In this episode, I’m talking to Yulia Brockdorf all about the intersection of diet and the brain.
We had a great conversation all about how different foods affect cognition and how there’s no one-size-fits-all diet.
The food you eat is information and heavily influences how your brain works.
Yulia’s practice focuses on using foods and different cognitive-based therapies to help patients with mental health issues.
Biohack Your Brainpower
About Yulia Brockdorf
Yulia Brockdorf, RD, LD, CDCES, CST, NCC, LPC, BC-ADM is a dietitian and licensed professional counselor. She is board certified in advanced diabetes management, diabetes education, sex therapy, and EMDR (an evidence-based trauma treatment intervention). She serves on several boards and in her practice she strives to integrate the fields of clinical mental health counseling and psychotherapy and dietetics.
Topics Discussed
- Nutrition + Psychotherapy
- People w. Trauma can benefit from nutrition modification
- Tryptophan – 5-HTP pathway
- Most serotonin is in the gut
- Serotonin syndrome symptoms can require medical attention
- Gut issues can sabotage serotonin and neurotransmitter metabolism
- Serotonin taken exogenously cant cross blood-brain barrier so you need your body to make it
- GABA should not cross Blood Brain Barrier and if it does it can be a sign of a problem
- GABA-like sources: L-Theanine, skullcap, milky oat, Passionflower, hops
- Psychobiome research can help work with gut bacteria’s production of neurotransmitters
- Certain diets can affect gut bacteria
- Fermented foods are a great source of probiotics
- Prebiotics: Jicama, resistant starch
- Individualized diets are better than trendy diets.
- Good quality fats are needed for optimal brain health
- Genetic variance makes a difference in how your body metabolizes food
- Turmeric and its effects on memory and cognitive decline. Saffron helps long term memory.
- Pickled turmeric is a great source of turmeric
- Lion’s Mane can ameliorate mental deficiencies from a bad diet
- Diabetes and mental health: Long term use of Metformin affects B12
- Diabetes increases depression and increases inflammatory markers
- Rule of 15: For less than 70 Blood Sugar Only need 15g (tbsp sugar, fruit juice, glucose tablet etc) of carbohydrates.. 15 minutes later BS should jump 30-40 points, then follow up of.. don’t need to consume a snack bar or sandwich bc these foods slow down the absorption of glucose and person will want to consume more bc they don’t get the benefit of glucose
- Carbs and sugar in the morning is the worst time to eat carbs
- Mood disorders can come from food sensitivity like gluten.
- Also from medication reaction
- Cortisol drops with Bacopa Monnieri
- Lion’s Mane is good for blood sugar.. BDNF is beneficial for blood sugar
- Trauma: Body Keeps Score- looks at the impact of trauma on the body
- Trauma impacts methylation, and epigenetic markers
- Issues like forgetfulness can be a symptom of trauma
- Trauma affects how we present to the world and respond to issues
- EMDR: eye movement desensitization
- Allows body to bring memories stored in the hippocampus back to life and find peace with them
- Biofeedback
- Neurofeedback
Yulia Contacts
Studies Discussed
Mediterranean diet improves cognition: the PREDIMED-NAVARRA randomized trial. + Retraction
Effect of the NU-AGE Diet on Cognitive Functioning in Older Adults: A Randomized Controlled Trial
The effects of acute wild blueberry supplementation on the cognition of 7-10-year-old schoolchildren
Chronic effects of Brahmi (Bacopa monnieri) on human memory
