Fueling Your Brain for Life: The Best (and Worst) Foods for Brain Health

You are either feeding your brain—or you’re feeding inflammation.

The foods you eat each day are not neutral. They either build up your memory, focus, and clarity—or they tear them down. Let’s stop pretending that our brain health is disconnected from what we’re putting in our mouths. It's not.

Your brain is 60% fat. It needs fat. It needs nutrients. It needs the right kind of fuel.

The Worst Offenders: What to Eliminate Now

Let’s talk about the brain flamers—the ingredients that destroy memory, lower BDNF, and light the fire of neuroinflammation:

🚫 Added sugars – Especially refined sugars found in packaged foods and drinks.
🚫 Seed oils – These include canola, soybean, corn, sunflower, and safflower oil. Highly processed, oxidized, and toxic to the brain.
🚫 Hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated oils – Common in processed snacks and baked goods. These oils do nothing but clog your neurons.

If you're reading labels—and you should be—look for these ingredients and stay away as often as possible. Do I do it perfectly? No. But 80–90% of the time? Yes.

The Brain Healers: What to Add In

🧠 Wild berries (blueberries, raspberries, blackberries) – The most anti-inflammatory fruits for the brain. Rich in antioxidants and brain-protective polyphenols.
🧠 Kefir – A fermented superfood that floods the brain and gut with powerful probiotics. Look for local, raw sources like Kelly Farms or Horse Myer’s.
🧠 Fish rich in DHA – Sardines, mackerel, anchovies, salmon, and herring. (Think: SMASH.) DHA is the primary fat your brain craves.
🧠 Healthy fats – Grass-fed butter, ghee, coconut oil, macadamia nuts, olive oil. These fats feed your brain and reduce inflammation.
🧠 Pink or Celtic salt – Full of minerals like magnesium and potassium. Avoid the white, stripped-down table salt.

When you eat these healing foods consistently, you’re flooding your brain with what it needs to regenerate. These nutrients raise BDNF—your brain’s miracle molecule.

The Coffee Conversation

Yes—coffee can be brain-boosting. When consumed the right way.

☕ Research shows that 3–5 cups a day is associated with a 65% reduced risk of dementia.
☕ Coffee raises BDNF and contains polyphenols that impact gene expression.
☕ But beware: sugar, synthetic creamers, and low-quality beans destroy the benefits.
☕ Choose organic whole beans, grind them fresh, and brew with a French press for max benefit.

Bonus: coffee and kefir both stimulate bifidobacterium—a powerful anti-inflammatory probiotic.

Stop Fearing Cholesterol—Start Understanding It

Your brain is made of cholesterol. When you take cholesterol-lowering drugs (like statins) long-term, you’re depleting your brain’s raw material.

⚠️ Many statin users report memory loss and confusion.
⚠️ When they come off the meds (under guidance), brain function often improves within weeks.
⚠️ Low LDL is actually linked to increased risk of Parkinson’s by up to 350%.

Your doctor may not tell you this—but the research is clear: Your brain needs fat and cholesterol to function.

Like Feeds Like: Your Brain Needs Brain Nutrients

There’s a principle I teach: Like feeds like. Liver supplements nourish the liver. Brain nutrients nourish the brain.

✅ Extra virgin olive oil – Monounsaturated and protective.
✅ Pecans, walnuts, macadamias – Loaded with brain-boosting fats.
✅ Fish oil & MCT oil – Cross the blood-brain barrier and fuel your neurons.
✅ DHA supplements – Proven to boost memory and learning, and slash Alzheimer’s risk by up to 50%.