THE NEUROSCIENCE OF NUTRITION: Eat Wisely!

Written by: Marie T. Rogers, MPS, Ph.D., RYT

The human brain is a powerhouse.

Weighing just about 3 pounds,

it makes up only 2% of our total body weight;

but it consumes over 20% of our daily energy intake.

THE ENERGY CENTER

Every thought we think, memory we store, emotion we feel, and movement we make originates in our brain—a complex command center composed of billions of neurons, firing messages at rapid speeds with a precision that even our most sophisticated computer systems envy. The brain keeps us alive, alert and responsive. Its To-Do list is quite formidable and this round-the-clock, day-to-day constant activity demands a steady amount of high premium fuel. The better we feed our brain, the better it will perform for us!

The brain's primary fuel is glucose, a form of sugar readily available from the foods we eat. Glucose is transported through the bloodstream to brain cells, a.k.a neurons, where it's converted into energy to fuel brain activity. Since carbohydrates are the body’s primary source of glucose, consuming the right types in balanced amounts is essential for maintaining the brain’s optimal energy supply. In addition to glucose, the brain also requires essential fats, amino acids (the building blocks of protein), vitamins and minerals to function efficiently.

The CARB Confusion

While carbohydrates are often categorized as either simple or complex, this distinction can be misleading if not fully explained.

Complex carbohydrates, made up of longer chains of sugar molecules, are typically found in whole grains, legumes, and vegetables, and tend to digest more slowly, providing sustained energy and more nutrients. However, not all complex carbohydrates are considered healthy. Refined grains, such as white bread and white rice, are technically complex carbohydrates but have been stripped of fiber and nutrients.

Simple carbohydrates consist of one or two sugar molecules and are found in both natural and processed foods. For example, fruits and dairy products contain natural simple sugars but also offer important nutrients like fiber, vitamins, and minerals. In contrast, processed foods with added sugars, such as candy, soda, and baked goods, provide little nutritional value and, when consumed in excess, can eventually dysregulate neurotransmitters (chemical messengers that carry signals between nerve cells and other cells in the body) and impair memory and learning.

Regarding brain and body health, it is important to focus on the quality and source of the carbohydrate rather than relying solely on the simple vs. complex label.

Your Brain on Food

Nutrition is among the most crucial yet often overlooked factor in mental health; specifically brain health. In today’s busy world, nutrition is often linked to physical health and weight control, and rarely on the impact it has on mood, cognitive & immune functioning, and overall well-being.

Studies in neuroscience demonstrate that our food choices greatly influence cognitive performance, mental clarity, nervous system regulation & emotional stability. Energy drives these functions. When flowing adequately, we tend to feel good. When energy levels are lagging or inadequate, we report feeling sluggish, slow and foggy.

Getting through the day can feel as exhausting as Sisyphus' endless uphill boulder roll. Low energy that is a result of poor lifestyle habits will, in time, create the following scenario:

you wake up tired, feeling as though you did not get enough sleep.

you grab whatever's fast or convenient, or sugary to eat.

you experience the post-sugar crash.

you do your best to get through your day until you can go back to bed and, this time, hopefully get restorative sleep.

you try again tomorrow, only to experience the same results, living life on repeat.

Your life starts to feel like short-term survival, and not at all like long-term thrival.

Similar to Sisyphus, you will feel the weight of the endless and formidable feat ahead of you. However, unlike Sisyphus, the physical strength and energy to keep going will diminish.

When lacking in energy, everything feels slower and harder. Fatigue, sluggishness, dips in attention, and /or memory problems usually surface; gradually at first, and then rapidly. Let's take a deeper look at energy, especially at different points throughout the day, and the common energy zapping culprits.

ENERGY IS KEY TO PRODUCTIVITY & WELL-BEING

One of the first signs of imbalance in the body is low-energy. Dips in energy within the 24-hour circadian cycle are normal; however, it is preferable that these occur at the end of the day in preparation for slumber, rather than during hours of productivity. During waking hours, optimum executive functions and mood are desired and both are dependent on healthy doses of energy. Modern lifestyle habits have unfortunately normalized feeling wired & tired, instead of charged & energized.

Energy Zappers

While this article explores the important relationship between nutrition and brain health, food or poor nutrition is certainly not the only consideration to investigate when energy is low. Taking inventory of lifestyle habits and other factors that affect energy is paramount to living your best and most healthiest life. In addition to poor diet, over-caffeination and dehydration, here is a list of potential energy zapping suspects:

physical under- or over- exertion
illness, infection or poor immune functioning
long periods of emotional stress
lack of restorative sleep
boredom
addiction(s)
grief
procrastination
certain over-the-counter or prescriptive medications

Each, in and of itself, can be a culprit. However, if you endorsed 2 or more of the above items, then your chances of fatigue increase exponentially. Addressing any and all of the above self-identified energy depleters should be your next action step. Keep in mind that you can address your energy depleter(s) and make good nutrition choices simultaneously. Just as there are circumstances in life that affect us negatively, there are also actions we can take today that help change the course of our lives in positive ways.

Let's get back to food, its effect on our brain and the recent advances in neuroscience demonstrating the Gut-Brain connection and how it's revolutionizing medicine.

THE ENTERIC NERVOUS SYSTEM

What we eat and how we eat matter. Research pertaining to the gut-brain axis (GBA), described as the "brain in your gut," which is the bidirectional communication between your brain and trillions of microbes living within your digestive tract, continues to support nutrition's role in how we feel and think. With the gut now referred to as the "second brain" due to the enteric nervous system (ENS), delving deeper into the ENS and its associates-the vagus nerve and gut microbiome, will help shed light on health and energy, and best practices to improve both.

Vagus Nerve, Parasympathetic Nervous System & Cortisol

Connecting our brain to different parts of our head, neck, and trunk are the 12 pairs of cranial nerves, each named for their structure and function. As part of the parasympathetic nervous system, they carry electrical signals between your body and brain and control life functions such as breathing, heart rate and digestion. The ENS enjoys a special relationship with the 10th cranial nerve, otherwise known as the vagus nerve, due to its role as the main link between itself and the brain.

Possessing both sensory and motor functions, the vagus nerve is the longest cranial nerve in the body (extending from head to abdomen). It conveys sensory information about the conditions within your gut from your ENS to your brain and it conveys motor signals or information from your brain to your gut.

From the perspective of mental health, your vagus nerve is key to combating stress and anxiety in its power to disengage the fight-or-flight response in lieu of a calming rest and digest response. Protracted levels of unrelenting stress create havoc within the mind and body, dysregulating cortisol levels and eventually affecting both cognitive and immune functioning.

Elevated cortisol levels, often triggered by chronic stress, can disrupt appetite regulation, increase cravings for high-fat, high-sugar foods, and impair metabolic function highlighting the intricate connection between stress, brain chemistry, and nutritional choices.

This creates a natural segue into nutritional psychiatry and the role our immune system plays vis-a-vis the food we consume.

Nutritional Psychiatry

An emerging field of medicine is Nutritional Psychiatry and its popularity is due in part to the growing awareness of the mind-gut connection. It is not unusual for individuals with depression and/or anxiety, or other psychiatric diagnoses, to report appetite and digestive disturbances and gastrointestinal imbalances.

Whereas the combination of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and psychopharmacological intervention is the established gold-standard in the treatment of a plethora of mental health maladies, it certainly is not a panacea.

Personally, I find it interesting that this is considered a new field when the concept of nutrition (such as through the use of herbs, for example) in medicine has been around since Ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome.

The growing scientific research is supporting moving in the direction of further understanding the food and mood connection in order to enhance mental health treatment planning.

Immune Functioning

A sub-optimal diet lacking in key nutrients can hinder the production and activity of immune cells and antibodies, resulting in increasing the propensity for illness and decreasing available resources of energy. The immune system's CHIEF FUNCTION is to prevent or limit infection. As long as it's running smoothly, we give our immune system little consideration. It quietly and efficiently does its job, recognizing and neutralizing harmful substances from the environment and fighting disease-causing pathogens and other body changes that can potentially lead to its permanent breakdown. Without it, we would have no way of warding off these harmful invaders.

A significant threat to our immune system is the advancement of highly processed, sugar-rich, and nutrient-deficient foods. Unfortunately, the 21st century has observed major transitions in dietary habits, with a significant decrease in the consumption of nutrient-dense foods.

Diets high in sugar, fat and processed foods have been linked with depression or depressive feelings, anxiety, low energy, foggy brain, and an overall negative feeling. These foods should be limited in your diet, comprising ideally less than 5% of consumed foods.

A well-nourished, energized immune system acts like a vigilant gatekeeper—recognizing, responding to, and neutralizing threats before they can breach the body’s defenses. When fueled by the right nutrients, it doesn’t just react to illness, it proactively guards against it, often eliminating invaders before symptoms ever appear. Now, let's get proactive with keeping our brain youthful, flexible and sharp!

THE WISE-EATING PLAN

Consume Fresh, Whole Foods

Fresh, whole foods that are as close as possible to their natural states tend to be nutrient-dense. Whole foods retain their natural vitamins, minerals, fiber, and antioxidants, which are often diminished or removed during processing. This means you're consuming more essential nutrients per calorie; therefore these types of foods tend to be nutrient-dense.

Incorporate variety by including a spectrum of colorful vegetables and fruits, lean proteins, and whole grains. This helps to ensure a wider range of nutrients. I believe best-selling author, Michael Pollan sums up eating in these 3 key points:

Eat real food
Moderate your portions
Make sure your plate has lots of greens

Real foods are single-ingredient foods. As the number of ingredients increase, the whole-ness or natural-ness of the food decreases. By choosing whole foods, you avoid added sugars, unhealthy fats, and excessive sodium commonly found in processed foods, supporting better health management.

Beware Excess Sugar & Highly Processed Foods

Refined sugars are processed and extracted from natural sources. They are found in everything from baked goods to snack foods, candy, and the list goes on. Diets high in refined sugars and processed foods can compromise brain health. Raw fruits, on the other hand, provide natural sugar and are excellent sources of essential nutrients, such as potassium, dietary fiber, vitamin C, and folate.

Sugar provides a short energy boost, and then an energy plummet or crash. Over time, the consumption of sugar will create havoc on your body's immune system. For sustained energy and focus, it's best to reduce sugar from the diet, with the exception of moderately consuming nutrient rich fruits that are ripe and in season.

Studies indicate that excessive sugar can lead to decreased cognitive abilities and a greater likelihood of developing mood disorders. These unhealthy foods can trigger inflammation and oxidative stress, which interfere with neuroplasticity—the brain’s ability to adapt and change. By focusing on whole, unprocessed foods and limiting added sugars, you can improve cognitive function and overall mental health.

Embrace Nutrients that Support Cognitive Functions

Certain nutrients are vital for maintaining brain health but before investing in a plethora of supplements, it is advised that you invest in a consultation with a registered dietician and/or health care professional who knows your body and your health needs. The investment will be well worth it for optimum results. What's right for your friends, family members and/or colleagues may not be right for you!

Omega-3 Fatty Acids: Found in fish such as salmon and sardines, these fats maintain brain structure and support memory.
Antioxidants: Foods rich in antioxidants, like blueberries and dark chocolate, protect the brain from oxidative stress.
B Vitamins: Vitamins B6, B12, and folate assist in making neurotransmitters that help cells communicate. A deficiency in these can lead to mood swings and cognitive decline.
Vitamin D: This vitamin not only supports bone health but is also linked to a lower risk of depression and cognitive impairment.
Magnesium: Found in nuts, seeds, and leafy greens, magnesium is crucial for nerve function.

Maintain a Food-Health Journal

What we pay attention to grows. Journaling enhances this attention. Become intimately familiar with the foods that love you and not necessarily just the foods you love. We all know what our favorite foods are but do we know which foods love us back?

Keeping a food journal provides accountability and functions as a mindfulness tool that creates space for you to check in before, during, and after eating. Logging your meals and snacks, and identifying your associated energy and mood will help you see patterns that may have historically eluded you. For many, this awareness alone is all that was needed to make targeted dietary changes.

Hydrate

Hydration is the replenishment of body fluids lost through sweating, exhaling, and waste elimination.

By drinking plenty of water and consuming foods that promote hydration, you will keep your immune system and energy levels humming. It staves off infection and naturally eliminates toxins from your body. Foods high in water content include leafy greens (among other vegetables) and most fruits. Dehydration can affect your mood, and can also trigger feelings of hunger when, in fact, you're just thirsty.

Adequate hydration is crucial, as dehydration can impair focus and cognitive abilities. Aim for at least 8 glasses of water daily.

If flavoring your water will help you drink more, then add lemon, mint, or cucumber. Even mild dehydration can have a negative effect on your mood, energy level and cognitive processing.

Cultivate Mindfulness as a Lifestyle

Bring your presence and awareness to each meal. Appreciate your food. A mindfulness practice, in your day-to-day life, will help manage stress and slow you down to conscientiously make better nutritional choices. Concrete ways in which to increase mindfulness include minimizing multitasking and maximizing gratitude.

De-Emphasize Multitasking

Stop incessantly multitasking. It's not good for your health and it's not good for your brain. Monotasking, doing one thing at one time and applying deep focus and concentration, is mindfulness in motion. It is your antidote to stressful and mindless living, that ultimately robs you of your joy or your joie de vivre.

Monotasking improves focus and it will allow you to accomplish more in one week than you would in perhaps one month. Energy flows where attention goes. By working in a state of mindfulness, you are leveraging your energy levels

Emphasize Gratitude

Practicing gratitude before eating (like a brief moment of thankfulness) can engage the parasympathetic nervous system, promoting better digestion and nutrient absorption. Remember the gut-brain axis? To emphasize your feelings of gratitude, you are invited to take a moment and consider the following before each meal:

Before I take my first bite, I will pause and bring my attention to the food in front of me. I will reflect upon all the people, processes, and elements of nature that made this meal possible.

Notice how your body responds as you express silent gratitude. How does this shift your experience of eating? Your awareness and response make great entries for your journal. Take a moment and jot down some thoughts. Revisit your entry at a later date. This helps to increase self- and body-awareness, which is key to growing and evolving into your healthiest self.

Manage Stress-Levels

Anything you do to keep yourself healthy and energized is self-care and therein lies the path to stress management.

SELF-CARE IS HEALTHCARE

While few would disagree the importance of self-care, it is often not prioritized in our lives. Unfortunately, it is the first to go when experiencing stressful circumstances. Many turn to eating, especially comfort foods, which are typically foods high in sugar, salt, calories and carbohydrates, to pseudo-manage stress. Comfort foods trigger dopamine, which delivers a temporary feel-good sensation. However, this immediate feel-good will come at a cost if turning to comfort foods becomes a habit! The goal is moderation and balance.

A meditation practice, connecting with friends, and engaging in a hobby are just a few, highly effective stress relievers. Also, one of the best stress busters is exercise. This does not have to be a 1-hour weight lifting session or a 5 mile beach run. It can be as simple as performing some sit-ups and push-ups, or a short walk around the neighborhood.

Stress serves as an anti-nutrient.

Eating while stressed affects your body's ability to effectively digest and absorb food.

A 20-minute stretch can be so restoratively soothing to both your mind and muscles. Another well known stress buster, often associated with stretching, is the physical practice of yoga, which can be viewed as a moving meditation, connecting breath with movement.

Pranayama is the formal practice of managing the breath, and a steady, rhythmic breath is central to yoga and stress management. Its consistent practice yields compounding results, meaning each and every time you participate in this moving meditation, you're decreasing the negative effects of stress. As stress levels decline, cravings for comfort foods also tend to taper off.

For individuals who find themselves frequently turning to comfort foods or engaging in stress eating as a way to escape or self-soothe, reaching out for professional support can be an essential step toward healing. These patterns are often rooted in complex emotional and neurobiological mechanisms, including dysregulation of the stress response system and reward pathways in the brain.

Mental health therapists trained in the neuroscience of behavior, stress management and nutrition can help identify underlying triggers and support the development of more adaptive coping strategies.

Professional guidance not only offers tools for changing habits but also creates space for deeper self-understanding and nervous system regulation, which are key to sustainable well-being.

Do not hesitate to reach out. With so many mental health professionals offering virtual and tele-health sessions nowadays, the help you need can be obtained from the comfort of your living room.

Connect & Share

Beyond what we eat, how and with whom we eat will have a profound impact on our brain and body. Social connections during meals stimulate the release of oxytocin and endorphins, neurochemicals that enhance mood, reduce stress, and promote feelings of safety and belonging.

Eating with family, friends and/or colleagues will help regulate cortisol levels and supports parasympathetic nervous system activation. These, in turn, improve digestion and nutrient absorption. Shared meals also encourage slower, more mindful eating, leading to better blood sugar regulation and appetite control. In essence, gathering around the table isn't just a cultural tradition, it’s a neurobiological tool for enhancing both mental and metabolic health. Whenever possible, enjoy your meals with others. Plan your next luncheon, brunch or Sunday afternoon get-together. And while you're in the mindset of planning, you might as well take it to the next level and become a meal prepper (which will bring us to our final lifestyle and health infusing strategy).

“Every minute you spend in planning saves 10 minutes in execution; this gives you a 1,000 percent return on energy.”

– Brian Tracy Motivational Speaker

Plan & Prepare Your Meals

Make wise eating easy on yourself and create grab-and-go lunches, snacks, etc. Taking time to mindfully plan your meals as opposed to mindlessly grabbing what you can or hitting a drive-through will yield energy and health benefits. There are times when the latter will be necessary but as a lifestyle, it is certainly not recommended.

Preparation is key to good nutrition. Stock up on key ingredients and organize them into easy-to-see and easy-to-access containers. Washing fruits and vegetables and preparing them as grab-and-go items will remove most hindrances to eating well under the pressure of a busy schedule, but, it requires taking the time to plan and prepare now so that it will be easily accessible and available later.

Snack Wisely: Swap sugary snacks for healthier options like nuts, seeds, or fruits to provide brain-boosting energy.
Plan Your Meals: Creating a weekly meal plan centered on nutrients can set you up for success and improve your overall well-being.

Start today to make one small shift or change at a time. Long-term success is generally built on small habits, practiced consistently. And remember, proceed as if success is inevitable!

Bon Appetit!

REFERENCE

Pollan, Michael. In Defense of Food : an Eater's Manifesto. New York :Penguin Press, 2008.

The information presented in this blog is intended for general knowledge and is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment. Individuals with medical and/or eating disorders (or suspect there may be an underlying concern) are encouraged to seek professional consultation and follow the recommendations outlined by their clinical team.