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25 Mar

Nutrition and Learning: Biology, Evolution, and the Brain

  • By Cavin Balaster
  • In Articles, Uncategorized
  • 2 comments

Since this post, my nutritional perspectives have evolved (get it?). All of these principals apply, but I have modified and gotten more specific and included other ingredients and practices. Learn more at www.legacy.feedabrain.com/book

Every living organism on this planet – be it bacteria, amoebae, fungi, plants, insects or animals – has some sort of a digestive system and some sort of a nervous system. Chambers 21st Century Dictionary states that “Organisms undergo metabolism, maintain homeostasis, possess a capacity to grow, respond to stimuli, reproduce and, through natural selection, adapt to their environment in successive generations.” (1)

If evolution, or natural selection, is the basis of life and biology, and both metabolism (digestion) and a response to stimuli (nervous system) are included in the definition of a living organism, then there must be an ancient, deep, and highly evolved connection between the digestive and the nervous systems within the human body.

When one is hungry, his or her brain translates this into a need to find food. When something does not sit well in the digestive tract, the brain makes the experience quite unbearable. This connection is even so deep that we experience “gut feelings” and “butterflies in the stomach” from emotional stimuli that is unrelated to food. (2) These systems have been adapting themselves since the beginning of life, and I think that they both deserve a great deal of recognition for being such functional, evolved, and efficient systems.

I asked in an earlier post: Food for Thought “what is smart eating?” But did not answer my perspective on this, so I will here: If evolution is the basis of biology and how our bodies have evolved, would not that principle apply to our digestive system and other internal organs as well? I don’t see why not. This means that our digestive systems have also evolved to tolerate the foods that we have adapted to.

I began reading many books and following a diet that eliminated foods that some humans have shown to have difficulty digesting. It made sense to me that a diet based on biology and the evolution of our bodies would be a good starting point. I began finding online information from MDs, ODs (doctors of osteopathic medicine), NDs (doctors of naturopathic medicine), DCs (doctors of chiropractic medicine), and writers without doctorate credentials, but who articulately presented information that proved to be extremely useful. A strict medical elimination diet does not allow grains, legumes (beans), dairy, soy, refined sugar, or foods that were not eaten prior to the agricultural revolution.

Because the agricultural revolution took place 14-15 thousand years ago, and it is thought that the first life on earth began about 3.7 billion years ago, putting those 14-15 thousand years into perspective add up to an itty bitty decimal of a fraction of the evolution of what we have ultimately evolved from. When we look at just human evolution, homo-sapiens are thought to have existed 200,000 years ago, and therefore, the vast majority of human evolution (about 93%), took place prior to the agricultural revolution. (McHenry, H.M (2009). “Human Evolution”. In Michael Ruse & Joseph Travis. Evolution: The First Four Billion Years. Cambridge, Massachusetts: The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press. p. 265. ISBN 978-0-674-03175-3.)

I get frustrated with how many diets there are out there from high carb; to no carb; from grains are terrible; or fat is evil; to “it doesn’t matter as long as you burn more calories than you ingest, you won’t gain weight.” Calories are a measure of potential energy, just like joules. In fact, 1 dietary calorie = 4,184 joules. So it is indeed an oversimplification to assume that the KIND of fuel does not matter. If you were to drink gasoline, which has about 31,000 calories per gallon, it would certainly affect more than your weight. This common and over simplistic perception, unfortunately, creates even more confusion about the metabolism of the human body.
Another common perception that I hear surrounding nutrition is that “everyone is different.” While I completely agree that there are aspects that are different from person to person, these differences are within normal characteristics and structures that perform the same function. A simple example of what I mean is that we all have fingertips, but every fingerprint is different. Any organism almost always shares all of the same structural characteristics as another of the same species. Physical traits straying from these common characteristics are called “deformities” and are, by definition, the exception to the basic structure and function of the body.
Yet another perception that I often hear (and once shared) is that “we just don’t know how the human body works.” While I agree that there is a lot that is still unknown, and I used to hold this common perception to a greater degree, there is so much that we DO know. I now find this viewpoint to be very hard to believe when science has brought the human race to accomplish so many astounding advancements in every science. We have developed the internet, perfected human flight, and put a man on the moon. We have identified all of the elements in the universe (that we know of), and developed the electron microscope to identify and inspect subatomic particles of single atoms. We have split atoms to make nuclear weapons, and we have even (reportedly) accelerated subatomic particles to speeds faster than the speed of light. (8) These are only a few of the many incredible and recent achievements of mankind.
We can accomplish these outstanding feats, but can we not figure out what the hell is optimal to eat? I find the idea that we are unable to inspect our own metabolism, in order to find a better diet for human health, hard to believe. It would make more sense that much of what we do know is silenced because of the financial repercussions that certain studies may have on big companies within the food and drug industries. The USDA food pyramid and dietary recommendations, for example, are not recommended for health purposes. The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) is an organization that has interests to financially support US Agriculture. Therefore, recommendations that are made by the USDA are for the benefit of US Agriculture’s financial interests… not human health.

The facts are this: the USA consists of at least 30% of THE WORLD’S obese population! This figure has skyrocketed to its current percentage since we have introduced highly processed foods, trans fats, GMOs and high fructose corn syrup into our diet; all of which are foods that the human race had never previously consumed before they were introduced in the early/mid 1900s. (3), (4)

We did not do over 50 year tests on highly processed foods, trans fats, artificial sweeteners, GMOs, and high fructose corn syrup before pushing them onto the American people and other countries; WE are the guinea pigs! I think that new foods could possibly be beneficial, but I, for one, will be cautious about being a guinea pig to study the long term effects. This epidemiological experiment that we have all been a part of has shown a pretty strong correlation that the combination of these foods lead to heart disease, obesity, and other chronic diseases compared to when we ate butter rather than margarine, were not afraid of saturated fats, used lard in just about everything, and made our own damn dinners! 🙂 (5)

50-60% of the dry matter of the brain is lipid, and DHA and AA (the wrongly demonized arachidonic acid) are the most abundant fatty acids of the brain (6). Thus, it stands to reason that the brain needs them to repair itself when injured, and AA and DHA are both found in many saturated fats as well as fish oils. Additionally, our ancestors have been eating saturated animal fats for hundreds of thousands of years, so it does not make sense how these foods could suddenly be causing disease when we have adapted to them for so long. I could go on and on, but it gets exhausting and I do not want to argue with anyone. If you are interested, I would be happy to point you towards excellent resources and people that want to spread this logical message. This is one incredible and scientifically sound book by Mary Enig PhD. Mary Enig is a former editor of the Journal of the American College of Nutrition and is known for her research on the role that fats play in diet and health.

know-your-fatsA strict Paleo diet is a great starting point to eliminate most possible inflammatories, because, throughout evolution, our digestion has adapted to such foods over hundreds of thousands of years. That being said, I do not follow a strict Paleo diet anymore. I eat grains (not gluten), dairy (full fat), and some sugar. I limit all of these things, but I do enjoy them, and I feel like food is meant to be enjoyed. In fact, studies show that “stress can affect every part of the digestive system”, and a relaxed and enjoyable atmosphere promotes healthy digestion. (7) I may even eat GMOs and high fructose corn syrup at times. If I find myself at a restaurant that I would not choose, but social circumstances have brought me to, I won’t be the stickler asking the servers if they use these ingredients and stressing myself out about my options; but I do not have them in my home and I seek other options when possible.

Human evolution as it relates to digestion follows the same form of evolution as other species. There are many aspects of human evolution, however, that are quite unique. Our evolution has reached new frontiers because we, unlike any other species, have begun a form of cultural and social evolution. Teaching and learning is the basis of this intellectual evolution. Through the inventions of language, writing, and communication, our ability to intellectually evolve has grown more than exponentially. The power of books, the power of written language and the dissemination of ideas, and how these are uniquely human and profound methods that have accelerated this evolution is quite impressive. In a more in depth manner and unlike any other species, we have the ability to spread knowledge and ideas to one another. We are able to show our offspring how to play a sport or an instrument, how to drive a car, or even how to read a book. And from books, one can learn more. We are far more than “merely apes.”

Today, GPS allows humans to locate where on earth they are standing or where someone or something else is. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is getting better to be able to do everything from driving a car to translating text from one language to another; breaking down language barriers to our abilities to communicate with one another. All of these and more allow the rate at which we culturally evolve to further grow.

What has accelerated our intellectual evolution to an entirely new level is the Internet. With the advent of the Internet, an idea or lesson can be transmitted fom one side of the globe to the other in less than a second. Thus, communication is even more widespread, and therefore, so is the rate of our cultural evolution.

Online classrooms take this to an even more profound level by allowing anyone with an Internet connection to learn from a university like Duke, Princeton, Harvard, or currently 30 other top universities for free. I have been taking courses using this incredible infrastructure for about six months now, and I hereby declare coursera.org the best new thing in the world right now!

Because our intellectual evolution is based around teaching and learning, understanding the ways in which one is able to learn opens the door to allow them to learn more. Since my brain injury (and to a lesser degree before), I have had trouble staying focused on written text. I suppose my experience is that I will begin to read something, and after only a few minutes, my entire being feels as if it is pulling me from the page. I begin to think of what I need to do, what tomorrow has in store etc… As if I have a need to interact with my environment rather than to stare at words on a page.

This is a difficult position to be in, especially when I am very interested in the book or article that I am attempting to read. John Medina compiles a lot of brain studies in his very smart book, “Brain Rules”. He says “Hear a piece of information, and three days later you’ll remember 10% of it. Add a picture and you’ll remember 65%.” No wonder most people watch TV far more than they read. This makes a lot of sense, but also makes me a little sad because I enjoy writing, and so much information is in written form.

It may be because of my brain injury, but I have personally found that I learn better when I listen rather than read. This is why I intend to make an audiobook version of my story. I have found methods that help me to understand more effectively, but I am completely aware that other people learn better using entirely different methods. This subject reminds me of an earlier post: Learning How to Learn. Surrounding my own difficulties reading, it could possibly be a result of my brain injury that pulls me from the page every time that I attempt to read… Perhaps some people simply learn better when they see or hear something rather than read something… Or perhaps it is the animal instinct (or Paleolithic man) within us all.

I think about my body, my organs, my digestion, and my brain from an evolutionary perspective. It is what makes sense to me. And when something makes sense to me, I am much more inclined to take into account the aspects of it and make informed choices from it. Understanding where humans came from allows us to better understand what we are and where to go from here.

“To get where we want to go, we have to understand where we are and how we got here.”

-Will and Susan of OraWellness.com

 

Works Cited:

  1. http://www.chambers.co.uk/search.php?query=Organism&title=21st
  2. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21750565
  3. http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs311/en/index.html
  4. http://web.archive.org/web/20051018105337/http://www.thesoydailyclub.com/SFC/MSPproducts501.asp
  5. http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/adult.html
  6. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3480864/
  7. http://www.everydayhealth.com/health-report/better-digestion/how-stress-affects-digestion.aspx
  8. http://www.geekosystem.com/cern-faster-than-light/
Tags:DAIEvolutionHealthLearningNutritionPaleo
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Cavin Balaster
Cavin sustained a severe TBI that left him with less than a 10% chance of recovery beyond a persistent vegetative state. His mission is now to improve the standard model of neuro-rehabilitation by bringing together the top brain and nutrition experts of our time, sharing and organizing tools to optimize brain function, and working to improve hospital nutrition worldwide.

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    Comments

  1. Ammon your Pops
    March 25, 2013

    This is an excellent treatise, Cavin. You know, I fee the same way about reading and I haven’t had a brain injury. Also, I read quite slowly too. Nevertheless, you write beautifully. You have excellent comprehensive and an impressive ability to relate your understandings in way that others can easily understand and appreciate.
    Great, thanks.
    Pops

    Reply
  2. Cavin Balaster
    December 5, 2013

    Thanks, Pops!
    It’s good to know that I’m not alone. 🙂 Thanks for the very nice words too… I love you!

    Reply

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“Cavin is a great man. A survivor… And a rock star.
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Book is great, full of recommended micro nutrient and reason why…

“Book is great, full of recommended micro nutrient and reason why they are important to brain health. But it gets redudant over time when author tried to promote his website and his online shop frequently all over the book. But this is great book nonetheless.”

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“In the hospital and ICU struggles, this book and Cavin’s experience are golden, and if we’d have had this book’s special attention to feeding tube nutrition, my son would be alive today sitting right here along with me saying it was the cod liver oil, the fish oil, and other nutrients able to be fed to him instead of the junk in the pharmacy tubes, that got him past the liver-test results, past the internal bleeding, past the brain difficulties controlling so many response-obstacles back then. Back then, the ‘experts’ in rural hospitals were unwilling to listen, ignored my son’s unexpected turnaround when we used codliver oil transdermally on his sore skin, threatened instead to throw me out, but Cavin has his own proof and his accumulated experience in others’ journeys. Cavin’s boxed areas of notes throughout the book on applying the brain nutrient concepts in feeding tubes are powerful stuff, details to grab onto and run with… hammer them!

And in general his expertise in implementation is unparalleled. His dynamite measuring empowerment of the human in a wonderland of changing everything with ‘fistful’ simplifying potency is the difference between progress and stumbling on techy adjustments in habits.. With this book you are ready to go.”

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I prefer to read about people who have lived recovery

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- T. Riley

Well written, educational, and promotes positive lifestyle changes that can be made today!

“Cavin’s personal experience and humble writing to help educate, not only people who have suffered brain injuries, but anyone interested in the best nutritional advice for optimum brain function is a great introduction to proper nutrition filled with many recommendations of how you can make a changes to your diet immediately. This book provides amazing personal insight related to Cavin’s recovery accompanied with well cited peer reviewed sources throughout the entire book detailing the most recent findings around functional neurology!

I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in learning more about nutrition and how it can impact brain function! As well as anyone willing to challenge themselves TODAY with the recommendations throughout this book!”

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“Cavin’s enthusiasm and drive to help those who need it is unparalleled! He delivers the information in an easy to read manner, no PhD required from the reader. 🙂 Having lived through such trauma himself he has real empathy for other survivors and it shows in the writing. This is a great read for anyone who wants to increase the health of their brain, injury or otherwise! Read it!!!”

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“I wish I saw this book one year ago. Thanks, Dr. Deborah Zelinsky, for asking (me) to buy it. Thanks, Cavin, for making time to talk to me. I am so happy.”

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Wonderful!

“Cavin has done an amazing job in all aspects of his life. Overcoming the horrific life threatening accident, and then going on to do whatever he can to help others with his contagious wonderful attitude. This book is an easy to understand fact filled manual for anyone, but especially those who are or are caregivers for a loved one with tbi. I also highly recommend his podcast series.”

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but I do feel better in several ways that just might be related to…

“I cannot overstate how grateful I am to Cavin for having published this book (and launched his podcast) before I needed it.”

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An absolute must for autoimmune sufferers!

“I bought this book because I didn’t want a weightloss diet, but I wanted the most optimal gut/brain food I could find to help with an autoimmune. I subscribe to Cavin’s podcast and another newsletter for gut health which also recommended this book. Also, he’s a personal friend of mine who’s recovery I have witnessed firsthand. Thank you so much for all of the research and your continued dedication to not only help yourself, but for also helping others!”

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Love this book

“Love this book! Still reading and can’t wait to see what else I learn…and I am not brain injured! Cavin has already helped me to take steps to address my food sensitivity…seems to be helping and I am only on day 5! He has also helped me to help a family member who has suffered a stroke. Thank you Cavin, for sharing all your knowledge and hard work with us! This book is for anyone that wants to understand and implement good nutrition with all the latest research to back it up. Highly recommend!”

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Great Information!

“My husband and I (Ryan Cedermark) are so impressed with the research Cavin did when writing this book. If you, a family member or friend has suffered a TBI, concussion or are just looking to be nicer to your brain, then we highly recommend this book! Your brain is only as good as the body’s internal environment and Cavin has done an amazing job on providing the information needed to obtain such!”

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The very basic concept of good nutrition among all the conflicting advertisements and various “new”

“As a neuro-optometrist who cares for many brain-injured patients experiencing visual challenges that negatively impact the progress of many of their other therapies, Cavin’s book is a god-send! The very basic concept of good nutrition among all the conflicting advertisements and various “new” food plans and diets can be enough to put anyone into a brain fog much less a brain injured survivor! Cavin’s book is straightforward and written from not only personal experience but the validation of so many well-respected contemporary health care researchers and practitioners! I will certainly be recommending this book as a “Survival/Recovery 101” resource for all my patients including those without brain injuries because we all need optimum health and well-being and it starts with proper nourishment! Kudos to Cavin Balaster!”

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One of this year’s very best health and wellness books!

“There are many health and wellness books being published daily. Do not miss the opportunity to read one of the best for this year: “How to Feed a Brain” by Cavin Balaster, a true expert on deep brain injury who writes from his personal experiences with a great sense of compassion and humanity.

You will not find a better treatment of this critically important subject. You need not have had brain injury to gain the superbly presented information Cavin provides.

For all of us who care about ourselves, friends and family – – this is a book to read and loan out…. but be careful “How to Feed a Brain” you may not get this excellent read returned!”

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A must read for everyone’s health and wellness journey!

“Such an informative and inspiring read! Insight into how optimal nutrients improved Cavin’s own brain recovery make this knowledge-filled read compelling and relatable. The recommendations are easy to understand as well as scientifically-founded – it’s not another fad diet manual. The additional tools and resources provided throughout make it possible for anyone to integrate these enhancements into their nutritional repertoire. Looking forward to more from Cavin and Feed a Brain!!!!!!”

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Relentlessly focused examination of TBI and nutrition’s affect on the brain

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The best / most practical book for TBI’ers

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Five Stars

“Great book!! Full of important information for everyone.”

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His story changes lives…

“As a physical therapist with 30+ years of experience in treating neurological disorders such as traumatic brain injury, I simply could not believe it when Cavin told me the extent of his injuries. His story opened a new door to my awareness of the incredible benefits of proper nutrition, the power of attitude and community to heal anything we have arise in our lives Cavin is an inspiration and a true way-shower for anyone looking to invest in their health and well-being. No matter the state your brain is in, you will benefit from this cutting-edge information and be very glad (and entertained) that you read this fine work.”

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- Melanie Carlone

A book that keeps on feeding

“Cavin, you are phemomenal! An incredulous journey of a near death accident scripted by an incredible man who chose to share his knowledge of healing his own broken brain. I requested our public library purchase your book because everyone, those with and without brain injuries, should have access to YOUR brain and this book. Thank you for your legacy to mankind!”

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- Fasting Filly

Very informative

“I enjoyed this book. It was full of practical information. It was easy to understand. I implemented some of the ideas in the book and they have made a positive impact for me. Not only is this book a wealth of knowledge it helps you think outside the box and piece together other ideas to research and helps you understand more about TBI and the way food might help you mitigate symptoms.”

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- Dixie

I wish I had this book when I suffered my…

“I wish I had this book when I suffered my TBIs 10 years ago, but never too late. Thank Cavin!”

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- SMack

An Enlightening Book For Anyone With A Brain

“In 183 pages, Cavin Balaster’s new book, How to Feed A Brain provides an outline and plan for how to maximize one’s brain performance. The “Citation Notes” provide all the scientific and academic documentation for further understanding. The “Additional Resources and Tips” listing takes you to Cavin’s website for more detail than could be covered in 183 pages. Cavin came to this knowledge through the need to recover from a severe traumatic brain injury and he did not keep his lessons learned to himself. This book is enlightening for anyone with a brain. We all want to function optimally, even to take exams, stay dynamic, and make positive contributions to our communities. Bravo Cavin for sharing your lessons learned!”

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- Chandini Bachman

Five Stars

“Very interesting… “back-to-basics” … the first book I read to the end in years.”

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- Kristin

Five Stars

“Helpful for those who want to have a brain boost :)”

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- Mark H. Zmudy

Excellent book if you want to be vibrant

“Excellent book if you want to be vibrant!!!! Everything you need to know to achieve excellent health overalll….not just your brain! The author’s amazing story from tragedy to good health really inspires me.”

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- Opinions on Everything

Cavin’s Balaster’s How to Feed a Brain is one the best written health nutrition books that I have ever read

“I have a bachelors degree in Nutrition Science. Cavin’s Balaster’s How to Feed a Brain is one the best written health nutrition books that I have ever read. It is evident that through his personal journey with a TBI and many years of research Cavin has gained a great depth of understanding on the biomechanics of nutrition has how it relates to the structure of the brain and nervous system, as well as how all of the body systems intercommunicate with one another. He then takes this complicated knowledge and breaks it down into a concise and comprehensive book. If you or your loved one is suffering from ANY neurological disorder or TBI please read this book.”

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- Ashley Jean Flowers

Great Resource-brain injury not required

“Cavin Balaster knows brain injury as well as any specialist. He survived a horrific accident and came out on the other side stronger than ever. His book, “How To Feed A Brain” details how changing his diet helped him to recover further from the devastating symptoms of brain injury such as fatigue and brain fog. Cavin is able to thoroughly explain complex issues in a simplified manner so the reader does not need a medical degree to understand. The book also includes comprehensive charts to simplify what the body needs and how to provide the necessary foods. “How To Feed A Brain” is a great resource for anyone looking to improve their health through diet, brain injury not required.”

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- Amazon Customer

Heal Your Brain with Nutrition

“How to Feed a Brain is an important book. It’s the book I’ve been looking for since sustaining multiple concussions in the fall of 2013. I’ve dabbled in and out of gluten, dairy, and (processed) sugar free diets the past few years, but I have never eaten enough nutritious foods. This book has a simple-to-follow guide on daily consumption of produce, meat, and water.

I appreciate how Cavin writes about important concepts, such as leaky gut and glial cells, in a clear and concise manner.

There are a large number of people attempting to recover from brain injuries that are lacking the right information on nutrition. Thanks to Cavin and his team, we have this book now.

I look forward to eating my quality vegetables, proteins, and fats every day now as I know that they will help my brain to heal.

Cavin’s story is inspirational and worth a read on its own.”

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- Jacob

Beautiful inspiring story about relearning how to live after a traumatic experience

“Amazing book and extremely inspiring story. The author is a close friend of mine and we were reunited later in life due to traumatic life experiences. Truly demonstrates the beauty and nature of the human body and the ability to bounce back. If I could rate this 6 stars I would!!!!”

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- Sammy Morrison

But I do feel better in several ways that just might be related to…

“I cannot overstate how grateful I am to Cavin for having published this book (and launched his podcast) before I needed it. I am 3.5 months out from a concussion and struggling to recover that final 25% or so of my brain and function. I fully believe that diet and lifestyle can help heal many of our ills, and this book gives me a path forward right now. Gavin’s story is inspiring, and his book is well-researched and clearly written. I am a food geek and so innately understand a lot of his advice — I’m not intimidated by the thought of drastically changing my diet because I know well how to shop and cook for myself — but I so appreciate how his gentle approach and stories about his own struggles with a new diet might help people who would find it all daunting. I am in week 2 of following his advice (and also Dr. Titus Chiu’s BrainSave plan). It’s not an instantaneous miracle cure, but I do feel better in several ways that just might be related to this diet.”

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- Sara

I love this book

“I love this book! As someone that deals with an autoimmune condition, I deal with sever brain fog. I’m currently in school and this has had a very negative impact on my learning. I have been looking for something like this to help my brain function better. This book has me thinking clearer, and my memory has improved. I’m eating healthier and overall feeling much better. This book is very easy to follow and also has some great recipes included.”

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- Jennifer Ramirez

A must read if you care about your brain and…

“A must read if you care about your brain and the assaults on it from environmental factors, including the “standard American diet”, which is really the industrial agriculture diet pushed on us by the government and giant agri-business.”

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- P. Hradkowsky

Worth the read

“Cavin Balaster is an amazing man with an amazing story. He is an inspiration and his book is a good resource for everyone who has a brain.”

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- T.

Total game-changer

“Following this way of eating has been a complete game-changer for me. I am 1 year post concussion and thought I had stalled in my recovery. Buy this book, follow the instructions, see RESULTS!”

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- Sharon Lori Parker

Five Stars

“Great read and info for anyone suffering from brain trauma.”

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- Laura-Florida

So thankful for this book

“Cavin has been an amazing resource by sharing his first hand experience on living with a brain injury. A must read!”

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- Jennifer Zapp

Cavin is a superstar brain injury survivor! He knows…

“Cavin is a superstar brain injury survivor! He knows what works & shares his knowledge with anyone who is hungry for information.”

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- Julie J. Castell

Feed your brain – read this book

“The author’s story alone is a remarkable account of not just survival, but transcendence of a near-death experience. Cavin went on to become an advocate for survival and survivors of traumatic brain injuries, discovering along the way the key role played by nutrition. But this book is not just for injury survivors. It is for anyone who wants to live (and eat) well.”

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- David L. Butler

Book that will change how you think about food!

“Very informational and well written book with practical advice on how to eat for better health. Put this on your list of books to recommend for people interested in switching to a healthier lifestyle. It can change your relationship with food by helping you understand how the food you eat affects your brain.”

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- Michelle

If you are looking to get the optimum performance out of your brain, get this book now!

“As a brain injury survivor that still deals with extreme light sensitivity, eye issues and other brain related struggles I have found a great diet is a key to brain health! Cavin’s book is a much needed guide to eating for brain health. While you can fill shelves with books that teach you good nutrition, Cavin’s book teaches you how to help your brain with what you eat. This is a much needed addition to the nutrition section! If you are looking to get the optimum performance out of your brain, get this book now! You won’t regret it.”

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- Ben

We can take care of our brains

“I am nearly four years out from my traumatic brain injury and I have been through 100’s of hours of rehabilitation therapy. I have been surprised by how little attention is given to adequate nutrition for recovering from TBI. I’m always looking for further opportunities to recover and so this book fell into the right hands. Cavin outlines the science and reasoning behind the diet he suggests, but the real power in this book comes when he writes, “WE.” WE can give our brains proper nutrition. Now I’m excited to drink smoothies and eat breakfasts that look like dinners! I will recommend this book to my friends.

(I was given a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.)”

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- Rachel J.

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