In my book: Secrets to Controlling Your Weight Cravings and Mood, I discuss the main neurotransmitters responsible for a healthy brain (serotonin, GABA, dopamine and acetylcholine). Most people haven't heard of acetylcholine, but it is so important! Acetylcholine controls the brain’s speed and mental process, keeping memory sharp and physical movements quick and precise. Acetylcholine controls activity in the parietal lobe, the area of the brain responsible for processing sensory information, learning, memory and awareness. Inadequate levels of this chemical can cause characteristics like forgetfulness, difficulty prioritizing tasks and an inability to relate to others. Acetylcholine natures enjoy activities involving words, ideas, and communication. Counselors, instructors, artists, writers, and actors are likely to have high acetylcholine levels.
Most women are predisposed to an acetylcholine deficiency, because these symptoms set in with peri-menopause. Estrogen and testosterone stimulate the production of acetylcholine. As levels of those hormones decline, so does the production of this brain chemical. This prompts symptoms like memory lapses, dry skin and weight gain. The cholesterol in yolks help produce hormones levels. The reason why cholesterol levels go up after menopause is because your body is trying to produce more estrogen (which your ovaries are no longer releasing).
Acetylcholine deficiency can spur Alzheimer’s, Multiple Sclerosis, dementia, dry mouth, dry skin, reading or writing disorders, speech problems, slow movement, mood swings, learning disorders, verbal memory problems, memory lapses, attention problems, difficulty concentrating, carelessness, and decreased creativity. If you crave fatty foods or have perfectionist tendencies you may also benefit from more acetylcholine. When acetylcholine deficits are corrected, most experience increased mental clarity, greater creativity, quicker thinking and improved empathy.
In the late 1930s, scientists discovered that tissue from the pancreas contained a substance, called Choline, which helps prevent fatty build-up in the liver and produces acetylcholine. Since then, research has shown that choline is found not only in the pancreas and liver, but is also a huge component of every human cell.
Choline is named after the Greek word which means bile, which is very appropriate. Bile, which is produced in our liver, has a primary job of making fat compatible with water, so that fat-based matter can get transported though the body in our water-based blood. Interestingly, Choline has very comparable fat-modifying effects on our cellular membrane. The reason that choline decreases fat storage is that it allows our cell membranes to operate with greater flexibility in handling both fat and water-soluble molecules. In other words, without choline, fat-based nutrients and waste products could not pass in and out of our cells. Therefore, healthy fats can’t get into our cells to make our brain healthy, skin soft, and cells happy AND we can’t get the stored toxic fat out!
Choline is a key component of the fat-containing structures in cell membranes. Since cell membranes are almost entirely made up of fats, the membranes' health depends on adequate amounts of choline. In the brain, these fat-like molecules are responsible for a very high percentage of total solids, so choline is predominantly important for brain health, and its use in brain disorders is immense.
To produce more acetylcholine, enjoy three servings of choline-rich foods; like eggs (I’m talking about the yolks here…Egg Beaters don’t count). Grass-fed, organic eggs are the most beneficial. Grass-fed eggs contain a very high level of healthy omega 3s compared to store-bought eggs. Omega 3 will also stimulate a happier brain by assisting our cells to communicate. “Happy cells are talking cells.” Supplemental choline has even shown effectiveness in treating Alzheimer's disease. Click HERE to find.
In addition to poor dietary intake of choline itself, poor intake of other nutrients, like B-vitamins and amino acids, can result in a choline deficiency. Liver problems, including cirrhosis, are common contributing factors to choline deficiency. Certain procedures, such as by-pass surgery and kidney transplants are also direct causes of a choline deficiency.
So try this recipe filled with yolk-rich choline!
TIP: Make sure your waffle iron is hot hot hot before adding any batter or it will stick.
"HEALTHIFIED" WAFFLES
1 cup almond flour or 1/2 cup coconut flour
1 cup vanilla egg white or whey protein (Jay Robb)
1/2 tsp Celtic sea salt
1 TBS aluminum free baking powder
1 cup vanilla almond milk (1 1/2 cup if using coconut flour)
2 eggs (4 eggs if using coconut flour)
4 TBS butter or coconut oil, melted
Preheat waffle iorn to high. Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl. Combine the wet ingredients in another bowl. Slowly add the wet ingredients into the dry. Let sit for 5 minutes. Bake according to your waffle iron directions (I spray my waffle iron with THIS Coconut oil spray). TIP: Make a triple batch and store in the freezer like a Eggo Waffle. All you have to do is toast them up and fry an egg for an easy dinner option.
HOLLANDAISE
6 large egg yolks
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 TBS Dijon mustard
1 1/2 cups melted unsalted butter
1/2 tsp Celtic sea salt
1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/8 tsp cayenne
Make hollandaise sauce: In the bottom of a double boiler or in a medium saucepan, bring 1 in. of water to a simmer over high heat and adjust heat to maintain simmer. Put egg yolks, lemon juice, and mustard in top of a double boiler or in a round-bottomed medium bowl and set over simmering water. Whisk yolk mixture to blend. Whisking constantly, add butter in a slow, steady stream (it should take about 90 seconds). Cook sauce, whisking, until it reaches 140°, then adjust heat to maintain temperature (remove from simmering water if necessary). Add salt, pepper, and cayenne and continue whisking until thick, about 3 minutes. Adjust seasonings to taste. Remove from stove and set aside. This will make extra.
TOPPINGS
12 ham slices
12 eggs
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| Add Crab too! |
Poach eggs: Bring 1 in. water to boil in a 12-in.-wide pan. Lower heat so that small bubbles form on the bottom of the pan and break to the surface only occasionally. Crack eggs into water 1 at a time, holding shells close to the water's surface and letting eggs slide out gently. Poach eggs, in 2 batches to keep them from crowding, 3 to 4 minutes for soft-cooked. Lift eggs out with a slotted spoon, pat dry with a paper towel.
Place a waffle onto a plate, top with a few slices of prosciutto, crab, 2 poached eggs and drizzle with 2 TBS hollandaise sauce. YUM! Makes 6 servings.
NUTRITIONAL COMPARISON (per serving)
Traditional Eggs Benedict = 424 calories, 27g fat, 15g protein, 33g carbs, 1g fiber (32 effective carbs)
"Healthified" Eggs Benedict = 373 calories, 29g fat, 21.5g protein, 5.3g carbs, 1.4g fiber (3.9 effective carbs)
