Shawn Stevenson

Maya Angelou said, “You can only become great at that thing you’re willing to sacrifice for.” And Steven Covey said, “Only the disciplined are truly free. The undisciplined are slaves to moods, appetites, and passions.”

In today’s culture of non-stop workdays, the availability of ultra-processed fast food, and the instant gratification we get from binge-watching, it’s not easy to keep up with our physical health. There’s a lot of distractions out there that are tugging on our attention — taking away from our mental and physical wellbeing and even compromising our immune system!

If you want to be great, you have to take care of your body first and foremost. And to do that, you have to be willing to sacrifice some things. The willingness to give up something in order to make a difference takes courage and commitment, but the rewards are worth the effort!

Friends, this is the final episode of the two-part series with my special guest, Shawn Stevenson.  So, if you missed part one, make sure to check it out because there were plenty of valuable things we talked about in the first part. If you were here for part one, then get ready for part two.

In this episode, we discussed how fear affects your brain and body, the simple ways you can start strengthening your immune system today, the biggest factors leading to chronic disease, the three most important fats for brain health, and so much more … 

Who Is Shawn Stevenson?

Shawn Stevenson is a graduate of the University of Missouri St. Louis, where he studied Business, Biology, and Nutritional Science. He is the founder of Advanced Integrative Health Alliance, a company that provides wellness services for individuals and organizations worldwide. He is also the creator and host of The Model Health Show, which was featured as the #1 Fitness & Nutrition podcast in the United States, with millions of downloads each year. 

Shawn is an international bestselling author of the book Sleep Smarter, the book that has helped transform my sleep in a massive way. His other book, Eat Smarter, talks about the connection between food and overall mental, cognitive, and physical health. We discussed his book more in this episode as we tackled the importance of diet to our brain health.

The 3 Most Important Fats for Brain Health

The brain is a very complex organ. It’s made up of billions of cells and trillions of connections that allow us to think, feel, breathe, eat, and sleep. The brain contains fats, and there are 3 types of fats for brain health. Shawn dives deeper into each of these fats in the brain.

“There are three types of structural fats. … These [fats] are different from dietary fats specifically, but we can get the foundational elements from our dietary fats. So the human brain itself is primarily water, … about … 80% water. It’s the most water dominant organ next to your lungs.” – Shawn Stevenson

Our brain is composed of only about 80% water. What this means for you is that it’s important to drink plenty of fluids, especially when exercising or in hot weather. When your body doesn’t have enough fluid, the brain shrinks, which can lead to a headache. That’s why dehydration symptoms are often mistaken for hunger pangs! However, drinking too much water can happen as well, so be sure not to go overboard with hydration if you’re feeling full.

Aside from water, consumption of healthy foods is also important. So, let’s get back to the three types of fats you need for a healthier brain.

#1 – Phospholipids

There is a common misconception about fats being unhealthy, but there are good fats, as well. One of them is phospholipids.

“The first one I’m going to share is phospholipids. It’s one of the primary structural fats that the human brain is made of. So phospholipids give our brain cells shape. They give our brain cells strength, they give our brain cells elasticity, and these are very important characteristics. We want our brain cells to be strong and robust, to be able to handle damage, and also to be able to generate and support a lot of energy.” – Shawn Stevenson

Phospholipids are very important to the functioning of our brain. They have many roles, such as helping neurons communicate with each other, forming myelin sheaths around nerves, protecting cell membranes, and regulating neurotransmitter release.

“A randomized double-blind placebo-controlled study found that the inclusion of phospholipids helped to improve attention and reaction time when people were under stress. So they put them under acute stress, and phospholipids helped them to perform better. So they also noted subjectively-reduced participation anxiety with the inclusion of phospholipids [in their diet].” – Shawn Stevenson

One way of keeping your brain healthy is to consume foods or take supplements that contain phospholipids. 

“We can also get them directly from certain foods. You’re going to find them in fatty fish. You’re going to find them in egg yolks. You’re going to find them in oats. You’re going to find them in foods like spirulina. You’re going to find them in … fatty cuts of different fatty-type foods, as well — so fatty cuts of beef, for example.” – Shawn Stevenson

So, if you’re under stress and you want your mind to remain sharp, just consume foods with phospholipids like egg yolks, oats, and fatty cuts of beef.