News and Rants (slightly informative)

No question that what you eat can affect how you feel, right? Mental health and brain health are complex. So are the foods we eat, and the ways our bodies interact with those foods.  While, we don't know the exact mechanisms of how food and nutrition help, we know a few ways food impacts our moods. First, what we eat becomes the raw materials for our neurotransmitters. “Neurotransmitters” are biochemical messengers that allow our nerve cells to communicate (ever heard of serotonin?). They are important not just for thinking and memory, but also for mental health. Second, what we eat affects our blood sugar. And having unstable blood sugar levels can contribute to mood swings. Let’s talk about mood-boosting and mood-busting foods. Mood-boosting foods Some nutrient deficiencies look like mental health problems; this includes deficiencies in B-vitamins, vitamin D, and the mineral selenium. So, getting enough vitamins, minerals, (and other things like a...

How Much Sugar is Too Much? It’s official! Organizations and governments are (finally) declaring a maximum amount of daily sugar intake. While this is a step forward, there are still a few problems. One - they don’t all agree with each other. And, too, I don’t necessarily agree with them either. We all know sugar is NOT a health food. It isn’t full of nutrition, and excess consumption is not associated with great health. The problem is that sugar is everywhere. It’s naturally occurring. It’s also added to just about every processed food there is. And this “added sugar” is a factor in many chronic diseases we see today. Sugar is inflammatory. Too much is associated with weight gain, diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and cavities. Too much sugar is a huge health risk, no matter how you look at it. So let’s talk about how much sugar is “too much.” Added sugar vs. naturally occurring sugar. What do some of the officials say? Before we talk about the “offic...