Optimizing Nutrition: 4 Ways to Boost Your Brain
There’s no question that the brain and the body are inseparably linked, and the problems we experience in our brains stem from what is happening in the body.It makes sense, then, that the food we eat has a huge impact on both the body and brain.
You can significantly heal and enhance your overall health by following the 4 Ways to Boost Your Brain by Optimizing Nutrition.
Outlined below are 4 steps you can take to get the macronutrients your body needs for optimum health.
1. Healthy Fats
Your brain is made mostly of fat.Every cell membrane in your body is also made of fat.If the fat you’re consuming is trans fat, your cell membranes become stiff, slowing the speed and effectiveness of communication between your cells and damaging brain function.Your body and brain need omega-3 fatty acids, which come from wild plants, animals and fish.
Include these sources of fat in your diet:
Wild coldwater fish such as salmon, sardines, halibut and sable
Omega-3 pasture raised eggs
Nuts and nut butters (except peanuts) - almonds, macadamia, walnuts, pecans, cashews
Seeds - pumpkin, hemp, chia, flax, sunflower
Nut and Seed milks:almond, Brazil nut, cashew, coconut, hemp
Healthy oils (extra virgin and cold-pressed)— olive, coconut, avocado
Avocados, olives, Ghee, grass-fed butter, coconut butter
- Avoid inflammatory trans fats such as vegetable and seed oils (soy, canola, safflower, sunflower).
2. Healthy Protein
Getting enough healthy protein is the 2nd step in boosting your brain.Protein contains the amino acid building blocks that make up neurotransmitters.Neurotransmitters are messenger molecules critical for nerve cells to communicate and control almost every function in your body.Without the right balance of protein, your brain will not function properly.
- Bison, beef, elk, lamb, ostrich, venison
- Eggs, chicken, duck, turkey
- Fresh or canned fatty fish: black cod, herring, mackerel, perch, sardines, scallops, wild-caught salmon, anchovies
- Shellfish: clams, crab, mussels, oysters, scallops, shrimp
- Lentils, non-GMO tofu, tempeh
3. Carbohydrates from Plants
Carbohydrates from whole plant foods are “the single most important food for long-term health and brain function,” according to Dr. Mark Hyman.Carbohydrates from plants, as opposed to carbohydrates from processed flour (bread, pasta, crackers, etc), do not spike your blood sugar and are loaded with illness-fighting phytonutrients.They also contain fiber, which helps keep your digestive system and gut happy.
Non-starchy vegetables
- Artichokes, arugula, asparagus, avocados, bean sprouts, beet greens, bell peppers, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots (do not juice as this turns them to pure sugar), cauliflower, celery, chives, collard greens, dandelion greens, eggsplant, endive, fennel, fresh herbs, garlic, ginger, green beans, hearts of palm, jalapeños, kale, lemons, limes, lettuce, mushrooms, mustard greens, onions, radicchio, radishes, seaweed, shallots, snap peas, snow peas, spinach, summer squash, Swiss chard, tomatoes, turnip greens, watercress, zucchini
Starchy vegetables (1/2 - 1 cup of starchy veggies up to 4X per week)
- Beets, pumpkin, sweet potatoes, winter squash (butternut, acorn, etc)
Low glycemic fruits
- Blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, kiwi, lemon, lime, watermelon, pomegranate seeds
4. Vitamins & Minerals
Vitamins and minerals are crucial for your biochemistry to function as it should.When you are deficient, serious illness occurs.Most human beings are deficient in some vitamins and minerals — some of us extremely so.While it’s best to get as many vitamins and minerals from your food as possible, most of us just don’t get sufficient amounts, and we need to supplement our diet.To get quality supplements, consult your Functional Medicine practitioner for reputable companies.
To improve your brain function and mood, take the following everyday:
- B Complex (B12, B6, folic acid)
- Multivitamin
- Magnesium
- Vitamin D
- Probiotics (Be cautious - See your Functional Medicine practitioner for a recommendation that fits your needs)
- Omega-3 fats (fish oil)
- Zinc
- Selenium
The saying “You are what you eat” is truer than you know!If you’re eating poor quality food — junk, essentially — your health will be poor quality. But when you feed your body and your brain real, fresh, whole, organic, unprocessed food, you’re giving it the best “medicine” possible.Do this everyday and you’ll begin to feel and function better immediately!
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May 7, 2016 -- Posted by :Why do I do this?
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