Your Brain On Smoothies

This past week was a bit of a recovery week for me, so not much interesting happening in the way of training, cough, besides getting a massive PR in a 1000 TT this morning :) (I know Tim, that wasn't even a back-door brag, that was a full on front-door boast, haha!) Anyhow, it was kind of perfect timing for an easier week because it let me fully recover from all the traveling I've been doing and I also got to do some work for The Center for Creative Leadership (CCL) here in Greensboro. CCL runs programs for executives of large and small companies, teaching them how to become better leaders and how to better develop leaders within their organizations. I've been working as a fitness/nutrition adjunct for CCL for quite a few years now leading early morning runs & hikes, and also doing anthropometric testing such as skinfolds, body fat, body circumferences, etc. In fact, it's how I met my current coach, Sharon McDowell-Larsen who is CCL's exercise physiologist/fitness/nutrition guru! (and who fyi was recently interviewed in this article by the Wall Street Journal - yes, brag #2). It's really cool because now I'm starting to get more involved with the whole fitness component of some of the programs. I shadowed Sharon this week and sat in on a bunch of her presentations and participated in some group discussions. We also did a bomb smoothie demo for all the participants, and I'll share those recipes in a sec, but first I want to talk a little bit about some really interesting research on the brain.

Obviously everyone should be concerned about the health of their brain b/c it is our control center for every single thought and action. Just like other organs that are susceptible to chronic disease over time, so too is the brain. A lifetime of eating junk food can not only lead to heart attack & cancer, but is also a risk factor for Alzheimer's disease, dementia, & stroke. The earlier we start eating healthy the better off we are. Science shows that exercise and diet are two factors that can have a positive impact on the brain; in fact when exercise and a healthy diet are combined, the results are synergistic.

Here are ways that exercise helps the brain:

*Neurogenesis - stimulates the generation of new neurons in the hippocampus, a crucial memory center in the brain.

*Angiogenesis - stimulates the growth of new capillaries, which improves blood flow, oxygen & nutrient delivery, and waste removal

*Neurochemicals - these chemicals act as "fertilizer for the brain" and promote growth, differentitaion, survival, and repair of brain cells.

*Neurotransmitters - boosts dopamine, serotonin, norepinephrine, and acetylcholine, contributing to improved sense of well-being, mood, & mental outlook

Ok, when it comes to diet, here are 3 main things that affect the brain:

1. A High Fat Diet. Endothelial cells line all of our blood vessels, including those that supply blood to the brain. These cells produce nitric oxide, which functions to dilate the arteries, help blood flow smoothly, and prevent plaque buildup. A high fat diet impairs production of nitric oxide. Research indicates that there is impaired blood flow to the brain even following a single meal high in saturated fat. In one study that totally amazes me, they went to a fast food restaurant and got fat directly out of the deep fryer. They then made a shake out of that fat and had participants drink it (control subjects ate cornflakes instead). After consuming the fat shake, they measured vasodilation and found that it had decreased from 6% to less than 1%! This may not sound like a lot, but it translates to a significant difference in the amount of blood able to flow through the artery! Note that there was no difference in vasodilation amongst the cornflake eaters. Researchers then replicated this study with food from the establishment and what they found was even worse - the vasodilation didn't just decrease, the arteries actually became somewhat constricted. And that's just after one meal! Now, the body is able to repair this type of damage within 48 hours, but before it gets a chance to do that, it's likely that the average American has already eaten a few more high-fat meals, adding insult to injury.

One more quick reason why eating a high fat diet could be detrimental to the brain: scientists have shown that when the production of nitric oxide is inhibited, the production of the enzyme that cleaves amyloid precursor proteins decreases. Amyloid precursor proteins are the precursors to the Beta-amyloid plaques that are the #1 hallmark of Alzheimer's Disease. So, a high fat diet --> suppression of nitric oxide --> buildup of amyloid precursor proteins --> higher risk of AD.

2. Antioxidants. The brain is highly susceptible to oxidative stress. Oxidative stress occurs when the oxygen we breathe picks up an extra electron and becomes what is known as a "free radical." These free radicals are highly reactive and damaging to DNA. Much of the aging process is attributed to oxidative stress, including age spots that often show up on the backs of people's hands, which are actually oxidized fat. In order to combat this, it is really important to eat a diet high in antioxidants. Fruits and vegetables are the best sources of antioxidants, as well as legumes, seeds, nuts, and spices. Animal products just cannot compete - iceberg lettuce has by far more antioxidant units than the same amount of milk, eggs, salmon, chicken, or beef! When researchers averaged the antioxidant content of plants vs animal products they found that the average content of plants was 1,157 antioxidant units per 10 grams, while that of animal foods was a mere 18 units. I think the moral of this story is to eat a wide variety of plant foods, especially fruits and veggies!

3. Metals. Excessive amounts of iron, copper, aluminum, and mercury contribute to the formation of free radicals and are known to be damaging to brain tissue. Did you know that:

• Beef and oysters are the highest sources of copper
• Cheese is the highest source of aluminum (added to make it more melty)
• Fish, especially large predatory fish, but even farmed fish, contain unhealthy levels of mercury

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SMOOTHIES! Well, actually the first two recipes are more like an ice cream and a sorbet, but I'm posting them as well because when I made them for one of the participants she told me that they are better than sex! (3rd and final brag)

Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream (after eating this you'll never miss the real thing)
4 frozen bananas (peel these ahead of time, put in a zip-lock baggie, & store in the freezer)
1/2 cup soy milk (or other non-dairy milk)
2 Tbsp peanut butter
2 Tbsp cocoa powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
Dash of cinnamon
Handful of ice cubes

Makes 4 servings. Per serving: 171 kcal, 31 g carbs, 4.5 g protein, 5 g fat, 5 g fiber

Mango Sorbet (sooooo good I've been eating this for breakfast topped w/ cinnamon)
2 cups frozen mango chunks
1 frozen banana
4 pitted dates
1/2 cup soy milk (or other non-dairy milk)
6 ice cubes
2 Tbsp chopped walnuts

Makes 4 servings: Per serving: 143 kcal, 28 g carbs, 3 g protein, 3.5 g fat, 3.5 g fiber

Berry Smoothie (often I'll double this recipe and drink the entire thing before a long ride)
2 cups frozen mixed fruit
1 banana
1/2 cup soy milk (or other non-dairy milk)
1 cup 100% grape juice
1 tsp amla

Makes 2 servings: Per serving: 215 kcal, 49 g carbs, 3.5 g protein, 1 g fat, 4 g fiber

Eat Your Greens Smoothie (super easy way to get more greens into your diet!)
5 oz baby spinach (~2.5 cups)
2 cups frozen blueberries
1/2 cup 100% orange juice
1/2 cup 100% grape juice
1 banana
2 Tbsp ground flaxseed

Makes 2 servings: Per serving: 246 kcal, 52 g carbs, 5 g protein, 3.5 g fat, 9 g fiber

Directions for all recipes:
Simply add ingredients to a high powered blender (like the Vitamix) and blend using tamper until smoothies are smooth and ice creams are creamy but still firm.