Psychedelic therapy Netherlands

Diet truffle ceremony

In the weeks before we guide an individual truffle ceremony, we advise our clients to focus on nutrition, exercise and supplements. A diet for the truffle ceremony is not necessary, but we do recommend it. A diet is based on the test we do for the neurotransmitters. If we give attention to the entire body, the truffle ceremony also works better.

Sample diet truffle ceremony

To give you an example, you can go through the diet below. This is taken from our blog: Antidepressant Diet. This advice is a basis when we treat a client with depression. It's general advice. We can make personal additions as soon as we learn more about our customer in question.

Anti-depression diet?

Depression can have different and multiple causes. Poor nutrition in combination with psychological stress is the cause in most cases. Tackling the psychological stress with nutrition works to a certain extent, especially if the stress enters the subconscious through anxiety. To fully tackle the fear in the subconscious, we provide help in the form of trip therapy. Nutrition does tackle the basics so that depression can be better fought and in some cases the depression can be completely resolved. If the diet is right, the neurotransmitters in the brain will restore balance and that provides a basis for more positive thoughts.

Most diets focus on the body. It is mainly about losing weight as quickly as possible and whether that is done in a healthy or unhealthy way is often subordinate to the optical result or what the scale says.

The nutritional advice below is written to help you feel better about yourself. The effect is mainly on the brain, but the body also benefits from it. One cannot do without the other, because the brain is also an organ of the body. This nutritional advice is more of a guideline than a chewed-out diet. We give you the ingredients with which you have to combine yourself, but the nice thing is that you will notice a difference within a few days.

Free radicals

Breathing fills the body with oxygen, which the mitochondria (the powerhouses of your cells) use to make fuel for the body. They leave behind free radicals, the part of the oxygen they can't use. This oxygen is very reactive and wants to connect with anything and that then oxidizes (like iron rusts).

A few free radicals are good; they destroy damaged cells so you can replace them. But excess free radicals begin to attack strong cells, causing inflammation and premature aging. Chronic stress, toxins from smog and low-quality indoor air, mold, sugar, pesticides, and many other trappings of modern life produce high-level free radicals that reduce the release of serotonin and BDNF from inflammation in the body, causing depression or anxiety. even depression.

More info about BDNF and serotonin

Polyphenols against free radicals

All vegetables contain polyphenols that neutralize free radicals and prevent them from causing damage. Low inflammation increases blood flow to your brain, giving it the oxygen to produce more energy. Increased blood flow gives you stable energy and focus. Polyphenols also help you make more BDNF (Brain-derived neurotrophic factor), a protein that drives neurogenesis. Neurogenesis ensures that you build new brain cells.

Dark green vegetables are a good source of polyphenols. For an extra anti-inflammatory boost, add dark red, purple, and blue plants. They often have the strongest polyphenols in the highest amounts. Here are some of the most potent polyphenol sources:

 Coffee contains special polyphenols that protect high-fat cells and the brain is made up of some of the fattiest cells in your body. Coffee is strongly neuroprotective. Coffee should be drunk in moderation and no later than 13:00 in connection with sleep. More than two cups of coffee a day will actually work against your health, so drink in moderation.

Green tea contains theanine and catechins, both of which prevent cognitive decline. Theanine also improves attention and mood when you combine it with caffeine, so take your green tea with caffeine. You won't find green polyphenols in coffee. Drink a cup of each for extra cognitive performance in the morning.

Blueberries get their deep blue color from anthocyanins, powerful polyphenols that increase blood flow and dramatically extend lifespan in animals. Blueberry polyphenols also directly increase BDNF, helping you create new brain pathways. Blueberries are fairly low in sugar, but they still have a few grams, so stick to two handfuls a day.

Pomegranates contain ellagitannins, special polyphenols that go directly into your mitochondria and protect them from damage. In addition, you break intestinal bacteria pomegranate into something called urolithins, which may protect the brain from cognitive decline. Stick to a few handfuls of pomegranate seeds a day. Avoid ready-made juices with pomegranate, which contain more sugar and much less polyphenols.

Red cabbage contains anthocyanidins that are particularly potent to fight inflammation. They give red cabbage its colour; white or green cabbage does not have the same powerful effect.

ORAC list. The ORAC list contains foods with a lot of antioxidants. Antioxidants absorb free oxygen and thus also prevent inflammation.

See the ORAC list of foods here

Good fats. Most polyphenols are fat soluble, so make sure you get them with a good dose of good fats, which we write about below.

Saturated fat to keep your brain cells insulated

The brain contains about 60% fat, of which 25% is cholesterol. If you've ever been on a low-fat diet and always felt tired or unfocused, now you know why: You're starving the brain of one of its most important components.

Brain cells send signals to each other along long nerve cell connections. Many of the nerve cell connections are covered in myelin sheaths, fatty coatings that insulate your brain cells so that electrical signals travel more quickly through your brain. It is similar to the way electricity travels through an insulated wire.

As myelin begins to break down, electrical communication in the brain slows down. That is the moment when one forgets keys and loses the train of thought. Myelin is made almost entirely from cholesterol. Cholesterol is also the basis for all sex hormones: testosterone, estrogen, cortisol (which is needed in healthy amounts), and so on. Give the body enough cholesterol to work with and it balances the hormones.

Not too many carbohydrates should be eaten in addition to saturated fat. Carbohydrates, especially the fast sugars, cause oxidative inflammation that ultimately causes cardiovascular disease (oxidized LDL and saturated fats). In other words, it's the inflammation from excess sugars that weaken the heart, not just the saturated fat. A low-carb (mainly low-sugar), anti-inflammatory diet is ideal for most people.

Best sources of saturated fat and cholesterol

Grass-fed butter. Note the sunny yellow color and creamy consistency. White or waxy butter is a sign that the cow that produced it ate a poor diet, so the butter is also not of good quality.

Eggs. Free-range, grass-fed and omega 3 eggs are the best choice. Avoid eggs from grain-fed chickens.

Dark chocolate. Watch out for added sugar. The darker the better. The best is as unprocessed as possible such as cocoa nibs. Chocolate is also full of polyphenols.

Grass-fed beef and lamb. Go for the fattiest ground beef available. It is usually the cheapest because most people think fat is bad, but grass-fed beef and lamb are not.

Omega-3s against inflammation and brain structure

There are two types of omega-3s that are very good for the brain. Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) competes with omega-6 fats, reducing inflammation throughout the body and your brain in particular. Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is the main structural component of your brain and central nervous system. In fact, there is strong evidence that high-DHA diets played a major role in the evolution of the modern human brain.

DHA is one of the most important factors in sharp memory and brain cell integrity. It is also essential for mood: A global study of fish consumption, DHA levels and depression showed that eating more DHA-rich fish strongly correlates with greater happiness. It is not a proven cause and effect relationship, because the relationship could also be the other way around, namely that happy people eat more fish.

The third type of omega-3 is alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), this omega-3 is found in plants. The body cannot use ALA, so it converts it to DHA and EPA, but the conversion is inefficient. You only convert about 6% from ALA to DHA/EPA. All those superfood companies claiming that their plant-based products are high in omega-3 are using deceptive marketing; with the exception of a few types of algae, plants only contain ALA, which doesn't actually do you much good. Get your omega-3s from animal fats (or algae, if you're vegetarian/vegan).

Here are top sources of omega-3 fatty acids (DHA and EPA):

Wild-caught, low-mercury fish. Alaskan salmon, anchovies, sardines, mackerel and trout are all good sources. Make sure they are wild caught, and if you get them canned, make sure the cans are BPA free.

Fish / krill oil. Krill oil tends to be a bit better, but it's also more expensive.

Grass-fed organ meats also contains a lot of omega-3 fatty acids. Brains are by far the best source. Avoid cow brain due to history with mad cow disease, but lamb brain is excellent if you can find it. Heart, liver and kidneys are also high in DHA and EPA. Make sure your organ meats are grass-fed.

What else can you eat?

We have previously written about how you can create more BDNF with diet and lifestyle and thus fight depression. We recommend that you read the section on nutrition. You can easily combine the nutritional advice contained therein with the information in this article. This information together is a very good basis for a healthy body and mind.

Read more here nutrition, BDNF and depression

Supplements

Supplements can be a welcome addition to your diet. We've written about that before.

Read here which supplements work against depressive symptoms

Other things to consider

Including the above foods in your diet is a solid foundation for a fast, resilient brain that is more resistant to depression. This article covers the tip of the iceberg: you can stimulate your brain even more by eating even fewer carbohydrates and more healthy fat and occasional fasting. Fasting can have a cleansing effect. Even part-time fasting works. Only eating between 12:00 and 18:00 for a few weeks can already give a greater improvement.