Heat canola oil in a large skillet. Place salmon on skillet, skin side down and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Saute until cooked through (about 5 to 6 minutes) on both sides. Remove salmon from pan and saute ginger and garlic in the remaining oil until colour changes. Turn off heat and add soy sauce and mix into the garlic and ginger for just about 10 to 15 seconds. Spoon soy-ginger-garlic mixture on top of salmon fillets. (Squeeze on some lemon juice if desired.)
Serve with steamed asparagus and wild rice. Serves 4.
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Boost your brain
- Coffee is good for the brain and protects against Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. But limit yourself to a maximum of four cups a day, "and none of those sweet, creamy adult milkshake coffees," says naturopath Alan Logan, author of the Brain Diet.
- Chocolate is fine, if it's dark and contains more than 70 per cent cocoa.
- Steam or poach food rather than cooking it high (fry) or dry (oven). High, dry cooking promotes oxidative stress and inflammation.
- High-fibre foods "prevent fallout" and sustain blood-sugar levels. Over-consumption of sweets promotes inflammation and oxidative stress.
- Limit corn, safflower, sunflower and soybean oils, which are high in omega-6 fatty acids. Add more omega-3s with fish, flaxseed oil, walnuts, whole grains.
- Use ginger and turmeric in cooking. They are natural anti-inflammatories.
- Drink at least two cups of green tea daily.
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Boost your kids' brains
- Serve them cold-water fish, such as salmon, mackerel, anchovies and sardines, which have higher concentrations of omega-3 fatty acids.
If you worry about your children ingesting too much mercury with the fish, feed them anchovies and sardines, notes Logan. These fish are small and don't live long enough to accumulate high levels of mercury in their bodies.
Breaded and deep-fried fish sticks are never a good choice.
"You would need to eat 38 servings of fish sticks each week to get to the recommended levels.
"In any case, this type of frozen fish is high in trans or hydrogenated fats, with these bad guys outnumbering the good omega-3s by about 10 to one."
- As if you didn't know this one already, don't let them eat sugary breakfasts. Ever.
"Processed sugar, flour -- they're fool's gold for the brain," he says.
Rather, aim for high-fibre, whole-grain breads and cereals. Logan cites a Japanese study that gave a group of children aged nine to 16 high-sugar cereal at 8 a.m. "By 11 a.m, they had the cognitive performance of 70-year-olds."
- Serve kids a variety of fruits and vegetables, especially dark yellow, green and purple ones, such as blueberries, spinach, cherries, beets.
"Only seven per cent of children consume three or more servings of vegetables and two or more servings of fruit," he writes. "When fried vegetables are excluded, 30 per cent of children consume less than one vegetable serving per day. These are nutritional inadequacies with acute and long-term consequences."
- Don't underestimate childhood depression. "Children who are depressed in school at a normal body weight, when they're followed later, they tend to become overweight," he says.
He suggests these kids may eat high-calorie, high carbohydrate foods to calm themselves, which, in turn, leads to weight gain.
