Healthier Brain – Healthier You
Nutrition plays a vital role in our mental and physical health. The brain needs nutrients like any other organ in our body to function.
We have looked at foods that can damage your brain. Now we are going to look at some foods that boost your brainpower.
Mother nature provides everything we need to stay healthy and fit.
Nuts
Nuts have proteins which aid in building and repairing our body tissues. All kinds of nuts are known to contain phytosterols, antioxidants and unsaturated fats like omega-3 fatty acids. Fatty acids are essential for normal functioning of the brain.
Nuts are a good source of neuroprotective compounds as well as minerals, melatonin, folate, antioxidants, and vitamin E which improve the brainpower.
People under a lot of stress can benefit from consuming nuts. Furthermore, research has shown that especially walnuts improve brain health by improving inferential reasoning in children.
Nuts should be eaten in moderation and raw. If possible, chose organic nuts. Nuts are not a low calorie food.
Let’s put the spotlight on one of my second favorite nuts:
Cashews
Vegetables and Fruits in general
Vegetables and fruits help to remove free radicals from our body because they are good sources of antioxidants, and they help in improving our brainpower.
Calciferous vegetables (broccoli and cauliflower) are the vegetables that boost the brain power big time. They contain choline (a vitamin B) that known for supporting brain development.
Fruits and vegetables also contain antioxidants like zeaxanthin and lutein, which protect the body against the ultraviolet rays and also boost your brainpower.
Some of us are not very fond of veggies and fruits, but increasing your brainpower is a pretty great argument, right?
Whole Grain
Eating whole grains will help in supplying energy to the brain. To be able to focus on our daily activities, we need a steady and adequate supply of energy, which is transported as glucose from our bloodstream to the brain.
The vital point is to ensure that natural whole grains are consumed, as the essential vitamins and minerals are not present in refined grains, thereby making the grain not to boost our brain power.
Read HERE why grains should still be consumed in moderation.
Tomatoes
Lycopene is a color pigment and antioxidant present in tomatoes; it supports the brain function by removing free radicals that take part in the development of dementia.
Coconut Oil
Glucose is the primary fuel our brain requires for energy. Moreover, our brain can run on more than two types of fuel, one being keto acids or ketones (ketone bodies), Ketones are a by-product of fat when glucose is converted to energy by the process known as ketosis.
Coconut oil is such a versatile product with nearly unlimited benefits that I have dedicated a separate article to it. Read HERE.
Celery
Celery is a good source of lutein, a plant compound that calm inflammation in our brain. Inflammation is a main cause of neurodegeneration.
Experiments have shown that Lutein can cause lower rates of memory loss in mice, and older mice that consume foods supplemented with lutein improve on memory and learning tasks. Peppers and carrots are also good sources of lutein.
The great thing is that people who adjust their diet notice the extra power and that they can concentrate better within days.
Other nutrition and health related posts HERE
