Modern-Day Options: What to Eat

What to Eat

Thanks for hanging in there! That was a lot of science to wade through just to get to the ‘enough already, just tell me what I need to eat’ part of the book. I hope the journey was worth it. Either way, here is TMWD in two short lists.

Eat the foods on the What’s In list.

Avoid, or really limit, the foods on the What’s Out list.

What’s In

The list includes foods that are healthy, but also ones that tend to have a higher amount of key nutrients that support brain health.

• Organ
• Meats: (difficult to stomach, but so important) liver, kidneys, heart are the common ones
• Shellfish: oysters, mussels, clams, scallops, shrimp, squid
• Animal
• Meat: (organic, grass-fed, pasture-raised) chicken, lamb, beef, pork, and other game meat
• Eggs: (organic and/or pasture-raised preferred)
• Fish: salmon, mackerel, tuna, swordfish, trout, herring fish roe
• Bone
• Broth: (from bones versus just meat)
• Healthy
• Fats: (for cooking) Extra-virgin Olive Oil , Coconut Oil, Ghee, (for salads) Avocado Oil
• Starchy
• Vegetables: (organic if possible) broccoli, cauliflower, acorn squash, butternut squash, peas
• Non-starchy
• Vegetables: (organic if possible) lettuces, spinach, cabbage, dandelion greens, swiss chard, kale, carrots, red/orange/yellow peppers, asparagus, parsley, spirulina, chives, pasilla peppers, leeks, garlic, onion, Brussels sprouts, green beans, beets, zucchini, summer squash, broccoli rabe
• Mushrooms: White, Cremini, Shiitake, Portabella
• Fruits: (organic if possible) avocados, apricots, mangoes, cantaloupe, plantains, oranges, blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, grapes, dates, figs, bananas, kiwi
• Nuts &
• Seeds: almonds, walnuts, sunflower seeds, pistachios, pumpkin seeds, pine nuts, flaxseeds, tahini (sesame seeds)
• Seaweed: Nori, Duse, Wakame, Kelp, Kombu, Arame
• Fermented
• Foods: Kimchi, Sauerkraut, Kefir
• Herbs and spices: all herbs and spices are included
• Chocolate: dark chocolate, greater than 70% preferred
• Beans: black-eyed peas, edamame, kidney beans, pinto beans, chickpeas
• Rice: white, brown, jasmine
• Oats: (steel cut, instant)
• Dairy: (depends on individual tolerance, preferred organic, raw if more nutrient dense) milk, cheese, yogurt

What’s Out

Many of these foods are often consumed when we are busy, on the run, out with friends, or somehow forgot to eat and ended up starving. These foods will call to you during those times. Best to be prepared and plan ahead with the What’s In food list and provided recipes.

• Animal
• Meat: (factory farmed)
• Grains: Wheat
• Soy: anything other than edamame
• Sugar: sweets, added in processed foods/drinks
• Processed
• Foods: chips, crackers, cookies, pastas, frozen dinners, white bread, and even energy bars. If it has a label or comes in a plastic package, it is likely not good for you or your brain
• Alcohol: beer, wine, spirits
• Soda: all
• Juices: all
• Vegetable
• Oils: (canola, soy, sunflower, grapeseed)