PALEO LEAP CHEAT SHEET

BRAIN FOOD

Food is fuel for your body, but it’s also fuel for your brain. Of course, there’s a lot more to

mental health than food – diet is one piece of the puzzle, not the entire solution. But here’s a look

at ways to optimize that one particular piece.

The Brain Food Pyramid

Eat a Nutrient-Dense Diet

Eat Brain Foods

Consider Specific Nutrients

LEVEL 1

LEVEL 2

LEVEL 3

LEVEL 1: HEALTHY BIG-PICTURE

DIETARY PATTERNS.

LEVEL 2: EAT BRAIN FOODS.

Any kind of nutrient deficiency could theoretically hurt your brain. But that doesn’t mean

you have to obsessively count and track every milligram of everything you eat. Humans

aren’t designed to get nutrition like that. Instead, focus on a long-

term pattern of nutrient-dense fuel. That means…

After making sure that your diet is generally high in nutrient-dense foods, here are some major food

groups to check off:

Eat a variety of different plant foods, including starchy tubers like potatoes

(yes, white potatoes are OK!)

and sweet potatoes.

Red meat: fatty red meat contains many

different important brain-health

nutrients, including B vitamins, saturated

fat, cholesterol, and iron.

Fish and seafood: on top of the

obvious Omega-3 content, they’re full of important

brain minerals like selenium.

Antioxidant-rich foods, e.g. spices

and berries.

Fermented or probiotic foods.

Keep your gut happy, and your brain will

thank you.

Eat a variety of different animal foods, including seafood, animal

fat and organ meats.

Eat enough food. Macronutrients (protein, fat, and carbs, collectively

measured in calories) are

nutrients, too. Your brain uses

20% of your total calories: is it any

surprise that inadequate fuel will affect your brain function?

An overall brain-healthy dietary pattern should also be low in refined sugar and processed carbohydrates.

Chronically high blood sugar is directly linked to cognitive decline, including

degenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s.1

LEVEL 3: CONSIDER SPECIFIC

NUTRIENTS.

Overall dietary patterns have more effect on your health than individual foods, and individual

foods have more effect than isolated nutrients. But in some

cases, it might be helpful to consider individual vitamins

and minerals.2 Here are some suggestions:

NUTRIENT

DEFICIENCY IS BAD

BECAUSE…

YOU MIGHT NEED

MORE IF…

WHAT TO EAT/DO TO GET MORE

Magnesium

Magnesium has calming

and anti-depressant

effects.

You’re constipated, an athlete, or don’t eat a lot of nuts.

Or even if you aren’t any of those things: magnesium deficiency is extremely common.

Eat nuts, spinach,

avocado, and potatoes, or take a

supplement.

B vitamins

B vitamins are necessary

for brain development in children, memory; energy,

and overall “sharpness.”

You are or used to be

a vegetarian or vegan, or you’re pregnant.

Eat red meat.

Vitamin D

Inadequate Vitamin D puts you at risk for degenerative

mental diseases,

mood disorders,

and cognitive decline.

You rarely see the sun. Food can’t supply

adequate Vitamin D; you have to make it yourself from

sunlight.

Get more sunshine or take a

supplement. You can get some from

fatty fish like salmon, but

you’d have to eat a lot of

fish to meet your needs that way.

Iron

Iron is important for overall brain

health. In cases of iron deficiency,

resolving the deficiency improves cognitive

performance.

Two groups of people are

frequently deficient in iron:

women and people with

malabsorptive digestive

disorders.

Eat red meat, and heal your

gut so you can absorb

the iron you actually do

eat.

11 Source here.2 Source with links to other studies here.

ONE FINAL NOTE: all of the above will help keep your brain healthy, but no amount of salmon will make you a genius, and megadosing individual nutrients in the

absence of a deficiency is unlikely to do anything. Don’t go searching for the perfect brain food to make you “superhuman” overnight – stick to healthy patterns

in the long run and have fun exploring just how great ordinary old “human” can feel.

Copyright © 2015 by Paleo Leap, LLC.

All material in this cheat sheet is provided for your information only and may not be construed as medical advice or instruction. No action

or inaction should be taken based solely on the contents oæf this information; instead, readers should consult appropriate health

professionals on any matter relating to their health and well-being.