Someone once said “Tell me what you eat, and I will tell you what you are“.
It’s true that connections are being made all the time with the foods we eat and the way we feel, think, and behave.
The burning question is if eating certain foods makes you smarter, happier, or more able to constructively respond to stress. The key lies in finding those food to help boots your brainpower.
Try these to help your mind
- Antioxidants: Foods and supplements containing antioxidants are known to boost your brain health as well as longevity. To get your share of antioxidants, look for darkly colored vegetables and fruits (blueberries). Green tea is a beverage jam-packed with antioxidants.
- Omega-3 fatty acids: Omega-3 fatty acids are found in all sorts of seafood. This includes salmon, halibut, and scallops. Omega-3’s have been linked to nerve cell regeneration and reduced brain inflammation.
- B vitamins: The B vitamin family is a rich source of food for your nervous system. The messages our brain sends back and forth between our nerves depend on B-complex vitamins, namely folic acid, vitamin B6, and choline. Foods filled with B-complex vitamins aren’t too hard to find. Folic acid can be found in dark green vegetables (spinach, asparagus, romaine lettuce, and turnip or mustard greens). Beans also contain folic acid. For a folic acid feats, try garbanzo or pinto. For choline, crack an egg, because egg yolks are rich in this . Other sources include soybeans, peanut butter, potatoes, and whole-wheat bread.
- Iron: Iron helps our blood to deliver oxygen to our body. Deficiencies in iron have been associated to all sorts of problems, including ADHD, learning disabilities, and lowered IQ. Our reasoning skills could benefit from foods that contain iron. You can easily find iron in foods like spinach, blackstrap molasses, lentils, tofu, broccoli, and brussel sprouts.
- Vitamin E: Some people can stave off mental decline with a daily crossword, Sudoku puzzle, or a few hours of ‘The Price Is Right’. Foods with vitamin E could also help keep you sharp! Vitamin E, especially taken along with vitamin C, has been linked to reduced cognitive decline with aging. The following foods are rich with vitamin E: mustard and turnip greens, spinach, and broccoli. And if green doesn’t do it for you, you can pop sunflower seeds, almonds, or olives for a dose of vitamin E.
Here are a few links that can help you with nutritional make-overs:
