Month: April 2018

The brain, food and our weight.

Today I’m writing about the brain, how it’s affected by food and it’s connection to our weight.

With Scott’s study we have some interesting conversations. Usually about the latest things he has learned. Most recently we were discussing the role of our brain plays in regards to our weight and how it’s affected by food.

I thought I would share what we have learned.

How food affects our brain

Interestingly, of our total energy input, our brain actually uses up to 20% of our body’s energy resources. The different compounds in foods affect the production of hormones in our brain, which in turn, govern our moods.

The micronutrients in fruits & veg, such as antioxidants, help to reduce free radicals in the brain, which destroy brain cells. Essential fatty acids such as omega 3 & 6 are essential for the creation and maintenance of brain cell membrane. Proteins & amino acids affect how we feel and behave. The vitamins B6, B12 & folic acid help prevent brain disease.

Most of the energy comes from processing the carbohydrates we eat, to blood sugar.

The types of carbohydrates we eat have different effects on the levels of blood sugar. There are basically 3 types of carbohydrates, starch, sugar & fibre. The ratio of these in the food affects how the body and brain respond.

Simple carbohydrates has less fibre and are therefore processed quickly. This creates more energy, however it is not sustainable. This results in an energy deficit or slump.

Having a diet that contains a broad selection of foods help keep everything balanced.

So we know that different food affects the brain. What is really interesting is that the brain then regulates how much we eat and use for energy according to our weight.

Is the brain connected to our weight?

Researchers in 1982 theorised that the brain has a ‘body weight set point’. Which means that the brain actually has a say in how we put on, or lose weight.

This is the reason that many people plateau when actively trying to lose weight. It is also why many people put the weight back on after losing it.

The set-point theory suggests that body weight is regulated at a predetermined, or preferred, level by a feedback control mechanism. Information from the body is carried to a central controller in the brain, located in the hypothalamus.

The controller uses the information to modulate food intake or energy expenditure to correct any deviations in body weight from the set-point. (Source – www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/)

According to this theory, body fat percentage and body weight are matters of internal controls that are set differently in different people.

There are several different theories on how to re-set the body’s set-point. Some say it can be done through diet, others say constant intense exercise.

I think that this will vary for each individual as much as our internal controls are different.

Either way, I found it quite interesting to learn about this particular ‘brain – body’ connection.

 Till the next post,

Live clean n prosper.

Food Misconceptions – Fruit or Vegetable?

Today I thought I would write about some of the more common food misconceptions. By this I mean incorrect references to some foods, particularly in regards to whether something is a fruit or vegetable. I was talking with some colleagues about this this week and I thought it would be interesting to research and share.

First – Peanuts

Many people regards peanuts as nuts, however they are not. As per Wikipedia – ‘The peanut, also known as the groundnut and the goober and taxonomically classified as Arachis hypogaea, is a legume crop grown mainly for its edible seeds.’ ‘The botanical definition of a “nut” is a fruit whose ovary wall becomes very hard at maturity. Using this criterion, the peanut is not a true nut, but rather a legume. However, for culinary purposes and in common English language usage, peanuts are usually referred to as nuts.’ I’ve often wondered if that is the reason I don’t like them. I like all the other nuts!

Next – fruits and vegetables

Vegetable According to Dictionary.com a vegetable is any plant whose fruit, seeds, roots, tubers, bulbs, stems, leaves, or flower parts are used as food, Fruit Dictionary.com states that fruit is the developed ovary of a seed plant with its contents and accessory parts. Including the edible part of a plant developed from a flower, with any accessory tissues, Using this more specific definition all fruits are considered vegetables but not all vegetables are fruit. Olives, plums, tomatoes, artichokes and cucumbers are fruit. Lettuce, potatoes, celery and beets are not reproductive parts of the plant developed from flowers so are considered vegetables. So with that in mind, a tomato is not a vegetable. Neither is corn, zucchini, pumpkin, green beans and peas. Interestingly, berries are fruits that come from a single plant ovary with multiple seeds. With this in mind, scientifically bananas, grapes and capsicum are actually berries.
More berry facts
Raspberries, blackberries and mulberries are called ‘Aggregate fruits’ because they are actually a bunch of tiny little fruits grown together. Strawberries are also a different kind of fruit called a ‘fleshy receptacle’. This is because the actual fruits are the tiny little seeds stuck to the outside of the strawberry. Wow, who would have thought that there were so many fruits and vegetables that we refer to incorrectly. I will be looking at my fruit and veges in a whole new light now. Till the next post, Live Clean n Prosper.