Diet Digestion and Brain functionality. Help for a beginner

Page 1 of 1 [ 3 posts ] 

raggle-taggle-gypsy
Snowy Owl
Snowy Owl

User avatar

Joined: 17 Dec 2008
Age: 38
Gender: Male
Posts: 169
Location: Ireland

01 Mar 2009, 5:46 pm

I want to make some changes to my diet, but before I do, I’d like to learn a few things about how diet and digestion are linked to brain activity. I’ve read a few things here about gluten and other factors impacting on brain capability. My diet is very irregular and so is my brain functionality. Some days I can concentrate and remember quite well, others I feel like I have brain damage. Sometimes the functionality corresponds with my diet but there are a lot of variables to consider in that equation, so I haven’t figured out what foods are work for me and what don’t. I have a suspicion that the more I digest, the slower my brain is. I often feel better if I spend a day digesting very little. Eating a big meal (like the pork and potatoes I had today) makes my brain feel sluggish. I’m interested in reading about any credible theories that link digestion or diet to brain functionality and what I can do about it. I’m interested to read about the gluten theories also – and any other credible theories linking diet, digestion and brain functionality.
I don’t know much about nutrition and my diet is very irregular, but I want to start learning and change my diet to something regular and more healthy. Forgetting to eat is one of my biggest problems

I have three goals.
1. I want to put on muscle weight. I’m 1.88metres (6 foot 2 inches) tall and I weigh 65 kg (143lbs). My weight fluctuates. It was 75kg only a few months ago. I forget to eat all the time.
2. I want to optimise my diet to make my brain work better and give me more energy
3. Eventually, I want to become vegetarian, though this might affect my weight gain, so it can wait until afterwards.

I’ll need a high protein diet and an exercise regime for weight gain. This is simple enough for me. But I’d like to understand how the change in diet will impact on my brain activity.

I hope this is coherent. Basically, I’m looking for some tips on where to start with all this. Thanks.


_________________
Ara, what do I care for me goose feathered bed?
What do I care for blankets?
Tonight I lie in a wide open field,
in the arms of me raggle taggle gypsy-o


Wurzel
Raven
Raven

User avatar

Joined: 3 Aug 2008
Gender: Male
Posts: 107

03 Mar 2009, 2:14 pm

Here is a great introduction to diet and nutrition.

http://www.earth360.com/diet_paleodiet_balzer.html



ouinon
Supporting Member
Supporting Member

User avatar

Joined: 10 Jul 2007
Age: 60
Gender: Female
Posts: 5,939
Location: Europe

05 Mar 2009, 8:33 am

My thread "Starch, or the Decline and Fall of the AS Organism" in General AS Discussion, although slightly original/eccentric in its treatment of the subject at a few points, ( and mightily attacked by some at others ), also has links to several very interesting sites, studies and articles about exactly this subject.

If you don't mind skimming through several pages of burblings, ( mine being among the most interesting and pertinent ones, obviously ! :wink: ), you will find a number of useful facts and discoveries about how much diet affects the brain.

The main thrust of my argument on there was about how starch is particularly bad for AS because AS have low levels of starch/complex-carbo digesting enzymes, ( several studies show this ), and this leads to proliferation of pathogenic bacteria which live on starch, ( studies show that AS have 10,000 x as many bacteria in their guts as NT ), and these produce endotoxins which trigger chronic immune-system activity and the production of cytokines, which have an effect on mood and behaviour/cognitive functioning, eg: poor memory, ( studies etc ).

The thread is at:

http://www.wrongplanet.net/postt91412.html

And just last month it was established that there is a genetic link between AS and gastro-intestinal disorder/dysfunction in more than half of AS.

So am not surprised Wurzel posted a link to a paleo-diet site, because paleo is starch-free. :D

.