AS many of us are well aware, sugary and fatty foods are no good for our waistline or our health, but if your waistline isn't an issue for you then surely eating these foods isn't doing you any harm, is it?

Everything we eat triggers a hormonal or chemical response in our bodies.

Hormones affect so much, our mood, stress life, sex life, weight loss/gain, our immune response and so on.

We've probably all had one of those days where we feel we 'need' or 'deserve' that doughnut or slice of cake.

You grab it and instantly the sugar hits your taste buds, the chemicals are released in our bodies that give us a feeling of euphoria.

Soon after eating the doughnut we experience the sugar crash — fatigue, irritability, poor concentration, forgetfulness.

Within 10 minutes saturated fat directly impairs the hippocampus, this is the part of the brain responsible for learning and memory and you will be less able to recall facts.

As a mother, this immediately brings to mind a child's diet which is very important for their development. Also, as a child generally consumes a smaller amount so their sugar and unhealthy fat intake should be a great deal less than that of an adult.

With a toxic diet of sugar and fatty foods comes a dangerous cascade of chemical reactions in our bodies that promote inflammation of the brain, which can damage cells and disrupt connections between neurons.

There is now also a link between high sugar and fatty diets and dementia.

So if you want a healthy brain, want to clear depression and ward off dementia you need to start limiting foods high in refined sugars and saturated fat.

You also need to eat more of the foods that are good for our brain, healthy fats such as omega -3s and monounsaturated fats from foods such as avocados, coconut oil and olives.

The damage of a poor diet is reversible before cognitive problems kick in, so make the change now.

If you are feeding a younger person, their diet is just as important as ours, if not more so.

l To get in touch with Claire, follow her on Twitter @CLKpt or email ckopicki@me.com