Brain Health Strategy: Intermittent Fasting

How To Revitalize Your Brain and Quickly Improve Your Memory with Intermittent Fasting

While many people know about intermittent fasting’s benefits for their waistlines, most people don’t know it has amazing benefits for improving brain and memory too.

Intermittent fasting has become a hot topic and you’ve probably seen magazine cover stories and lots of social media ads about it.

Not only is it used for weight loss, dieting and trimming those excess inches off your belly, it’s also popular for lowering blood sugar levels, heart health, anti-aging – and bodybuilders even do it.

But most people have never heard that fasting can improve their memory, eliminate brain fog, boost mental energy and stamina and provide a more positive mood

The wrinkle is that intermittent fasting isn’t easy, BUT recent innovations in nutritional science can now help you get those same benefits without intermittent fasting or boost your results if you do it.

So, if you don’t like fasting, OR you have trouble staying on your fast or being consistent, OR you find it just doesn’t work for you, then this article is for you because we’re going to reveal how you can easily tap into all those brain boosting benefits…

How Intermittent Fasting Works And Why It Is So Popular

Intermittent fasting has been scientifically shown to improve your cognitive function, your memory, your recall, and your reaction times.

If you’re new to intermittent fasting, essentially, it’s limiting yourself to an “eating window” – the time you allow yourself to eat – and not eating for an extended period, which can range from 8 to 16 hours a day.

People use intermittent fasting for weight loss, improving their metabolic health, and feeling more clarity of thinking.

And that last one is our focus here – how does intermittent fasting help your brain?

Fun Fact: Research shows that intermittent fasting for women often has even greater cognitive benefits than for men. It helps clear up the brain fog women often experience.

There are many different approaches to intermittent fasting and finding the best program that works for your lifestyle is the key to success. We have another blog post dedicated just to explaining the most common intermittent fasting schedules for weight loss (and fasting for brain health too.)

Why Intermittent Fasting Is Good For Your Brain

When you limit when and what you eat during intermittent fasting, you force your body into a state called ketosis. Ketosis is actually a form of stress for your body…but insider health coach secret: Not all stress is bad.

During ketosis, your body is forced to utilize fat as a primary energy source, and that’s where the neuroprotective benefits come in. Remember, your brain is 60% fat. The stress of ketosis signals our body to focus more resources on preserving the most essential organ – the brain.

Intermittent fasting is also a form of “stress” for your body. Probably the most significant impact of that stress is that it signals your brain to start building more brain cells, rejuvenate your old ones, and maximize how they all work.

Here’s how it works…

How To Make Your Brain “Grow”

When we are truly hungry (not hungry out of habit), our bodies start to down-regulate some functions but upregulate very important ones. Our body functions shift into survival mode. Since the brain is the most important organ when it comes to the survival of the body, it becomes a priority.

In order to function at peak performance, the body builds more brain cells and keeps your fasting brain functioning well. It does this by triggering a process to make more of a protein called Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF).

BDNF is a growth factor for your brain cells and now science is proving it’s the secret to improved brain (and body) health.

The stress of hunger stimulates the production of BDNF. Your brain cells know that they need to have a full army that can send and receive messages quickly, respond with quick reflexes, and store valuable information efficiently under stressful circumstances. Having enough BDNF ensures your brain can do all that, so the body starts the process of making more…if it has the right nutrients.

While you may feel uncomfortable during fasting periods, stay with it because your brain is actually gearing up to build itself stronger. The two things your body and brain need to make that happen are BDNF and collagen protein.

What Is The Big Deal About BDNF And WHY It Should be Your New BFF

BDNF is the key to keeping your brain sharp. It plays a critical role in learning, memory, and overall cognitive performance. It also helps our brain’s filing system of neuronal bundles stay well-organized, healthy, and lightning fast.

As with everything, our levels of BDNF tend to decline as we age; that’s why we find our mental acuity and cognitive functions also declining as we age.

The good news? Along with intermittent fasting benefits for your waistline, it has been scientifically documented to boost BDNF production…and that promotes good brain health and cognitive function throughout your life.

One reason our BDNF levels decline with age is that the body becomes less efficient at making it. We also tend to have less and less of the nutrient resources needed to make BDNF…unless you do something revolutionary to kickstart your body’s natural BDNF building functions.

By adding some very special, natural nutrients to your diet, you can stave off mental aging and cognitive decline. I’ll tell you more in a moment.

But, you’re probably wondering, why wouldn’t you use intermittent fasting?

Well, intermittent fasting is not as easy as it sounds.

The Problems with Intermittent Fasting – And How To Overcome Them

Intermittent fasting offers many benefits, but it’s not without its challenges.

Many people struggle with maintaining their fasting schedule, which can lead to brain fog and even muscle loss.

And most people experience energy dips, mental fatigue, mood swings, headaches, exhaustion, and muscle soreness. And sometimes, you’re just downright hungry.

But if you break your fasting time too early, you defeat all the hard work and lose those fasting benefits. Don't let these challenges trip you up!

Nutritional science has provided a simple solution and now I’ll share two secrets to help you overcome these problems…

Secret 1: How To Get Through Ketosis More Easily

Ketosis can make you hungry + angry aka hangry…

…and that’s a common stumbling block to being able to stay consistent with intermittent fasting.

If you get headaches, mood swings, energy slumps, and are hungry before your eating window arrives, I have a simple way to help you avoid those hangry feelings…

You can provide your body with the protein it’s craving but without triggering your body’s digestive response or blood sugar significantly enough that it takes you out of ketosis with just 1 tablespoon of liquid collagen micropeptides.

Triple hydrolyzed liquid collagen is broken down to such a great extent that the resulting liquid is easily absorbed right into your digestive tract and bloodstream with no digestion or further breakdown needed.

In fact, this is why it’s the only collagen peptides doctors have used for over 40 years in hospitals, and clinics treating even the most severely ill patients.

Collagen in its regular form is a really big molecule that requires a significant amount of digestive energy to get even some of the protein benefits. The process of digestion throws your body right out of ketosis. Liquid micropeptides help you stay in ketosis, support your body’s nutritional needs, but they won’t break your fast.

The worst feeling is almost getting to the sweet spot of ketosis and ruining it because you just couldn’t overcome the hunger pangs and hangry feelings.

The good news is that now you don’t have to!

Secret 2: You Can Skip The Fasting AND Still Build BDNF!

If intermittent fasting isn’t for you, don’t worry—you can still boost your BDNF levels!

Recent advancements in nutritional science mean you can enjoy brain-boosting benefits without having to fast.

Researchers have now discovered that just using a unique extract from coffeeberries (the fruit that surrounds the coffee bean) along with a newly available specially formed collagen (not regularly available collagen peptide powder) prompts the same BDNF building without having to fast. And, there’s no need to stress your body to have it go into brain building mode.

If you want to get results faster, you use intermittent fasting with these clinically tested nutrients. But you don’t have to go for long periods of time without eating to get the same intermittent fasting benefits.

Coffeeberry Extract: The Hidden Nutrient We’ve Been Throwing Away For Years

Ironically, the very nutrient that builds BDNF fast (the fruit) has been thrown away for years as we focused on the pleasure of the coffee bean.

Coffeeberry is a nootropic nutrient meaning it helps improve our cognitive function. Brain hackers have used coffee for years, but now researchers have found that the berry that surrounds the bean is the secret to increasing your brain health and cognitive abilities.

Health Direct, who were the first to introduce medical-grade collagen to the public over 25 years ago (long before collagen powders were available) recently introduced the world’s first nootropic collagen using this patented BDNF building Coffeeberry.

This nootropic collagen innovation provides BDNF building nutrients for your brain and body from coffeeberry extract along with two unique collagen “dipeptides” that help preserve your brain’s mass.

There is no other liquid collagen product in the marketplace that incorporates both proven nutrients to build your brain. A few other nutrients have been added to increase blood flow to your brain for added brain-building nutrition and two building blocks for important neurotransmitters.

Because of this unique formulation, you can get the fasting for brain health benefits without ever limiting when or what you eat.

Yes, you really can skip fasting but still get all the fasting brain health benefits. In fact, in double-blind clinical studies, research has proven you can increase your BDNF levels by 143% in just 60 minutes with 1 ounce of liquid nootropic collagen a day.

First Ever Nootropic Collagen Can Super-Charge Your Intermittent Fasting Benefits and Your Brain

You’re probably familiar with the health benefits of collagen – hair, skin, nails, lean muscle mass, etc.; it’s a powerhouse. For those who practice intermittent fasting, it can help also help ramp up your results – both in your brain and body.

AminoMind is the only specialized liquid nootropic collagen that focuses on brain health, specifically supporting BDNF production. With or without fasting, you get all the cognitive function benefits, fasting support if you need it, and brain preserving collagen when you combine the nutrients in AminoMind. This is especially true for women.

I like to say that AminoMind is brains and beauty in a bottle.

Mix 1 tablespoon with 8 ounces of water to start your day and watch the brain fog clear, your concentration and ability to multitask increase, and your memory continue to improve all while your skin looks better, you sleep more restfully, and you soon wake with lustrous hair and beautiful, strong nails.

To Fast Or Not To Fast – It’s No Longer A Question

Imagine having the ultimate shortcut to better brain and body health in one tasty tablespoon a day.

Some people enjoy the structure of intermittent fasting in their day. Most people have focused on the research that has shown that intermittent fasting is great for your health, it’s only recently that the benefits for the brain have become important too.

Incorporating intermittent fasting and AminoMind into your daily routine can significantly enhance your brain health, give you a sharper memory and help you enjoy a long life with overall better mental function.

But if intermittent fasting isn’t for you…now you know you can get significant, noticeable results even without fasting thanks to new, cutting-edge research. The proven science behind coffeeberry extract and the uniquely formed dipeptides in Health Direct’s new form of collagen both work to help your brain build and perform better.

Trying one or the other will give you great results; but, when you combine them, you’ll become an anti-aging, super-connected brain powerhouse…with or without fasting.

Now, the only real decision you need to make is which flavor you’d like your BDNF building nootropic collagen in: Blackberry or Passionfruit Guava.

Want to Learn More?

If you aren't familiar with BDNF and its role in brain health, you can check out some of our past articles:

• “Unlocking the Secrets of Brain Health,”
• “How Your Brain Works,”

• “The Aging Brain.”

• See why your gut is called "the second brain."
• What does it take to be a "super ager!"
• What is oxidative stress.
• What are ketones and ketosis.
• How collagen protect the extracellular matrix (ECM) of your brain.
• Sleep is important and part of your intermittent fasting "schedule."

References

• Chen, A., Xiong, L.-J., Tong, Y., and Mao, M. (2013). Neuroprotective effect of brain-derived neurotrophic factor mediated by autophagy through the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway. Mol. Med. Rep. 8, 1011–1016.
• Mattson, M. P., Moehl, K., Ghena, N., Schmaedick, M., and Cheng, A. (2018). Intermittent metabolic switching, neuroplasticity and brain health. Nat. Rev. Neurosci. 19, 63–80.
• Mattson, M. P. (2019). An evolutionary perspective on why food overconsumption impairs cognition. Trends Cognitive Sci. 23, 200–212.
• Mattson, M. P., and Arumugam, T. V. (2018). Hallmarks of brain aging: Adaptive and pathological modification by metabolic states. Cell. Metab. 27, 1176–1199

About the Author

Lisa Moretti is a Certified Health Coach from the Institute of Integrative Nutrition (IIN), the largest nutrition school in the world.  She was at the top of her cohort in 2015.  She's professionally been involved in the natural health and supplement world since 1981.