Can what we eat really improve our brain and functioning? Does eating your veggies, really make a difference in your brain health? As it turns out, what we eat or don’t eat can have a huge effect on our brain health and mental clarityty. Many foods contain the vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and other nutrients that helps create hormones, neurotransmitters and even help form and protect the structures of the brain. Here are just a few of the foods that help enhance your memory, focus and brain power.
Avocado
Perhaps the most well-known brain food, the avocado! It’s so delicious and mashed avocado on toast has become one of my favorite mid-morning snacks. Avocados contain an abundance of folate and Vitamin K. These two nutrients prevent a decrease in cognitive function meaning that our memories function better, we remain more alert and can concentrate for longer periods of time. Folate, in particular, also prevents blood clots leading to a less likelihood of suffering a stroke at some point in the future.
Dark Chocolate
Although you may think that this food item has appeared in the wrong, dark chocolate is one of the most pleasant snacks to be blessed with antioxidants. Bear in mind that the chocolate you choose to munch on should be at least 70% cocoa solids, meaning no delicious and moreish milk chocolate gorging. You need to have restraint and limit yourself to a couple of cubes of dark chocolate a day to feel the memory enhancing properties of the rich stuff.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
If you love salads, you should consider putting a good dollop of extra virgin olive oil into your dressings. With a whole host of polyphenols, they can help halt the production of ADDL proteins within the brain that can go on to cause dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. Also, this oil also contains antioxidants which improve focus and cognitive function. Extra virgin olive oil really is the ultimate brain food.
Broccoli
One of my favorite green vegetables, broccoli is renowned already for its abundance of Vitamin A. Just one cup of the green stuff can give you 11% of your daily recommended allowance. Vitamin A helps boost your immune system, prevents macular degeneration and will impress your optometrist nearby the next time you pop in for your annual eye exam. As well as this, broccoli is a great source of choline which is the number one nutrient to help keep your memory on point and enhances your ability to learn new skills.
Blueberries
The guys may be little, but sometimes big things come in small packages. Blueberries and other berries an extremely high in antioxidants and the phytochemical gallic acid which is especially good a protecting our brains from stress and damage. And the chemical that makes blueberries blue, Anthocyanins, is a particularly potent free radical reducer, in the body and throughout the body. Finally, the fiber in blueberries and all berries are very important in protecting the health of your GI tract and your GI bacteria. And the best part about blueberries? They are delicious, so add them your salads, your smoothies and anything else you can think of!
Brain food isn’t a myth, a superfood fad or something that you mention to your kids to get them to eat their vegetables. By enjoying a healthy and balanced diet that encompasses every color of the rainbow and ensures that you are getting your five a day, you will be keeping your memory sharp and your mind healthy. Start protecting your brain and boost its power today by eating these antioxidant and nutrient-rich foods.
Be well,
Sally
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