Not only do experts have differing opinions as to what the best practice is, today's final word may be overturned by tomorrow's discovery. However, nutrition researchers have identified several steps you can take to improve your brain function and the brain function of people you cook for.
Focus
According to Harvard Nutritionist Walter Willett in "Eat, Drink and Be Healthy," focus is largely a matter of blood sugar levels and hunger cravings. If your blood sugar levels remain steady throughout the day, you can maintain focus. As your blood sugar dips, your brain lacks the available energy to stay on task. To this end, a diet of slow-digesting energy such as whole grains and proteins is superior to fast-acting carbohydrates from refined grains and sugars.
Brain Function
Nutrition resource website DietChannel.com reports that omega-3 fatty acids, amino acids and B vitamins are important to your basic brain function. Egg yolks, sweet potatoes, fish, spinach, nuts and legumes are all foods high in two or more of these important nutrients. In "You: The Owner's Manual," Dr. Mehmet Oz recommends taking a daily multivitamin to ensure your brain always gets the nutrition it needs.
Memory
According to DietChannel.com, cranberries contain micronutrients and antioxidants that can help with memory function and stave off age-related memory loss. In "Superfoods RX," Dr. Stephen Pratt lists blueberries, grapes and pomegranates as being among the foods that produce the same results.
Disease Prevention
Pratt's list of superfoods includes several that protect the brain against age-related decline and disorders such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease. Some of those foods include spinach, broccoli, yellowfin tuna, strawberries and whole grains.
Mindfulness
Eating in a mindful state can help reduce stress-related problems with your brain function, suggests Buddhist author Thich Nhat Hanh. People often eat while thinking of other things, which deprives your brain of a chance to rest. By thinking about eating while you eat, and/or sharing a meal with people you care about, you can help protect brain function by engaging in activities that fight the causes of function loss.
References
- Diet Channel: Foods to Increase Your Brain Function
- "Peace is Every Step"; Thich Nhat Hanh; 1995
- "USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 22"; United States Department of Agriculture; 2009
- "Eat, Drink and Be Healthy"; Walter Willet & P.J. Skerrett; 2005
- "You: The Owner's Manual"; Dr. Mehmet Oz; 2006
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