Foods for a healthier & sharper brain.
Eat Smart for a Healthier Brain: Yes foods can improve your intelligence as well as social quotient.
A common problem that several people face today is trying to recollect simple everyday tasks like to whom you need to call with phone in your hand or what you had for lunch. If you are among those who want to improve their memory, here are some foods that will certainly help you out.
Foods help us to gain energy and other necessary nutrients to sustain and live a healthy life. Each cell of our body boasts of the food that we put on our plate. So we should put some of our brain to choose the best foods for our body and in turn become more brainer and smarter.
There are some foods recognised to improve our memory and brain function that are must to be included in our diet. So let’s identify the foods and the nutrients that serve the purpose.
Oily Fish: Shop for some sardines, salmon and mackerel, the next time you go to a meat shop or fish market. These oily fish contain good quantities of omega-3 fatty acids that improve our memory. Omega-3 fats are known to keep our brain cells healthy. Including a portion of oily fish in your diet twice a week will prevent memory loss.
Leafy greens: Stop making faces and start filling some greens in your plate. Research suggests them to be great foods for our brain. Beta carotene and vitamin C found in spinach and broccoli are good antioxidants that prevent or reverse the action of free radicals and repair the damage done to brain cells. Folate found in most greens is known to improve our grasping and recalling power.
Eggs: Packed with minerals and vitamins, eggs are an excellent brain food. Eggs contain iron and vitamin B12 needed for RBC formation and RBC’s transport oxygen throughout our body and to brain as well. It has iodine that improves our problem solving abilities. Sunday ho ya Monday, roz khao ande; at least for your brain.
Blueberries: Brainberries as they may be referred otherwise, these super fruit help protect the brain from oxidative stress and may reduce the effects of age-related conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease or dementia. They have also shown the property to significantly improve both the learning capacity and motor skills.
Freshly brewed Green tea: Researchers say that green tea increases mental alertness and improves memory while the antioxidants especially the class known as catechines found in it reduces the risk of dementia by promoting healthy blood flow. Tea contains a modest amount of caffeine which, when used judiciously, can boost brain power by enhancing memory, focus, and mood.
Nuts and Seeds: Rich in Vitamin E and essential fatty acids, nuts and seeds helps in maintaining existing neurons, formation of new brain cells and protecting them from the damaging actions of free radicals. So grab some walnuts, hazelnuts, Brazil nuts, filberts, almonds, cashews, peanuts, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, and flax seed.
Chocolates: Surprised! Yes be happy to indulge in some chocolate savouries, but dark chocolate please. Chocolates have a good amount of flavonoids that are brain boosting chemicals. Moderate consumption of dark chocolate is known to improve cognitive skills and blood circulation. Dark chocolate has powerful antioxidant properties, contains several natural stimulants, including caffeine, which enhance focus and concentration, and stimulates the production of endorphins, which helps improve mood.
Water: Our brain is made of 80% water and to keep it healthy and functioning; we need to keep it hydrated. So drink plain water as much as your kidney allows, keeping your brain in good health.
Published: 02 May 2015, Shubi Husain, Nutritionist & Lifestyle Celebrity
