I have a collection devoted to brain health, which is a summary of my notes from reading The End of Mental Illness by Dr. Daniel Amen. In Chapter 18, Dr. Amen discusses his recommendations for the best foods for optimum brain health.

Bright Minds Rule #1 - Only love foods that love you back.

This rule is more about what to stay away from, which he calls the REAL weapons of mass destruction:

• highly processed
• pesticide sprayed
• high-glycemic (spikes blood sugar)
• low-fiber
• food-like substances
• artificially colored and sweetened
• laden with hormones
• tainted with antibiotics
• stored in plastic containers

Bright Minds Rule #2 - Go for the highest-quality calories you can find and not too many if you need to lose weight.

Bright Minds Rule #3 - Hydrate, but do not drink your calories.

Your brain is comprised of 80 percent water, and being even mildly dehydrated can negatively impact your moods–making you feel more anxious, tense, depressed, or angry–in addition to sapping your energy levels and lowering your ability to concentrate.  Being dehydrated by just 2 percent impairs performance in tasks that require attention, immediate memory skills, and physical performance. 

Drink water, plain sparkling water, water flavored with slices of fruits, water with flavored stevia, coconut water, herbal tea, green tea, and black tea.

Bright Minds Rule #4 - Eat high-quality protein at every meal to balance blood sugar and keep cravings away.

Recommended proteins:

fish

lamb

turkey

chicken

beef

pork

beans/legumes

raw nuts

high-protein veggies such as broccoli and spinach

Bright Minds Rule #5 - Eat and cook with high-quality fat.

Of the solid weight of your brain, 60 percent is fat. Low-fat diets are not good for your brain.

Healthiest fats:

avocados

cocoa butter

coconut

grass-fed beef, bison, and lamb

nuts (walnuts are associated with less depression)

olives

organic free-range poultry

seafood - anchovies, arctic char, catfish, herring, king crab, mackerel, wild salmon, sardines, sea bass, snapper, sole, trout, tuna, clams, mussels, oysters, and scallops

Seeds

Fish is a great source of healthy protein and fat, but it’s important to consider the toxicity in some fish. General rules of them are the following: the larger the fish, the more mercury it may contain, so go for smaller varieties. From the safe fish choices, eat a fairly wide variety of fish, preferably those highest in omega-3’s like wild Alaskan salmon, sardines, anchovies, hake, and haddock.

Healthiest oils:

avocado oil

coconut oil

flax oil

macadamia nut oil

olive oil

sesame oil

walnut oil

Bright Minds Rule #6 - Go for smart carbohydrates (colorful, low glycemic, and high fiber)

A diet containing more high-glycemic foods has been associated with a higher incidence of depression and fatigue.

Fiber is a special type of carbohydrate that enhances digestion, reduces the risk of colon cancer, and helps to balance blood pressure and blood sugar. Women should consume 25 to 30 grams of fiber every day. Men should consume 30 to 38 grams per day. 

Some high fiber foods: 

broccoli

berries

onions

flax seeds

nuts

green beans

cauliflower

celery

sweet potatoes

Colorful vegetables and fruits are full of brain health/mental health benefits, providing nutrients, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Antioxidants neutralize the production of free radicals in the body, which play a major role in many illnesses, including cardiovascular disease, autoimmune disorders, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s, schizophrenia, and depression. Increasing antioxidants has been found to help many conditions, including anxiety and depression.

Antioxidant-rich foods:

cloves

oregano (dried)

rosemary

cinnamon

sage (dried)

acai fruit

cocoa powder

parsley (dried)

basil (dried)

ginger root

walnuts

artichokes, cooked

cranberries

kidney beans

blackberries

blueberries

raspberries

pomegranates

red cabbage, cooked

broccoli, cooked

A recent study found that happiness is correlated to how many fruits and vegetables you eat. The more colorful fruits and vegetables you eat (up to eight servings a day), the happier you become. Eat a two-to-one ratio of vegetables to fruit.

Bright Minds Rule #7 - Use herbs and spices like medicine.

Dr. Amen suggests that herbs and spices be stored in the medicine cabinet instead of the spice cabinet because of how beneficial they are.

• saffron extract - studies have shown it to be effective as an antidepressant for people with major depression
• turmeric, used in curry, contains a chemical that has been shown to decrease the plaques in the brain through to be responsible for Alzheimer’s disease
• Rosemary, thyme, and sage have scientific studies supporting a boost in memory.
• Cinnamon has been shown to help improve attention and blood sugar regulation.
• Garlic and oregano boost blood flow to the brain.
• Ginger, cayenne, and black pepper are hot and spicy due to gingerols, capsaicin, and piperine, compounds that boost metabolism and have an aprhodisiac effect.

Bright Minds Rule #8 - Make your food as clean as possible (eliminate artificial sweeteners, colors, preservatives, and foods in plastic containers) and read the labels.

Choose foods that are organic, hormone-free, antibiotic-free, grass-fed and grass-finished, and free-range whenever possible.

Fifteen foods with the LOWEST levels of pesticide residues:

avocados

sweet corn

pineapples

cabbages

onions

sweet peas (frozen)

papayas

asparagus

mangoes

eggplants

honeydew melons

kiwis

cantaloupes

cauliflower

broccoli

Twelve foods with the HIGHEST levels of pesticide residues (buy organic or don’t eat them):

strawberries

spinach

nectarines

apples

grapes

peaches

cherries

pears

tomatoes

celery

potatoes

sweet bell peppers

Bright Minds Rule #9 - If you struggle with any brain health/mental health or physical issues, eliminate any potential allergens or internal attackers, such as sugar, MSG, gluten, corn, soy, and dairy for a month to see if you improve.

Why you should limit or avoid some foods:

• Sugar - When you consume sugar–even if it’s natural honey or maple–it causes your blood sugar to spike then drop, impacting your mood and sense of well-being. High-sugar diets increase inflammation, cause fatigue and cravings, lead to erratic brain cell firing that has been implicated in aggression, and alter memory and learning.

Top 15 Names for Sugar:

1. sugar
2. molasses
3. caramel color
4. barley malt
5. corn syrup or corn syrup solids
6. cane juice
7. high fructose corn syrup
8. honey
9. sorbitol
10. fructose
11. cane juice crystals
12. maltose
13. fruit juice concentrate
14. maltodextrin
15. dextrose

• artificial sweeteners - Artificial sweeteners–including aspartame (NutraSweet, Equal), saccharine (Sweet ‘N Low), and sucralose (Splenda)–can lead to chronically elevated insulin levels, which raises your risk for depression, Alzheimer’s disease, heart disease, diabetes, and other health problems. They are also associated with metabolic syndrome and may be contributing to obesity.
• gluten - Gluten is found in breads, cereals, and pasta, as well as everything from salad dressings and chicken broth to spice mixes and veggie burgers. It has been linked to a rising number of health issues, including Celiac disease, Type 1 diabetes, and Hashimoto’s thyroiditis–all of which are autoimmune conditions. 
• soy - Soy, a protein derived from soybeans, contains components that may impact the brain including the following: lectins, carbohydrate-binding proteins that can be toxic, allergenic, and inflammatory, large amounts of omega-6 fatty acids, phytoestrogens that may contribute to the development of cancer, early puberty in girls, and impotence in men.
• corn - Corn’s fatty acid profile is among the more unhealthy of all grains and can have a negative effect on the BRIGHT MINDS risk factors due to the following: high in omega-6s and very low in omega-3s, damaging to the intestinal lining and triggers intestinal permeability issues (leaky gut), often sprayed with the glyphosate pesticide Roundup, one of the most toxic substances to human cells that is associated with ADD/ADHD, depression, Parkinson’s disease, MS, hypothyroidism, cancer, and liver disease.
• milk - Milk may increase risk factors for brain health. It is converted to galactose and glucose, which raises blood sugar levels and can lead to inflammation and diabesity. A milk protein called casein is an excitotoxin that can lead to brain inflammation and neurodegenerative diseases.

When combined with stomach acid, gluten in wheat, casein in dairy, albumin in rice, and zein in corn turn into exomorphins, which can have opiate-like effects on the brain, making it very hard to stop eating them.

Bright Minds Rule #10 - Use intermittent fasting to supercharge your brain. Time-restricted feeding in which you consume no calories for a period of time has been shown to significantly improve memory, mood, fat loss, weight, blood pressure, and inflammatory markers. Nightly 12-16 hour fasts turn on a process called autophagy, which helps your brain “take out the trash” it accumulates during the day. Try to fast in the evening by noting dinner time and then not eating again for at least 12 hours. 

Not eating within two to three hours of bedtime also reduces your risk of heart attack and stroke. In healthy people, blood pressure drops by at least 10 percent when they go to sleep, but blood pressure in late-night eaters stays high, increasing the risk of vascular problems. New research also suggests that if you have more calories at lunch and then eat a light dinner, you are more likely to lose weight.

Bright Minds Rule #11 - Get a routine that serves your health rather than hurts it. Once you allow your brain to do something, it will want to do it again, whether or not it is good for you. Good meal-planning does not have to be boring.

BONUS #1-Foods that boost immunity

• immunity-boosting spices: cinnamon, garlic, turmeric, thyme, ginger, coriander
• allicin-rich foods: raw, crushed garlic, onions, shallots
• Vitamin C-rich foods: oranges, tangerines, kiwi, berries, red and yellow bell peppers, dark green leafy vegetables (such as spinach and kale), broccoli, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, cabbage, tomatoes, peas
• Vitamin D-rich foods: fatty fish, including salmon, sardines, tuna; eggs, mushrooms (maitake, shiitake); beef liver, code liver oil
• Zinc-rich foods: oysters, beef, lamb, spinach, shiitake and cremini mushrooms, asparagus, sesame and pumpkin seeds
• Mushrooms: shiitake, white button, portabella
• Selenium-rich foods nuts (especially Brazil nuts), seeds, fish, grass-fed meats, mushrooms

BONUS #2 - Foods that promote healthy sleep

• Sleep-enhancing spices: ginger root 
• Foods rich in melatonin: tart cherry juice concentrate, sour cherries, walnuts, ginger root, asparagus, tomatoes
• Serotonin-rich foods: combine tryptophan-containing foods such as eggs, turkey, seafood, chickpeas, nuts, and seeds (building blocks of serotonin), with healthy carbohydrates such as sweet potatoes and quinoa, to elicit a short-term insulin response that drives tryptophan into the brain. Dark chocolate also increases serotonin. Finally, chamomile or passion fruit tea support good sleep.