13 Comments
Feb 8Liked by Annie Fenn, MD

I was looking at the bottom of the newsletter and couldn't find the recipe for chocolate figs. Can you point me in the right direction. Also made the seafood chowder from your cookbook. So delicious.

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So happy you like the soup! You’ll find the figs recipe here: https://brainhealthkitchen.substack.com/p/5-brain-healthy-things-im-into-this-596

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Feb 4Liked by Annie Fenn, MD

Can raisins be included in brain healthy berries?

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Yes, in small amounts as they can be high in sugar. But they are rich in flavonoids and fiber.

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Feb 2Liked by Annie Fenn, MD

This is so helpful, thank you!! Question: I’ve recently learned about the product CocoaVia and its supposed benefits for cognitive health . Have you addressed it specifically somewhere?

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Hi Carla. Yes, I did a detailed article about that in this post: https://brainhealthkitchen.substack.com/p/fudgy-quinoa-brownies

and also in the Supplements guide that you can download from this post: https://brainhealthkitchen.substack.com/p/are-supplements-that-promise-better

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Feb 2Liked by Annie Fenn, MD

Excellent summary and reminder - I will keep it as a reference. Thank you!

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Thanks so much Maggie!

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Feb 2Liked by Annie Fenn, MD

Hi Annie,

Thanks for this summary. I do want to review it later.

But for now, I just want to say that I am so glad you are working on article about Twins Study. I watched the movie and here are a few things I am concerned about. Many vegan foods are highly processed and contain starch of one kind or another (empty of nutrients, highly processed, no fiber, high glycemic index), emulsifiers and gums (both of which may have serious negative affects on gut microbiome). I would very much appreciate your take on how problematic emulsifiers and gums may be!!

Also the film left me wondering how in the real world people are going to be able to get sufficient protein (generally , as you stated, 2/3 to 1 gram per pound of a healthy body weight)! In the movie they said that even that young man who exercised a lot (the student nurse) wasn't eating enough food to meet his calorie needs and by inference I think they were saying he didn't meet his protein needs either.

Lastly, this movie made me go grocery shopping for vegan foods to try. But I didn't find a lot I wanted to put into my cart even though I went to Whole Foods and Mom's Organic Market. So, I would love to see a shopping list for the vegan foods that at least do not have problematic ingredients in them, like those I mentioned above, and of course, also no artificial flavors and colors, preservatives and other chemicals. Maybe we could crowd source such a list right here through comments or you can think of another way. I'll get this started:

Miyoko's Plant Milk Cream Cheese, Classic Plain

Miyoko's Plant Milk Butter

So glad you are doing all you are doing. You are helping a lot of people!

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Hi Leni! Yes, as I started digging into the Twin Study I kept finding more and more that we all should talk about. Undereating was a big issue, as was protein content of the food. I love your idea of sourcing vegan foods that fit the brain-healthy criteria. I must admit I don't use a lot of vegan food products for all the reasons you stated. Thanks for weighing in! More soon.

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Feb 3·edited Feb 3Liked by Annie Fenn, MD

Annie, one more thing I want to ask about as you are pondering the Twin Study and the movie, You Are What You Eat. About protein. I think you said that the research shows that we do not need to limit protein per meal (eating occasion) to 20 or 30 grams, because new research debunks that old idea. And so it's OK to have, for example, 40 or 50 grams of protein at a meal because our bodies can still utilize the protein. Can you please tell us where to find that new research that shows that we do not need to limit our protein intake per eating occasion to 30 grams or so? What study was that? Thanks!!!

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The studies bounced back and forth for several years regarding protein intake timing for optimal muscle synthesis, but this meta-analysis pretty much put the timed workouts/ protein issue argument to rest. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022316622021897

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Hi Leni, I can't recall the source off the top of my head but I'll get back to you!

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