Katrina joins Anderson to talk about her 20-year cornstarch addiction, which food addiction specialist Dr. Mike Dow says can occur because of cornstarch's ability to flood the brain with serotonin. Cornstarch, however, is not the only substance that can cause such a chemical reaction.
Dr. Dow recommends turning to healthy foods that produce serotonin to boost your brain function.
Dr. Mike Dow's Brain-Booster Foods
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Low-Fat Dairy/Dairy Alternatives
Examples: unsweetened almond milk, nonfat or reduced-fat cheese, fat-free cream cheese, low-fat cottage cheese, low-fat goat's milk, play low-fat soy yogurt, plain low-fat Greek yogurt, nonfat sour cream, skim or 1% milk. -
Whole Grains and Seeds
Examples: barley, brown rice, buckwheat, flax seed, high-fiber tortilla, plain instant oatmeal, quinoa, soba noodles, spelt, steel-cut oats, whole-wheat pasta. -
Animal Protein
Be sure to eat your protein unfried & unbreaded. Examples: eggs, chicken, Cornish hen, turkey (including ground turkey or turkey bacon). -
Seafood
Favor seafood that is "wild caught," and again, be sure to eat it unfried & unbreaded. Examples: Halibut, clams, herring, mackerel, salmon, sardines, scallops, shrimp, sole, trout, tuna and white fish. -
Beans
Examples: Adzuki beans, black beans, black-eyed peas, cannellini beans, chickpeas, edamame, fava beans, great northern beans, hummus, Italian beans, kidney beans, lentil, tofu, lima beans, navy beans, soybeans, soy nuts and white beans. -
Nuts & Seeds
Only eat 10-15 per serving, favoring plain and unsalted varieties. Example: almond and other nut butters, almonds, cashews, hazlenuts, peanut butter (natural), pecans, pistachios, sunflower seeds and walnuts. -
Vegetables
Eat your vegetables raw, grilled, sauteed, steamed or juiced. Examples: beets, bell peppers, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, celery, collard greens, eggplant, kale, mushrooms, mustard greens, onions, popcorn (low fat, air-popped or microwaved), romaine lettuce, sea vegetables, spinach, squash, sweet potatoes, Swiss chard, tomatoes, turnip greens and yams. -
Fruits
Eat your fruits unsweetened, with no sugar, syrup or oil. Do not juice your fruit, eat it whole. Examples: acai berries, apples, apricots, bananas, blueberries, cantaloupe, cherries, cranberries, figs, goji berries, grapefruit, grapes, kiwis, lemons, limes, olives, oranges, papayas, pears, plantains, plums, prunes, raspberries and strawberries. -
Oils
Examples: Extra virgin olive oil for dressings and virgin olive oil for cooking. -
Spices & Herbs
Favor soothing and familiar spices and herbs. Examples: basil, cinnamon, cloves, cumin, dill, ginger, oregano, parsley, peppermint, rosemary, sage, thyme. -
Drinks & Desserts
Examples: unsweetened tea (herbal, white, red or decaf), unsweetened decaf coffee, hot water with lemon, sparkling water with a splash of fruit juice, vegetable juice, dark chocolate with at least 70% cacao, frozen plain bananas, frozen plain berries.
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