This week’s inspiring interview was with plant-based dietician Juliana Hever. chatted about what it means to have a healthy weight and how to achieve that. But you may be wondering why that is so important for the brain?
Well, studies have shown that, a high BMI, or Body mass index, which is our weight-to-height ratio, is linked to slightly lower brain volumes. That’s one issue, but more concerning for many people as we age, is the waist-to-hip ratio. High BMI AND high waist-to-hip ratios appear to correlate to lower grey matter brain volumes than people who do not have a high waist-to-hip ratio.
Why is this important? Because grey matter in the brain contains most of the brain’s nerve cells and includes brain regions involved in self-control, muscle control and sensory perception. That can mean that it is more difficult to do the very things that we need to be able to do to keep our brains healthy – like making good dietary choices, exercising, and even learning new things from sensory input.
Links to the several studies are included in this blog post:
https://katekunkel.com/blog/f/weight-loss-brain-gain
Juliana Hever is a passionate and leafy green-loving author, Registered Dietitian, and fitness expert. She is also a best-selling author of books including The Choose You Now Diet and lectures and counsels with the goal of educating and guiding people towards optimal health.
Juliana's website: https://plantbaseddietitian.com/
Some highlights:
Today she joins us to share the incredible healing and energizing power of a whole foods, plant-based diet so that you can achieve and maintain an optimal healthy weight.
04:00 How to bridge the gap between knowing what to do (information) and actually executing a healthier lifestyle.
06:43 – the One-sized fits-all diet for a healthier weight
10:34 – We are what we eat, and we get to choose with every fork
11:44 – You’re not broken - Why losing the same weight over and over again is so mentally and physically challenging
12:50 The dangers of the “health with every size” mantra that is current today
14:20 The best way to dump a sugar addiction
18:35 Helping parents feed their children, from infants to picky toddlers, all the way to the teenage years
Learn more about Julieanna's book HERE
To learn even more about the power of a whole foods, plant-based diet for a healthier brain, check out Kate’s book, Don't Let the Memories Fade.
And The Vegan Brain
Check out the Brain Health Matters BLOG for many more ways to improve your brain and your life!
Start your Brain Health Journey with Five Easy Things you can do Right Now to Improve Your Brain https://harplady.lpages.co/five-steps-to-a-better-brain/
To learn even more about the power of a whole foods, plant-based diet for a healthier brain, check out Kate’s books, "Don't Let the Memories Fade", "The Vegan Brain" and "The Musical Brain"
Check out the Brain Health Matters BLOG for many more ways to improve your brain and your life!