24 Seven March 2018

isks of memory loss and dementia. In a
study of nearly 1000 adults, those with
highest pesticide levels were 350 percent
more likely to develop dementia. A scary
finding, to say the least!
The biggest sources of pesticides come
from:
• Feedlot raised meat and poultry
• Dairy products
• The dirty dozen fruits and vegetables
including dirty foods such as strawberries,
spinach, apples, cherries, grapes, celery,
bell peppers, and potatoes. See the
Environmental Working Group website
www.ewg.org for details.
The easiest way to avoid pesticides is
to first, ensure that when you eat meat,
poultry, or dairy, it is organically raised.
Second, if you buy fruits and vegetables
that are on the dirty dozen list, make sure
you buy these items organic.
#5: Gluten
Twenty percent of people are sensitive to
gluten, meaning if they eat gluten, it has
the potential to initiate an auto-immune
reaction, which can cause injury to the
brain. If you have unexplained medical
problems (in particular problems with your
gut, or other chronic issues such as brain
fog, diffuse joint achiness, or thyroid issues),
I strongly recommend that you either try
an elimination diet and avoid all gluten
products for at least one month, or have
gluten antibody testing performed with
your own physician.
Keep in mind, nobody needs gluten to live.
We can easily meet all our nutrient needs
without it. All of us likely would benefit
from giving up eating bread, crackers, and
products with grain flour.
#6: Foods Prepared with Sweeteners
I aim to avoid all the chemical sweeteners.
The one I avoid the most urgently includes
everything made with Splenda (Sucralose).
Splenda is chlorinated sugar. It tastes sweet
but it isn’t absorbed, so you can consume
it without gaining any calories—sounds
terrific, right? Sadly, it isn’t that simple.
Turns out the chlorinated sugar has been
shown to kill the healthy bacteria in your
gut. All the recent studies have shown
that your gut bacteria are essential to a
healthy brain, so in reality, a product that
harms your gut microbiome needs to be
completely avoided if you want to protect
your brain.
Ideally, you should avoid all sweeteners
and forms of sugars. If on occasion
you absolutely have to use
something, then I’d recommend
either Stevia, Xylitol, or Erythritol instead.
Now that you know what foods to
avoid to protect your brain, you have
taken one of the critical steps to being
mentally sharper, quicker, and more
productive. These same steps are also
terrific for your heart health and sexual
function as well, and who doesn’t
want that?
Let me share foods that are absolutely
essential for a healthy brain. To name a
few, you should enjoy the following more
often:
• Colorful vegetables
• Omega-3 rich seafood
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Nuts
• Berries
• Cocoa
• Green tea
As a bonus, even coffee and red wine are
good for your brain if you consume them
in moderation, not more than one to two
servings per day.
Steven Masley, MD, is a physician, nutritionist, trained-chef, author, and the creator of the #1 health program for Public Television, 30
Days to a Younger Heart. He helps motivated people tune up their brain, heart, and sexual performance.
www.drmasley.com