By Dr. Nasser Razack
A healthy diet and lifestyle are vital to warding off a number of diseases, including heart disease, certain cancers, diabetes, stroke and even Alzheimer’s disease. The food choices we make can either harm our bodies and minds or protect them. Dr. Nasser Razack, a Neurointerventional Radiologist, says the expression “you are what you eat” applies more to the brain than to any other organ.
“When we talk about what to eat to protect our brains and bodies, we want to focus on eating foods that are high in nutrients and low in calories, meaning fruits and vegetables, and we should have nine servings of them per day,” Dr. Razack explains. “Fruits and vegetables have magical compounds in them called polyphenols, which are proven to reduce the risk of certain diseases. So, by eating non-processed foods, we’re protecting our bodies and our brains.”
Dr. Razack says that eating processed foods that are high calories and low in nutrients starves our bodies and promotes disease.
Food and the Brain
“I advise people to eat like a caveman,” he says. “The hunter/gatherers didn’t eat processed food or drink soda. They didn’t really eat meat every day either. If you are going to eat meat, then eat lean meat in moderation or choose fish, which is really the best choice because of the beneficial omega-3 fatty acids in cold-water fish. If someone wants to go the vegan route, then I recommend supplementing the diet with two teaspoons of Carlson’s fish oil every day.”
According to Dr. Razack, an ideal diet should not include bread, pasta or many other carbohydrates.
“Less than 1 percent of the caveman’s diet was carbs,” he says. “Waterproof carbs should be the only carbs you eat. For example, if you took a potato and put it in water, you could still eat it. If you did that with a loaf of bread, you wouldn’t eat it. Remember, the less processing, the better. For example, unprocessed brown rice is a better choice than processed white rice.”
Dr. Razack says poor food choices negatively impact our bodies and minds because they cause us to gain weight, often around our mid-section.
“The body fat we gain is a large endocrine organ that produces inflammatory hormones that can kill brain cells,” he explains. “Feed your body and brain by choosing the healthiest food possible, and do all you can to avoid serious illnesses, diseases and death.”
Nasser Razack, M.D.
Neurointerventional Radiology
13681 Doctor’s Way
Suite 350
Fort Myers, FL 33912
239-343-3800