ultra-processed foods<\/a> can have a detrimental effect on our gut microbiome, and poor gut health has been linked to the neurodegeneration that can trigger Alzheimer\u2019s. So I focus on whole foods, building my lunch around proteins, healthy fats and lots of colourful vegetables.<\/p>\nI eat SMASH fish three times a week \u2013 salmon, mackerel, anchovies, sardines and herring \u2013 for their omega-3 fats, as well as fermented foods like kimchi, soups with beans and pulses, olive oil and herbs, all of which boost the good bacteria in your gut.<\/p>\n
I don\u2019t have a sweet tooth and never snack between meals to prevent my glucose levels from spiking, which puts the brain under stress. But at lunchtime, I will have a small piece of 70 per cent dark chocolate, as the flavonoids (a type of antioxidant) have been linked to improved cognitive function. I\u2019ll also have a tiny espresso some time before 3pm. If that\u2019s not available then I will have green tea or matcha tea. They all contain antioxidants which fight inflammation in the brain as well as the body.<\/p>\n
4pm-7pm: Exercise for the body and brain<\/p>\n
I will do some kind of physical activity \u2013 either yoga, pilates, or lifting weights \u2013 at least four times a week. Movement creates BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor), a protein which helps with learning, memory, mood regulation and cognitive flexibility. It also strengthens your neurons, which relay the electrical signals in our brains.<\/p>\n
Making sure you keep learning new skills is vital, so I recently started a new South American dance class. I think I\u2019m the oldest person there, so at first I was embarrassed and out of my depth, but now I love it. The dancing, coordination, learning new steps are all building cognitive reserve and resilience, to fight ageing, stress and disease.<\/p>\n
7pm-8.30pm: Family dinner<\/p>\n
I\u2019m not a big drinker but I do enjoy a glass of champagne on my birthday, at Christmas, or for family celebrations. I think life is about balance \u2013 I aim to nourish my brain well most of the time, but I also believe that celebration and connection are good for your health too.<\/p>\n
Interestingly, when you compare risk factors for dementia, social isolation can raise risk by anywhere from 5 to 60 per cent depending on the study, so I really value seeing friends and staying socially engaged to keep my brain healthy. If I can\u2019t see anyone in person, I\u2019ll make sure I schedule phone calls into my evening.<\/p>\n
While they say we should eat no later than 6pm because it disrupts your gut health, I do eat late because the family all get home at different times and we like to eat together at the end of the day. My husband and I will often cook together when he gets home at 7pm.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Midday: A gut-boosting lunch Fried and ultra-processed foods can have a detrimental effect on our gut microbiome, and…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":642326,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[915,7276,13888,854,59,102,2281,370,5438,58919,56,7656,54,55,157732],"class_list":["post-642325","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-health","tag-alzheimers-disease","tag-brain-health","tag-conditions","tag-dementia","tag-gb","tag-health","tag-health-and-fitness","tag-sleep","tag-standard","tag-top-story","tag-uk","tag-ultra-processed-foods","tag-united-kingdom","tag-unitedkingdom","tag-us-content"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/642325","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=642325"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/642325\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/642326"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=642325"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=642325"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=642325"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}