Nutrition for cognition

March 15^th to the 21^st was officially brain health awareness week.  You may or may not have noticed this but most people I meet know someone, or have a family member suffering from conditions such as Alzheimer’s or dementia.  I recently did a ‘nutrition for cognition’ training course with PharmaNord UK and thought I would summarise some key take aways. Some of them may surprise you.

• Sleep is very important but too much sleep is not beneficial as it spikes (raises) cortisol.
• The gut-brain connection plays a huge role, think diet diversity and the microbiome.
• Genes play a role but the environment is key which includes, diet, exercise, stress levels, emotions etc.
• Metabolic conditions such as obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease all have an impact on brain function.

Depending on my clients’ issues and symptoms I tend to focus on the following

• Lowering inflammation. 
• Stabilising blood sugar and addressing any insulin resistance.
• Correcting any dietary issues and specifically making sure there is enough protein in the diet, at least 1g per kg of body weight.
• Making sure there is healthy fat in the diet and optimising any omega 6:3 ratios (we will test this if there is enough budget).
• Correcting micronutrient deficiencies with a personalised and targeted supplement programme.

We may also look at hormone balance; toxicity levels and liver function; the microbiome balance and gut function; as well as levels of fatty acids in the blood.

It all depends on what my client needs at this point in time.

My advice is always personalised and tailored to my client’s life circumstances, budget and personal preferences.  We are all so unique. It’s also designed to be practical with many recipes, handouts and hints to simplify the changes they need to make.