YOUR MINI RESOLUTION EAT MORE “FnVs” • WEEK 1

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CCP helps you stay on track!
  
Use our log to to track your progress toward our mini resolution. This month, we’re looking to up our fruit and veggie (FnVs) consumption!
 
For questions or assistance, email your Motivated Mondays Coach Michele McCambridge:
 
[email protected]

​INTRODUCING YOUR NEXT MINI RESOLUTION: EAT MORE “FnVs”!

This month, your mini resolution is to strive for 7 servings of fruit and vegetables (FnVs) a day. For the next several weeks, we will provide you with different strategies to achieve your daily goal and will include recipes. We will also continue to track success with hydration, exercise, and sleep. Record it all in your log!
 
Wondering what counts as a serving of fruit & veggies? Here is a handy graphic you may refer to when logging your intake!

HEALTHY BRAINS LOVE FRUIT AND VEGGIES!

One aspect of a healthy brain diet is prioritizing fruit and vegetables.
 
To be clear, fruit & veggies (FnVs) shouldn’t comprise the entirety of one’s plate, but a substantial portion is recommended. This is because FnVs are chock full of micronutrients, antioxidants and fiber which either outright prevent neurodegeneration or slow disease progression once it has initiated. Here is how:

• Micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) and antioxidants in FnVs quench neurological inflammation and oxidative stress preserving neurons (brain cells). The brain is particularly sensitive to the free radical damage caused by inflammation. Alzheimer’s disease has been referred to as a “brain on fire” due to the inflammation often associated with the disease.

 

• Antioxidants in FnVs also fortify the junctions in the blood brain barrier- which is a selective gatekeeper designed to protect the brain. Tight junctions keep pathogens and toxins out.

 

• Some antioxidants directly impact memory and Executive Function.

 

• Some vitamins and minerals in FnVs enhance communication between neurons by providing precursor nutrients for the production of certain neurotransmitters, such as melatonin, serotonin and dopamine.

 

• Fiber in FnVs is critical for a diverse gut microbiome (GMB), there is a direct connection between diversity in the GMB and neurodegenerative diseases. We have a future mini resolution about the GMB.

 

• All the nutrition in FnVs (fiber, micronutrients and antioxidants) is critical for preventing chronic diseases which are independent risk factors for neurodegeneration, such as hypertension, diabetes, CKD, obesity, and cardiovascular disease.

AND… DID YOU KNOW?

Increasing your daily consumption of FnVs essentially crowds out poor food choices. One study found that replacing 10% of ultra-processed foods (UPFs – as discussed last week!) in the diet with minimally processed foods participants lowered risk of dementia by 19%.

 
WHY 7 SERVINGS?
 
You might be saying, “Hey, why so many? The government says I only need 5 servings a day!” Keep in mind, government recommendations for nutrition are minimal standards to support life and prevent overt disease (think scurvy or rickets). We are looking to optimize our nutrition to build brains which are resilient to degeneration. A meta-analysis found that in a stepwise fashion, every 100 grams of FnVs each day (1/2 cup) was related to a 13% reduction in the risk of cognitive impairment and dementia. So, we are reaching beyond the government recommendations.
 
If you are already consuming 7 servings a day, we don’t want you to be bored! We offer you the opportunity to participate in a challenge to eat 30 different types of plant-based foods a week.

 
IS IT TOO LATE TO MAKE A CHANGE?
 
Some of you may be thinking it’s too late in life to make dietary changes, but recent studies on cognitive function have shown people over age 60 benefit more from increased FnV consumption than children and adolescents. What aspect of cognitive function is most impacted by FnVs intake? Executive function (specifically verbal memory) is linked to a diet high in FnVs.
 
Blueberries and green leafy vegetables in particular are frequently cited in research for their cognitive benefits. One study found those who consumed at least two servings a day of green leafy vegetables were cognitively younger by 11 years than those who rarely or never consumed them.

 
MINI RESOLUTIONS WORK TOGETHER!

Our resolutions interact synergistically! You can revisit the content from our past mini resolutions here.

Exercise & FnVs
A longitudinal study found those who both exercise and consume a diet high in FnVs demonstrate exponentially less cognitive decline than those who only reported each independent variable.
Sleep & FnVs
Another study found that self-reported daily consumption of FnVs can buffer the cognitive impairment associated with poor sleep quality and atypical sleep duration (both too much and too little).

We’ll see you next week for a NEW mini resolution!