BRAIN FOOD: EAT LESS, KNOW MORE

By Susan M. Galardi

Dieting makes you smart. That's the message from a study conducted at the University of Munster in Germany. The results indicated that even short-term, minimal weight loss can give your mind a good jolt.

Participants who cut their normal caloric intake by 30% had better scores on a word-learning task based on memory, suggesting sharper mental function. One group was assigned to the caloric restriction (CR) regime, but still ate at least 1,200 calories; a second group added or substituted heart-healthy fats to their diets, the third group made no changes. After three months, the CR group, in addition to losing an average of eight pounds, was the only one that showed significant mental improvements. The more weight lost, the better the verbal memory score.

So there were two legitimate reasons to commit to a diet. Lose weight, get smart. I decided to give it a try. I wouldn't change anything about my diet, I'd just eat 1/3 less than usual.

Last week we had a pizza at work. I'd already eaten a small sandwich at around 11:00, but by the time the pizza arrived at 1:00, I was hungry. Because I didn't forgo 1/3 of the sandwich, I wasn't thinking clearly so I ate a piece of pizza. I wrote myself a PostIt note, reminding me to eat 1/3 less, and inked a little "30%" sign on my right hand.

Later, at dinner, I put 30% less rice and 70% of a chicken breast on my plate. I didn't cut down on the salad. That never counts. For dessert, my son had cookie dough ice cream. Because I was so mentally alert from my CR dinner, I remembered that I had eaten half a chocolate croissant, so I passed on the ice cream. How wise of me. It was working already!

As our son slurped his cone and picked out the little chunky parts, my brain was on fire. Memories came flooding back. I recalled how much I love cookie dough. I remembered with crystalline clarity how perfectly it goes with vanilla ice cream. As I was about to stick a spoon into the carton, I remembered something else: I was on a diet.

The next morning at breakfast, my mental acuity was almost overtaken by ravenous hunger, but I could still make out the "30%" sign on my hand so I poured a 2/3-portion of cereal into the bowl.

No doubt, this dieting had really got me thinking. And thinking. Although I was mostly thinking about dieting: How long I could keep it up? How much more would I remember if I reduced portions further? What if I increased my coffee intake? Would it create that speedy feeling that results in uncontrollable talking?

But how much smarter do I have to get, really? Aren't I intelligent enough? If I get any smarter, I might start analyzing every life choice. Then what?

I had a few bites of cereal. It calmed my mind.

Then I remembered something else. About five years ago, I had gone on the Atkins diet - really did it by the book. Absolutely no carbs at the beginning. Not so much as a leaf of arugula. The first day I felt great. Filled with energy and the excitement of being able to eat large portions of bacon. By the second day, I started to feel a little woozy, speedy. By day three I felt faint, my head was spinning and I thought I might pass out. I lay on the couch and my partner spoon-fed me Ben & Jerry's ice cream. That brought me back to a calm and happy feeling which leads to an urge to stay on the couch and watch TV.

With the mental agility of an air traffic controller, I snapped myself out of that reverie and back to the present, finished my cereal and went to work.

I was productive that day. Sharp as a tack, if not a little on the edge by 11 a.m. Someone left a tray of blondies by the coffee machine. I cut off a piece, then, remembering my diet, made the intelligent decision to remove 1/3 of the chunk I was about to eat. Well wasn't I the smarty pants?

It went on like this for a week. I felt great. I felt quick-witted. I felt accomplished. I felt ...

Hungry. And a bit mentally exhausted from all that thinking. And then, like a shot from the dark, something very important came to mind: I remembered how much I hated dieting.

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