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| Fuel Your Brain as You Fill Your Plate |
When younger, I had a job with a lot of repetitive tasks. To pep up my day, I took a bag of tiny, wonderfully flavored jelly beans to work. You know the kind with lime, coconut, raspberry, apple, blackberry and so many tantalizing flavors? Once I put one in my mouth, I wanted more and before I realized it, the whole bag disappeared. I noticed my vision was a bit blurry and I also seemed to lose my pep. The incident put a real scare in me and I decided that I needed to concentrate on eating well. At that moment, I quickly changed my approach to sugar. The changes made a difference to my ability to both think and see clearly. That was 20 years ago and the bonus is my working memory performs at the top.
Like me, have you had reason to drastically change the way you fill your plate?
10 Foods to Fuel Your Brain as You Fill Your Plate
Grains:
Barley - a chewy cereal grain with a nutlike flavor or... a great addition for homemade soups. Barley's rich with dietary fiber and selenium and is considered one of the world's healthiest foods. Selenium works as an antioxidant enzyme to prevent cellular damage from free radicals. You benefit by improved moods, increased energy as well as increased cognitive function and clarity.
Oats - try nutty oat bread for delicious flavor and amazing texture or... fix a steaming bowl of oatmeal to start your day. Oats are low in saturated fat and cholesterol... a good source of fiber, thiamin, magnesium, phosphorus and manganese. Researchers are investigating the ways oats may help enhance cognition as people age.
Protein
Almonds High in Vitamin E, almonds also provide plenty of riboflavin, magnesium and manganese. Almonds can help lower your cholesterol level and provide increased protection against heart attacks. Vitamin E is an antioxidant that is valuable in protecting cell membranes, which adds to brain health as we age.
Wild Fish and Sea Food Natural Omega-3 fatty acids play a crucial role in brain function, plus they may reduce the risk of heart disease. Omega-3 fatty acids are highly concentrated in the brain and appear to be important for cognitive (brain memory and performance) and behavioral function. In fact, infants who do not get enough omega-3 fatty acids from their mothers during pregnancy are at risk for developing vision and nerve problems. Symptoms of omega-3 fatty acid deficiency include fatigue, poor memory, dry skin, heart problems, mood swings or depression, and poor circulation.
Vegetables
Tomatoes Lycopene is a powerful antioxidant found in tomatoes, which could help protect against the kind of free radical damage to cells which occurs in the development of dementia, particularly Alzheimer's.
Sweet Potatoes Not only do sweet potatoes have dietary fiber, vitamins A and C, iron and calcium, they also contain beta-carotene, which boosts your memory.
Fruits
Avocados Almost as good as blueberries in promoting brain health. Though the avocado is a fatty fruit, it's monounsaturated fat, which contributes to healthy blood flow. Healthy blood flow means a healthy brain. They also help lower blood pressure. Because hypertension is a risk factor in declining cognitive abilities, lower blood pressure definitely should promote brain health. Since avocados are high in calories, using only 1/4 to 1/2 an avocado works well to spice up a salad or serve as a side dish.
Blackberries Try this delicious fruit to boost your brain's ability to retain and recall information. They provide the necessary nutrition the brain needs, such as folate to stimulate the brain, omega-3 fatty acids to enhance the brain’s function, and tryptophan, which provides needed serotonin and can relieve depression and insomnia.
Besides, the anthocyanins found in blackberries can prevent degenerative brain diseases. The older we get the harder it is to learn new things.
The reason? In order to process new information our brain cells need to “talk” to each another. Yet, as we age those cells become inflamed making it harder for them to communicate with one another.
Blackberries can get the conversation flowing again. According to a 2009 Tufts University study blackberries have powerful antioxidants (polyphenols) that help to stop inflammation and encourage your brain to soak up new information.
Dairy
Low Fat Yogurt High vitamin D content found in yogurt boosts brain functions. for instance, metabolic pathways for vitamin D have been found in the hippocampus and cerebellum areas of the brain - involved in planning, processing and forming new memories. In one research study, 35% of participants with sufficient vitamin D levels had higher cognitive performance on brain function tests.
Low Fat Milk A low saturated fat/low glycemic index diet can reduce the concentration of a protein in the brain linked to Alzheimer’s disease, according to recent research. By drinking low-fat milk, improved performance on certain memory tests in both groups of study participants.
My mom used to say, "you are what you eat." She was very careful to follow the original pyramid as I was growing up. I can even remember having liver once a week because she thought it was one way to ensure that we had lots of iron. But even that has changed as scientists have learned too much red meat does us more harm than good. Isn't that just one indication we need to stay tuned with new research and change old habits?
What would happen to your well-being if you kept these additional USDA recommendations in mind as you fill your plate daily?
- Balance calories by enjoying your food but eating less of it and avoiding over sized portions.
- Increase the consumption of fruits and vegetables; make at least half of your grains whole grains; and drink fat free or 1% milk.
- Reduce the consumption of sodium in foods such as soup, bread, and frozen meals; reduce sugary drinks and replace with water.
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