Power Your Brain With Nutrition

Just as your body needs fuel to function properly, so does your brain. Research has proven that certain foods give a tremendous boost to your brain health and function. In fact, studies show you can even grow new brain cells, regardless of your age. Now since your brain is your CPU (if you look at it in computer terms), it has the job of processing tons of information by analyzing, deciphering, sorting,

storing, retrieving, rendering, and much more to all the billions of bytes of information coming in continuously from all 5 of your senses, seeing, hearing, feeling, smelling, and tasting.

When functioning properly, it will process all this information and deliver it to the proper organs so that you can see objects and colors and determine what is what, you can hear distinctive sounds, feel your surroundings, smell the aromas and taste all the pleasures of life. It also allows you to think, create, organize and communicate. These are just some of the conscious chores it does. The subconscious does even more. It regulates and monitors things like breathing, blood flow, blinking, food processing, waste disposal, immune system and countless other tasks all on auto pilot. So it just makes sense that you would want to provide top notch maintenance to this organ.

Yes, those 6 pack abs are great. Chicks dig them. But what good is it if you can't remember little things like their phone number or even your own phone number, or what time you are supposed to be at work or which day is your doctor appointment. We take it for granted that our brain is just fine and will always take care of itself. Unfortunately, that's not the case. We humans are prone to do stupid things. We ride motorcycles with no helmets. We consume alcohol and drugs which kill brain cells. We cause all sorts of stress and pressure which taxes our brain. We push way into the night depriving our brain the rest and sleep it needs.

Luckily, there are a copious amount of foods that protect your brain, improving how good it'll work, and can even generate new brain cells. Your brain needs foods that will give it the building blocks it needs to work right. When you have more neurons and connections within your brain, it means you have a stronger memory and your mind can work better.

Build Your Brain With Healthy Fats: The majority of the cell structure in the brain consists of healthy fats, including the most important healthy fats, called Omega-3 fatty acids. As the brain repairs itself and grows additional neurons, it needs to be consume a good amount of Omega-3s.

The best food sources to get your Omega-3 from, in order of importance, are:

Salmon

Albacore tuna

Flax-seed oil

Canola oil

Walnuts

Wheat germ

Eggs

Protect Your Brain With Antioxidants: As people age, substances which are floating through the bloodstream called free radicals, will break down the brain cells. If you don't put up a fight, you'll experience loss of memory as you age. However, there are a good deal of antioxidant food sources to choose from. Antioxidants will merge with these free radicals, rendering them harmless. Make sure you eat foods that have this healthy food source. Several good sources of antioxidants include:

Blueberries (other berries too)

Broccoli

Carrots

Garlic

Red grapes

Spinach

Soy

Tea

Tomatoes

Whole grains

Spark Your Brain With High Tyrosine Proteins: Your brain has more than just neurons, it also has neurotransmitters, which are messengers that bring brain signals from one neuron to the next one. Your brain structure might be good, but if your neurotransmitters are insufficient, your brain won't work right. The greatest sources of food to boost your alertness, concentration, and energy are:

Dairy products

Eggs

Seafood

Soy

But be careful, choose the varieties that are low in salt and unhealthy fats.

Hydrate Your Brain With Water: Be aware that your body is made mostly of water and that it is easy to become dehydrated. Even a mild case of dehydration can reduce your mental energy and capacity, causing your memory to become impaired. You should drink at least four liters of water each day, or six to eight 8-ounce glasses.

Vitamins & Minerals As Brain Building Blocks: There are certain kinds of vitamins and minerals that are necessary building blocks for your brain. Of course, you don't want to become vitamin deficient. So the vitamins and minerals very important to brain functions include:

Vitamin B6

Vitamin B12

Vitamin C

Iron

Calcium

Deficiencies of the above have been shown to cause learning impairment.

There are many other nutrients you need, especially micro nutrients, that are best found in food. The easiest way to get all your vitamins and minerals every day is to take a multivitamin but it's hard to find any one multivitamin that contains all your micro nutrients, so don't rely on multivitamins alone. Never take your vitamins on an empty stomach. Doing so often causes you to have an upset stomach, plus taking them with food helps the digestive system better assimilate the nutrients, so your body (and brain) can make better use of them.

Regulate Your Fuel Supply With Fiber: Most people don't realize that fiber is important to the brain, but it's extremely important. It can help with your brain functions because it can slow down sugar absorption. Your brain works on 100 percent sugar; however, it needs to be delivered steadily and in the proper amounts so as not to overload your brain.

True, fiber in itself might not be considered 'food,' but you often get it through foods. Consuming a fiber-rich diet will slow down digestion and gradually release the sugar into your bloodstream.

Foods that contain a good dose of fiber include:

Dried fruits - apricots, dates, prunes, raisins

Vegetables - broccoli, green peas, spinach

Peas and beans - black-eyed peas, kidney beans, lima beans

Nuts and seeds - almonds and flax-seed

Whole fruit - avocados, kiwi, oranges, pears and skin-on apples

Whole wheat grains - barley, brown rice, etc.

If you're looking to improve your memory, consuming the foods above will help you. And remember, keep away from a high-sugar, high fat diet to help keep your brain as healthy possible as you mature.

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