Life Fit Chat with That's Fit Life Fit Expert Laura Lewis brings conversation provoking tidbits to your table, served up with a touch of spice! Byte-sized information that pack some punch, brought to you every Wednesday, Thursday and Friday!

Did you know ... What you eat might affect how happy, depressed or alert you are. Dr. Eric Beaverman, former Chief Clinical Researcher at the Princeton Brain Bio Center, a leading figure in the practice of brain-body health care, believes that proper nutrition can have an effect on the quality of our lives. The key to longevity and well-being, according to Dr. Braverman, is balancing the brain's four important neurotransmitters, which, in turn, can reverse or prevent the debilitating effects of aging, including memory loss, weight gain, sexual dysfunction and Alzheimer's. Scientists are proving that what is in the foods you eat cab effect the chemical composition of your brain. The foods you eat can affect your mood, including your level of alertness and your perception of pain. Your thinking and feeling processes are influenced by the presence or absence of certain type of chemicals that are specific to your brain and nervous system. Your parents, through their combined gene "donation" have set you up to be a biochemically unique individual. You may have a brain that is highly resilient to stress. Perhaps you thrive upon a chaotic lifestyle and end up sleeping like a baby at night. Or, you may be so sensitive that drinking one cup of coffee may throw your entire day for a loop.

The Fabulous Three ... There are three brain chemicals that influence your thoughts and feelings: dopamine, norepinephrine and serotonin. Foods high in protein supply the brain with significant amounts of the amino acid tyrosine. When protein foods are eaten, tyrosine moves right in and converts to chemicals known to enhance alertness, dopamine and norepinephrine. High protein foods increase the levels of all these amino acids and decrease the synthesis of serotonin in the brain.

When carbohydrates are eaten alone, tryptophan is introduced to the brain and serotonin, the calming brain chemical, floods the gates resulting in a general feeling of relaxation. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that has the effect of reducing pain, decreasing appetite and producing a sense of calm, and in too large of amounts inducing sleep. If by chance you eat a high protein food at the same meal as a high carbohydrate food, the protein amino acids "muscle out" the calming chemicals resulting in a stimulated state! Healthy carbohydrate foods to turn to for anti-stress includes whole grain breads and crackers, whole grain pasta, rice, cereal and fruit.

Your Brain: Up Close & Personal ...

• Proteins keep the calming chemical, serotonin, from doing its relaxing job!
• If you have trouble with drowsiness after lunch, eat a meal high in lean protein and complex carbohydrates and low in fat. Also, keep your protein portion small.
  
• Ever notice that you crave sweets when you are depressed? Low levels of serotonin will cause intense food cravings. Your brain is trying to self-medicate and raise serotonin levels.
  
• The desire to take a nap in the middle of the day is a direct result of your body's biorhythms. You can fight it with a small amount of caffeine and low-fat carbohydrate.
• Eating a high carbohydrate meal will negatively affect your performance. You will be less alert and will make more mistakes, so save it for dinner if you are going to spend a nice quiet evening at home.