I get a weekly newsletter from Dr. Daniel Amen, CEO of Amen Clinics, Inc. Check out this recent newsletter by Dr. Amen.

Another Reason To Love Blueberries

If you’ve listened to me speak or seen my writings about brain-healthy eating you’ve probably heard me tout blueberries as the best brain food on the planet! Now, there’s even more compelling reasons to include them as part of your diet.

Blueberries help protect the brain, but the fruit may also have a heart protective effect by significantly lowering cholesterol, Canadian researchers say. Lead scientist Wilhelmina Kalt of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada conducted tests on pigs fed a blueberry-supplemented diet. Blueberry-supplemented diets resulted in a reduction in total cholesterol including both low-density lipoprotein, or LDL (the bad cholesterol) and high-density lipoproteins, or HDL, (the good cholesterol), Kalt said.

“In feeding trials, we found that blueberry supplementation reduced plasma cholesterol levels more effectively when the animals received a mostly plant-based diet than when they received a less heart-healthy diet”, Kalt said in a statement. The soy, oats and barley contained in these diets may have functioned synergistically with the blueberries to beneficially affect plasma lipids.

The study, published in the British Journal of Nutrition, found that the greatest reduction in total, LDL and HDL cholesterol levels was found in pigs fed a 2 percent blueberry diet equivalent to approximately 2 one-cup servings of blueberries in the human diet. Pigs have levels of LDL similar to humans and are susceptible to diet-induced vascular disease, develop atherosclerotic plaques in the aorta and carotid artery and have a similar blood pressure and heart rate as humans, Kalt said.

What I’ve found through looking at the research and in my own personal practice, is that what is good for your heart is generally good for your brain. Here are some other thoughts about brain-healthy eating…

Fish, Fish Oil, Good Fats and Bad Fats

Fish has been touted as brain food. Omega three fatty acids are the rave. There is good research to support these claims. In a study published in the British Medical Journal, French researchers reported that there is a significantly lower risk of developing brain problems among older people who eat fish at least once a week. Fish contain higher levels of omega-3-fatty acids.

It is hard to get enough omega-3-fatty acids in our diet. The foods that are now considered "mainstream" are often deficient in omega-3. Even if your diet includes several meals of fish per week, you may not be ingesting sufficient amounts of omega-3. This is because much of the fish we consume is now farm raised or does not contain significant amounts of omega-3. When ordering fish in a restaurant or buying it at the store, ask if it was caught in the wild or farm raised. Ideally, your diet should supply at least 650 mg of long chain omega-3 (DHA + EPA) per day, either from food sources or dietary supplementation. Omega-3 fatty acids are found in deep, cold-water fish, such as salmon, mackerel and sardines. Omega-6 fatty acids are also important, but are usually found in adequate amounts in corn, safflower, sunflower or soybean oils.

Dietary Antioxidants

A number of studies have shown that dietary intake of antioxidants from fruits and vegetables significantly reduce the risk of developing cognitive impairment. Here’s a list of the best antioxidant fruits and vegetables from the US Department of Agriculture…

• Prunes
• Raisins
• Blueberries
• Blackberries
• Cranberries
• Strawberries
• Spinach
• Raspberries
• Brussel sprouts
• Plums
• Broccoli
• Beets
• Avocados
• Oranges
• Red grapes
• Red bell peppers
• Cherries
• Kiwis

Your diet affects your brain, which affects literally everything you do. It’s something you can take control of to change your life for the better. Isn’t that what we all want? I encourage you to take an honest inventory of what you’re putting into your body and try a test period of 30 days with some healthier changes. Your vital organs, including your brain, will thank you and so will the people who care about you.

To your brain health,

Daniel

Daniel Amen, M.D.
CEO, Amen Clinics, Inc.
Distinguished Fellow, American Psychiatric Association

The photo in the header is from a wedding we photographed at the Hazlehurst House in McDonough, GA. The bride’s name is Leanne, and she is truly one of the sweetest people I have ever met. Her husband Jason is so laid back and just enjoyed the whole day.

Leanne had a beautiful wedding day, and she had a great time!

I shot most of the wedding with the Canon EOS 1D Mark II N and a Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L lens. One of the things I like about the Canon 1D series cameras is they have 2 memory card slots. I have the camera save identical images to both cards just is case one of the cards were to fail or become corrupted. The MK II N was recently upgraded to the Mark III. Check out my camera favorites at Amazon here.

Well, it’s snowing in Henry County just south of Atlanta. It started here this morning and has continued non-stop into the afternoon. That’s twice this week! Very unusual.

I was in Chicago earlier in the week when it snowed here. It had snowed there as well. On approach to the airport, the landscape looked like big blocks of ice outlined with black lines (the roads.) But at the time it was just cold and windy. On Thursday, went to Toronto. Same there — cold with temps hovering around freezing. Back home Thursday evening late. Always good to be home.

Merry Christmas everybody! Happy new year.

We bought this car in 2005 for my wife. At the time, we had a pickup truck we used for hauling mainly gardening stuff. We have since sold the truck, and now Jeaneane wants to sell her car and get a truck. Go figure!

Call Jeaneane at 678-642-2836 if serious about purchasing.

See more photos and read about the car on the tab above or click here.

Basic Info.

• Price: $20,900
• Mileage: 50,000
• Engine: 3.2L V6 215hp
• Transmission: Automatic 4-speed Tiptronic
• Bose Premium Stereo with CD Changer
• Gas Mileage: Around 27 in town and 31 hwy, which is great for a car this peppy.
• Interior: Gray Leather with 60/40 fold down rear seat.
• Car has no dings or scratches, has been kept in the garage, and is in excellent condition.
• Serviced regularly. Always used Mobil 1 Synthetic motor oil.

Just a quick note before signing off tonight.

Thanks to my family and friends that have supported me through this journey so far. You will never know what you mean to me.

To my wife Jeaneane, mother Geraldine, daughter Jessica, son-in-law Josh, granddaughter Kailyn, sister Joy, brother Jeffry, sisters-in-law, brothers-in-law, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, and friends—Mark, Jim, Bill, Randy, Neil, Karen, Donna, Betty, Dale, Peter, Mike, Melissa, Babs, Scott, Cheryl, Bobby, Kerry, Pearce, Brian, Perry, Dennis, Kerry, Trey, Ann, Phil, and many others who have encouraged me, you’re all awesome!

Welcome to my blog http://RichardGandy.com/blog. 

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