BRAIN FOOD... Think About It!

My son is challenged with ADD and is now starting college.  I suggested he needs to focus, pay attention and follow-through if he expects to be rewarded on this new journey.  
Then I wondered, don't we all need brain food?


Here are five things you should know about feeding your brain:

• Fuel It Up (Balanced meals)
• Become A Grazer (Eat all day)
• Eat Lower On The Glycemic Index (GI)
• Know Your Fats (MUFA's)
• Discover Yourself (Exercise daily)

I wanted to introduce some "Brain Food" dishes that are easy to make, that you can eat anytime and will hopefully keep your eyes wide open for this thing called life! Click here for 50 best brain foods. The five supercharged brain foods are fish, avocados, blueberries, spinach and eggs. 

1.  Fish

It’s definitely not a myth that fish is good for the body. But exactly how good is fish for the brain? Fish is actually one of the most healthy foods for keeping the brain at an optimal level of functioning. Eskimo’s and countries that are high in fish consumption tend to have slower aging rates, significantly lower percentages of “mental diseases” and “disorders” and an overall healthier population. High fish consumption has been linked to lowered rates of depression & neurosis and a stabilized mood.

Fish actually fights aging in the brain and significantly reduces cognitive decline in the elderly. “That rate of reduction is equivalent to being three to four years younger in age,” wrote researcher Martha Clare Morris, (ScD, of Rush University Medical Center, Chicago) in the Archives of Neurology. Eating fish high in Omega-3 fatty-acids is especially helpful for not only the brain, but the entire body.

That’s why I take the fish oil supplements daily, which have been proven as effective as actually eating fish.  If you are currently consuming plenty of fish or taking fish oil supplements, you are helping your brain reach a peak level of performance! If you aren’t, your brain is definitely missing out.

2.  Avocados

Avocados are almost as good as blueberries in enhancing brain health. While the avocodo is pretty fatty, the fat is monounsaturated; promoting increased circulation and bloodflow. The increased circulation from avocado nutrients is not only found in the body, but is highly prevalent in the brain.

So if you want increased oxygen and bloodflow to the brain, stock up and chow down on some avacados. Avocados also lower blood pressure levels — which is known to benefit the brain. Lower blood pressure is linked to an increase in cognitive abilities and I.Q.

3.  Blueberries

Compounds in blueberries have been proven to actually “reverse” short-term memory loss. Research compiled on blueberries effects on the brain found that they actually increase the number of cells in thehippocampus – the region of the brain which is responsible for memory.  So blueberries actually causeneurogenesis – the production of new brain cells.

This is a great finding for those who may have killed off a few too many cells from stress. Blueberries have also been known to prevent brain aging and actually trigger specific neural-pathways in the brain to enhance cognition and mental processing speed. I suggest keeping those blueberries around for a snack.  By eating them you are literally feeding your brain new neurons!

4.  Spinach

Spinach has been linked to preventing dementia in women. A study has proved that middle-aged women who ate spinach and other green vegetables, delayed cognitive decline by 2 entire years.  Spinach is literally brain food and feeds the brain vital nutrients and enzymes that it needs to strengthen synapses and produce healthy levels of neurotransmitters. Spinach also keeps up Folic acid – low levels of Folic acid have been linked to memory decline and heart disease.

To keep your Folic acid levels up, eat spinach! Spinach helps control the amount of water your body retains and helps eliminate bloating. Neurologists recommend eating spinach at least 3 times a week as brain food. It is now highly recommended by experts to find organic spinach because spinach is on the top ten list of insecticide-laden vegetables. But if you aren’t already eating spinach, it definitely wouldn’t hurt to incorporate a little bit of Popeye’s diet into your own!

5.  Eggs

Eggs are known to enhance many executive brain functions. Recently, the National Sciences Academy recognized the nutrient “cholin” in eggs as being “essential to one’s diet.” “Cholin” plays an essential role in the development of brain motor functioning and memory. At the University of North Carolina, research conducted by Steven H. Zeisel found that the brains of babies whose mothers were given “cholin supplements” showed increased memory functioning and capacity.

“The difference is so clear that we can differentiate between them even when they have reached adult age”, says Dr. Zeisel. Eggs have always remained high on the “brain-food” chain.  So, if you enjoy eating eggs, you are actually enjoying the associated benefits of enriched brain functioning.

Side note: An extensive study from the Harvard School of Public Health proved beyond any doubt that healthy people can eat eggs without any adverse effects on the incidence of cardiovascular diseases.