10 Foods That Kill Intelligence

"The food that you eat can be either the safest and most powerful form of medicine or the slowest form of poison."

All of us are all too familiar with food items that cause heart attacks, obesity, cancer, and other nasty unmentionables. But to have grub that kills intelligence seems like something really OTT.

This list includes alcohol, junk food, artificial sugars; more or less the same set of offenders that cause the aforementioned ailments. So, basically, what is bad for the rest of our body does not spare the brain as well.

Hectic that our lives are, there is no escaping from all the food items that are mentioned in this list. But remember, that the key to living a healthy life lies in moderation. If we manage to strike a balance between the healthy and the not-so-healthy, it definitely allows us to enjoy the occasional binge or indulgence.

1. Alcohol

Certainly no surprises here, as alcohol's reputation as a brain killer precedes itself. We commonly know of alcohol wreaking havoc with our liver, but it can cause some serious damage to the brain cells as well. Well-known side effects of alcohol include memory lapses and a lack of focus. Prolonged alcohol abuse has also caused disruption in cognitive faculties. Therefore, stick to the recommended alcohol intake, and respect your intelligence.
2. Junk Food

There is a reason why it's termed 'junk' food, and I suppose we're already acquainted with it. Burgers, fries, and the like manage to tempt the devil in us, all thanks to their excessive fat content, which is responsible in creating an addiction. Unrestricted consumption of junk food interferes with the production of dopamine, our 'happiness' chemical, fueling symptoms associated with mood swings and depression.
3. Sugar-rich Food

Added sugar is understood to be the causative factor behind neurological problems. Excessive consumption reduces the production of a brain chemical known as brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). Its absence impairs learning and memorizing as well. Sugar's addictive nature promotes indulgence, long-term consequences of which are affected learning ability and poor cognitive skills.
4. Fried Food

Deep-fried food items, typical to the Southern style of cooking, have been singled out as the reason behind Southeast America's reputation as the 'stroke belt'. The high levels of fat and cholesterol present in fried food lay deposits on the walls of the arteries supplying blood to the brain. Lack of adequate blood supply is what eventually causes a stroke. So, when your regular diet consists generous helpings of fried chicken, you know you are inviting trouble.
5. Processed Meals

Processed meals sound like a blessing, considering the hectic lives we lead. With very little time on our hands, frozen meals have become constant companions to most of us. However, regular consumption of packaged meals can up your risk of Alzheimer's disease, which is a form of dementia that degenerates brain cells over time.
6. Salty Food

Just like sugary substances, salty food items can be addictive as well, and with dangerous consequences. Sodium is known to interfere with our blood pressure, but did you know that it disrupts our thinking abilities as well? Not for nothing do doctors advise us to cut down on salts. Salt, as a premium preservative, is generously used in pickles, so refrain from over indulgence.
7. Processed Proteins

Proteins - good, fats - bad, is what we learned in school. But when proteins include processed proteins, as in sausages, pepperoni, and salami, we're treading dangerous ground. Preservatives, like sodium nitrate, that go into processing meats, combine with the proteins to form the cancer-inducing agent nitrosamine.
8. Nicotine

Nicotine may not exactly qualify as food, but to many among us, it rates higher than food. The cancer stick is known to restrict the supply of oxygen and blood to the brain. Further, it tightens the capillaries, and affects the function of neurotransmitters, the chemicals that aid communication within our body.
9. Artificial Sweeteners

Many of us live with the misconception that artificial sweeteners are damage-free, but we couldn't be more wrong. Like most other things mentioned in this list, moderate consumption of artificial sweeteners does no harm, but yes, abuse them, and you'll have to suffer the consequences, which include brain damage.
10. Trans fats

Trans fats are present in most of our packaged food items, particularly in the delicious chips that we love to wolf down. Trans fats, over a period, make us susceptible to suffering a stroke, as they clog arteries with deposits of cholesterol. Also, they beget the shrinkage of the brain, not unlike what happens to patients of Alzheimer's disease.
Not a single food item on this list came as a surprise, as these happen to be health offenders all the way. The intelligence now remains in seeing how we manage to hoodwink these food items, and slip as far away from them as possible.

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Fit Foods For Fall

Celebrity nutritionist and author of The Beauty Detox Solution, Kimberly Snyder

This time of year with holiday parties building up the list of taboo foods gets longer and longer. Here’s some food for thought, rather than focus on what not to eat, this fall why not focus on what foods you should add into your daily diet. BN has paired up with celebrity nutritionist Kimberly Snyder to give you comfort foods that will not only fill you up, but give you ultimate nutritional benefits.

SQUASH:

Fall and winter squash varieties have less water content than summer squash, and therefore provide more nutritional and beauty benefits. These varieties include pumpkin, acorn, butternut and spaghetti squash. With its brilliant colors, squash provides an excellent source of carotenes, and a good source of vitamins B1, B6 and C, folic acid, pantothenic acid, fiber, and potassium.

The B vitamins it contains are helpful in reversing the damaging effects of stress on the body, which may contribute to aging faster, and its vitamin C has a collagen-repairing effect on the skin. Squash also contains coumarins, which works with other nutrients to create a blood-thinning effect in the body, which is great to increase circulation and beneficial for glowing skin.

Chef Anthony Stewart, Executive Chef at Pritikin Longevity Center and Spa

Chef Anthony Stewart has won accolades worldwide, including five gold medals in top culinary competitions for his masterful use of foodstuffs like fresh seafood and tropical fruit from his native home Jamaica.

http://www.Pritikin.com

Spaghetti Squash Recipe:

Instructions:
Set the oven to 350 degrees F.
Cut the spaghetti squash in half length-wise.
Scraped out the seeds and guts, just as you’d scrape out the guts of a pumpkin.
Poured about a quarter-inch of water into a glass baking dish.
Put the squash halves in the baking dish, cut sides facing down.
Put the dish in the oven.
Let cook for one hour, or when skin is tender to the touch.
Scrape out the middle of the squash to reveal spaghetti-like strands.

Acorn Squash Soup
With Cranberry, Chorizo & Dannon® Oikos® Greek Nonfat Yogurt
By Richard Blais

Ingredients
1 whole acorn squash
¼ white onion, chopped
1 bay leaf
4 cloves garlic
2 tbsp. celery, chopped
1 ½ quart chicken stock
1/2 cup Dannon Oikos plain Greek nonfat yogurt
1/2 cup whipped yogurt (page 2 for recipe) optional
¼ cup chorizo, crumbled
2 tbsp. cranberry canned jelly
3 leaves cilantro
1 tsp. smoked paprika
Pomegranate seeds for garnish
Lime for garnish

Instructions
1. In a stockpot, cook the onion, bay leaf, garlic and celery in some olive oil until garlic releases aroma.
2. Add the chopped acorn squash and then the chicken stock and simmer. When the acorn squash is cooked, swirl in Dannon Oikos plain Greek nonfat yogurt and remove from the heat.
3. In a separate pan, cook the chorizo and paprika.
4. When the squash is cooked thoroughly, purée the soup and pass through a sieve so it is smooth.
5. Garnish with the crumbled chorizo, the cilantro, pomegranate seeds, a squirt of lime and cover with the whipped yogurt, or alternatively just add a dollop of Dannon Oikos plain Greek nonfat yogurt.

Winner of Top Chef Allstars and owner of acclaimed restaurant Blais , Richard Blais

SWEET POTATOES:
Sweet potatoes contain the skin-brightening combination of vitamin A and vitamin C. Together, these nutrients help replace a dull complexion with a fresh face, while working to neutralize cell tissue-damaging free radicals.

Sweet potatoes’ brilliant orange color is attributed to their high levels of carotenoids and beta-carotene, which converts into vitamin A. Vitamin A is necessary for a shiny, well-moisturized head of hair as well as promoting a healthy scalp, which is essential for healthy hair growth.

Sweet potatoes are also rich in biotin, and vitamins B2, B6 and E. They supply a healthy source of iron, potassium, which help keep the right fluid balance throughout the body’s cells, along with copper, manganese and folate, which is especially important for pregnant women.

Choose sweet potatoes that have the deepest orange colors, which indicate the higher carotene content. Be sure to eat them with the skin on, which contains a high amount of fiber and nutrients.

Baked Sweet Potato
with Parmesan, Sorghum & Dannon® Oikos® Greek Nonfat Yogurt
By Richard Blais

Ingredients:
4 sweet potatoes
3 tbsp. sorghum
3 tbsp. parmesan
4 tbsp. scallions, sliced
4 tbsp. Dannon Oikos plain Greek nonfat yogurt
2 tbsp. unsalted butter (optional)
Sea salt, to taste

Instructions:
1. Sprinkle potatoes with salt and prick with a fork a few times.
2. Wrap them in foil and bake at 350F until tender, around an hour.
3. When cooked, remove foil, and halve the potato lengthwise.
4. Gently fork mash the potatoes.
5. Top each potato with a drizzle of sorghum, a grate of Parmesan, the scallions, Dannon Oikos plain Greek nonfat yogurt and butter (optional).

Light molasses or dark treacle may be used as substitutes for sorghum.

PUMPKIN:

Pumpkin is one of the most missed foods when it comes to nutritional value. Not only is it a good source of protein, it also contains almost no fat and is extremely low on calories. One pound of pumpkin contains less than half a gram a fat and only 40 calories! It also contains up to 5 grams of fiber. You can do so much with it aside from a classic pumpkin pie– add it to some Greek yogurt with walnuts for even more protein and fiber.

Pumpkin Cheesecake
By Richard Blais

Ingredients
4 oz. non-fat cream Cheese
½ cup sugar (brown is better)
¼ tsp. salt
½ tsp. vanilla
¼ tsp. cinnamon
4 oz. canned pumpkin pie filling or canned pumpkin
4 eggs
4 oz. Dannon Oikos plain Greek yogurt

Instructions
1. In a mixer, using the paddle attachment, blend together the sugar and the cream cheese
2. Add in the eggs one at a time, scraping the bowl after each one
3. In a separate bowl, mix together the pumpkin pie filling and Dannon Oikos plain Greek yogurt
4. Add the yogurt mixture into the cream cheese and mix until fully combined
5. Fill the desired molds and bake at 300?F in a water bath for 15-20 minutes

Originally published December 2012

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Superb Super Foods

What really is a super food? The word is thrown around often these days that the meaning has become lost and confusing. Everyday there seems to be a new superfood that claims to aid any health concerns you may have. To get the real scoop I decided to sit down with Celebrity Nutritionist, Nicolette Pace, Founder of NutriSource Inc. (nutrisource.org) to talk about super foods and what they really are.

The term “super food” is basically a non-scientific term to describe a food that contains either a high content of nutrients or a unique subset of plant chemicals that can promote a health benefit. You can argue that almost all foods can be super foods, but one aspect that stands out and is universally accepted is that super foods should only be whole, unprocessed foods, not foods that are grown and/or produced via non-organic or controversial growing and farming practices.

Choosing how you eat super foods is important to consider as well -locally sourced, seasonal and fresh is also at the top of the food chain. But, you can also consider naturally preserved methods like drying, canning and freezing. This is important for foods that are out of season and perhaps grown outside of your geographic region.

Some are familiar, some just coming into the spotlight, but all with good research to support their benefits for you and your body from the inside out!

Image courtesy About.com

Tomatoes:

Tomatoes are a beauty powerhouse chock full of nutrients that include vitamin C and lycopene to help build collagen and protect against UV sun damage. This fights off wrinkles and aging and will help you keep a youthful appearance with soft, supple skin. In fact eating foods routinely with lycopene and other carotenoids will pass through the vascular system onto your skin and can improve your skin complexion and color in just 6 weeks!

Coffee Berries:

These little red fruits surround the familiar bean which becomes our daily wake up elixir. Usually they’re lost to processing methods, but were recently rediscovered for their health benefits. With an extremely rich antioxidant polyphenol profile, this can help you fight the signs of aging by working toward improving the aging load free radicals bring to inside your body. That can boost health and improve some types of skin inflammation conditions.

Probiotics:

Skin friendly bacteria called probiotics work deep down to condition your skin both inside and out. Including them in your diet improves skin health and gives you an edge over common beauty busters like redness and dryness leading you to a healthy glow! Look for and find super food probiotics in as many unprocessed, natural fermented products as you can. It’s the bugs you want, not the chemicals so you may find a variety of foods that can naturally contain them. They may include fermented dairy/cheeses, fermented soy (miso, tempeh) and cured veggies (sauerkraut, kimchee).

Image courtesy About.com

Berries: Blueberries, Bilberries, Raspberries

The anthocyannin content gives the fruit its gorgeous cosmetic like color and makes these berries top notche on the antioxidant list for healthy biologic activity throughout your body–especially for skin. Acting as a free radical scavenger, it is a must for environmental concerns with skin offenders and can also promote cell-regenerating abilities for new skin!

Image courtesy apronsdelight.blogspot.com

Rose Hips:

These blossom fruits are a nutrition powerhouse, worthy of introducing into your diet. They are a rich source of vitamin C and especially appropriate for northern climates where citrus fruit cannot be grown. In fact they contain more than oranges! Harvesting and drying the fruit for tea or producing syrup for a base in syrup, soup or shakes can give you a tremendous wealth of skin nourishing ingredients that include iron, vitamin A and calcium.

Image Courtesy city-connect.org

Green Tea:

An oldie, but goodie! The antioxidant power of green tea is well established, but what distinguishes this from other teas is the chemical, ECGC which holds promise in multiple studies to help mediate in the way cells grow to keep them in a healthy life cycle and fight off invaders.

Image Courtesybabble.com

Quinoa:

A grass seed with incredible potential as a complete food due to its unique complete amino acid profile. This versatile grain-like plant can provide a multitude of nutrients and skin superfood qualities to help you cut down on an overloading high fat animal protein diet that will increase the aging load on you.

Jeanette M. Zinno is the Beauty Editor at “Social Life Magazine,” an on-air beauty & style expert and a freelance writer. Her blog Haute-Girls.com covers beauty and style. Jeanette is also Co-Founder of LZ Media Group (leighzinno.com), a Manhattan based public relations boutique.

Originally published October 2012

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