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The High Performance Journal

3 Ways Having A Big Belly Destroys Your Brain

get lean Jul 25, 2022

I was at dim sum the other day with a bunch of my wife's friends.

We were having a good time talking about a range of topics from DMT to bachelor parties over some yummy siu mai.

One of the guys I was talking to was getting married in July. During covid, he had dropped 35 lbs off his body and was looking great.

If there's one thing you should know about me is that I love seeing people take control of their lives and transform their bodies. It's my passion if you don't know already ;)

I grilled him about how he lost the weight as well as benefits he's gained from his journey.

One of the things he mentioned was how clear his thinking became. He was able to focus better and found himself to be less moody.

He thought it was the exercise and healthy eating and it was a big part.

But I knew it was deeper than that.

You see, belly fat is not only harmful to the body it's harmful to the brain.

Aside from increased risk of heart disease, diabetes, and certain types of cancer not that many people know about the effects it has on the mind.

Having a big belly can downright mess your mind up if you're not careful.

Here's how...


1. Big bellies can reduce the size of your brain.

There was a study done with 1000 participants that found people who had a high BMI and large waist sizes had the lowest grey matter in the brain.

Grey matter is what determines self control & mood. The more fat you have in your belly the less self control & moodier you may become.

2. Having a big belly can impact memory.

The loss of grey matter affects the hippocampus, which is regulates memory.

Studies have shown that belly fat and having a high BMI can impact your memory in a negative way.

This may be due to inflammation as a result of having too much visceral fat.

3. Having a big belly can lead to neurological disease.

As you age, having a big belly has been associated with diseases such as dementia, Parkinsons and Alzheimers.

After you pass mid-age the chances of having a mental disorder due to a high BMI skyrocket.

One of the things I mention to my clients all of the time is that you rarely, if ever, see obese 80-year-olds. The body and brain are not equipped to handle that much fat into old age.

Now there are a few reasons why having a big belly is detrimental to your mental health.

One of them is the fact that it decreases cerebral blood flow. As your weight goes up all regions of the brain go down in activity and blood flow.

Another is that your gut is your second brain. It communicates with the brain playing a key role in disease prevention & your mental health.

Feeding your body high-calorie foods devoid of nutrients and having too much fat harms this communication channel.

This is why your physical health affects your mental health.

So what can you do about this?

The first step is awareness. You know the dangers of having too much fat can be to your body but now you know how it can affect your brain.

The second step is prioritization. If you want to be the best version of yourself you can be you need to prioritize your health and give it the attention it deserves.

The final step is simple:

Take the actions needed to trim your belly fat down & get your body metabolically healthy.

I'll talk more about the how in the next email.

For now, keep your body healthy as if your brain and body depend on it.

Onwards and upwards,

- Dan

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