WHICH FOOD IS GOOD FOR THE BRAIN | BRAIN NUTRITION

The link between food and brain:

You may not see the direct link between diet and brain health since what we put in our mouths goes downstream and not upstream. But what we eat has a lot to do with how healthy our brain is.

Granted, food does not travel up to the brain and its nerve cells, but blood carries nutrients and oxygen, and if that blood is trained, then how can it be effective carries nutrients and oxygen, and if that blood is trained, then how can it be an effective carrier of good vitamins and minerals?

The link between diet and brain health can be summarized in this continuum:

Bad food = Unhealthy and sluggish bodies = Disorders + diseases = slower brains 

"What we ingest is also fundamental to how we think and feel", says Dr. John Ratey. "The brain is an incredibly active furnace, consuming 25% of the glucose and oxygen we take in. It burns glucose as its sole fuel, and yet it has no storage site for it.

The brain also needs a range of other nutrients, even minor nutritional deficiencies can be associated with changes in mood, memory loss, confusion, depression, and other mental disorders. 

 The next question logically would be-so what foods can we eat to make our brains healthier-including sharpening our memories and "making learning a breeze?" We'll focus on the basic food groups-fats, carbohydrates, micronutrients, and other kinds of foods that would supply us with the vitamins and minerals we need. 

The Franklin Institute worked with nutritional counselor Debra Burke to come up with general dietary guidelines to optimize brainpower. 

• Fats:

Our bodies need essential fatty acids (EFA), seeds, raw or dry roasted nuts are a source of EFA. Your eating routine must include walnuts, pumpkin seeds, flax seeds, and other types of nuts. If you can get cold-pressed oils from these nuts, this would be an added benefit. 

You can also get EFA from avocados, fresh coconut, and extra virgin olive oil. Meat is also an excellent source of EFA, but as much as possible try to get dairy products from animals that were raised naturally. 

• Carbohydrates:

We need carbohydrates to replenish our supply of brain fuel glucose; this is why we should eat frequent small meals instead of three square meals a day. The inability to concentrate and feeling of weakness can result from hunger or you allowed too much time to lapse since your last meal.

Corn, potatoes, winter squash, and cooked or juiced carrots and beets are nutritious and high-glycemic foods; so are whole grains, cereals, and crackers. The only problem with consuming foods rich in carbohydrates is that we could raise our sugar level unexpectedly, but this can be corrected if we combine them with protein sources.

• Micronutrients:

The general idea is that anything with leaves and is dark-colored is good food with sufficient vitamins and minerals. Fruits and vegetables have high levels of micronutrients. they are rich in antioxidants that help our bodies fight free radicals-culprits of most of today's diseases and disorders. 

When a person is suffering from depression, nutritionists believe that to have a brain-healthy diet, all kinds of artificial and fast foods should be immediately eliminated; alcohol, simple carbohydrates, white flour products, artificial sweeteners, and caffeine. 

The idea of nutrition playing a vital role in brain health is clearer when the brain exhibits signs of a mental disorder. Depression is a good example to cite. 

While there are accepted medication and treatment protocols for this disease, the role of food and nutrition has to come into focus as well.  This is particularly important since it is known that people who are depressed generally have little interest in eating or have erratic appetites. 

Individuals who have nutrition-deficient diets take supplements to make p for the gap that results when not enough fruits, vegetables, and grains are consumed. Before going on a supplement program, you must speak to your physician and nutritionist so that a thorough assessment can be made of your health that we'll discuss in the next blog "Micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) for Brain Health". 

Also read:

TECHNIQUES ON HOW TO IMPROVE MEMORY | MEMORY POWER

 Micronutrients for Brain Health

 

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