Many people think a healthy mind and body comes from a good routine. Staying fit and keeping a good diet is at the top of their to-do list.
While that is undeniably important, they seem to be forgetting about brain food.
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What does that mean?
Most people go on a diet to lose weight and look a certain way. They try all kinds of diets, some of which will help you drop weight, but that doesn’t mean they’re healthy.
The ultimate goal should be to lead a healthy lifestyle that makes you happy and energized.
After all, you can accomplish anything with the right motivation and a boost of energy.
The real question is:
How can you get it?
Brain foods will keep your brain healthy and firing on all cylinders.
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The right combination of foods in your diet can fuel your dreams with antioxidants, vitamins, amino acids, and more.
The flip side to that is:
The wrong foods, such as fast food, junk food, and heaps of sugar can slow you down and make you tired. If you stick with a bad diet for long enough, you’re guaranteed to slow down immensely.
Not only physically, but mentally.
A healthy brain will enhance your memory, mood, and focus.
All you need to do is learn a little about brain foods and incorporate them into your diet.
It doesn’t have to be a significant change. It can be just as easy as snacking on a few healthy ingredients whenever you can.
Understanding the Power of the Brain
Your brain is made up of billions of nerve cells. They are arranged in patterns to coordinate your thoughts, emotions, behavior, movement, and sensations.
These nerves send signals to your entire body.
That means:
Your brain is, essentially, the control tower that directs everything you do and feel.
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Your brain is made up of billions of nerve cells. They are arranged in patterns to coordinate your thoughts, emotions, behavior, movement, and sensations.
These nerves send signals to your entire body.
That means:
Your brain is, essentially, the control tower that directs everything you do and feel.
Each part of your brain controls a specific function of your body. It is divided into many different segments that are usually referred to as “lobes.”
Most people have a basic understanding and know that the brain is separated into two hemispheres: the right and left.
Here's what you should know:
Both of these hemispheres work together. Each side controls the opposite side of your body.
For example:
Left-handers, like me, primarily use the right side of our brains, and vice versa. Although, we all use both. We just tend to have an unconscious preference.
Watch the following video to learn more:
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Why you need to protect your brain?
Most of us assume that defending our brain means not getting injured.
However, avoiding concussions and wearing our seatbelts aren’t the only things we can do to protect our brain.
Brain food is something you should eat to promote brain health.
Not only will you be the brightest crayon in the box, but you’ll also be dodging brain disease like a champ.
Alzheimer's is a disease that plagues the lives of so many innocent souls. It’s a thief that sneaks up and steals their memories. These diseases make them forget everything. From their own family to their greatest accomplishments and entire life story.
Alzheimer is becoming one of the most prevalent neurodegenerative conditions in the world, and you can fight it with food.
They haven’t been able to find a cure or prevent it, but certain kinds of brain food can help.
Grey matter is the major functional tissue in your brain. It contains neurons that process information, store memories and make you a functioning human being.
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Many different types of brain food can promote the growth of grey matter and new cells.
So, protecting your brain is the same as protecting your body.
You just have to feed it the right things and keep it out of trouble.
Average lifecycle of the brain
Believe it or not, your brain doesn’t stop developing after you are born. It continues through different stages in your life, just like the rest of your body.
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When a baby is in the womb is has around 100 billion neurons.
“That means the average rate of growth of brain cells during pregnancy is about 250,000 new brain cells per minute,” according to David Perlmutter, MD, and neurologist.
Your brain will continue to grow and develop for at least the first 20 years of your life. By the time you’re in your mid to late 20s, the brain development of your frontal lobe has finally finished.
Then comes the fun part:
Your brain peaks around age 22, plateaus, and begins to decline around 27.
Sounds tragic right?
Well, it can feel that way when you first learn about it. But when it’s happening, we don’t even notice. I’m currently in the “peak” of my cognitive functions, and I’ve never felt so scatterbrained. It’s all a bit ironic if you ask me.
However, keep in mind that once your brain finishes developing it opens the door for other things. Mental illnesses can start to pop up, such as schizophrenia. Bonus problems like anxiety and depression can also begin to spike.
Although, they can also rear their ugly heads before you ever finish brain development.
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Healthy brain development and balance can be helped along by a diet of brain food. Through these different stages of development, you should promote the health of your brain and your family’s.
What Separates Brain Foods From Other Foods
Food is a complicated subject. Many people will tell you about their diet and swear up and down that it’s the best thing in the world.
Some go vegetarian, the truly dedicated go vegan, and my dad swears by Atkins. But then again, he just wants to keep eating meat and cheese.
It’s hard to say who’s ultimately right.
Maybe no one is.
However, one thing is for sure; you need to take care of yourself and weigh all your options.
No matter what diet you follow, or avoid, you can find a brain food that will fit right in.
Brain food promotes brain health. It contains vitamins, minerals, omega-3s, and so much more. That all depends on what you’re munching on.
Your diet can play a major role in brain function and prevention of common cognition disorders. They can promote memory, decision-making ability, mental response time, and mood.
Brain food that contains antioxidants also protects your brain from free radicals.
Free radicals have the same effect on your brain as water does on metal. It attacks the tissues and causes it to oxidize in a chemical reaction. Antioxidants can fend off that damage.
Ultimately, you should try including some of these healthy brain foods in your diet. Over time you could see an improvement in your mental focus.
However, there’s a good chance you won’t see much of a difference, other than some heightened energy levels.
What really matters is what’s happening on the inside and the fact that you will be protecting your brain health.
How Each Brain Food Can Benefit You
You could just base your decision for each brain food on whether you like it or not. Before you do, you might also want to know more about them.
Each brain food on our list has impressive benefits.
Don’t cheat by picking one brain food and sticking with it. Not when there is an abundance of options that could be combined for a tasty snack that is packed full of benefits.
We want to let you know the benefits of each brain food and how you could use them to make an incredible snack.
Check it out:
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Avocado toast? Eat it
Avocados have monounsaturated fats which contribute to healthy blood flow.
Healthy blood flow means a healthy heart which will keep the rest of your body in tip-top shape.
Additionally:
Avocados also lower blood pressure, which is another huge bonus. Hypertension is a risk factor for the decline in cognitive abilities. Lower blood pressure will promote brain health.
Avocados are high in calories. So if you’re worried that eating them will mess with a particular diet just opt to eat 1/4 to 1/2 of an avocado.
Remember, though:
They can also help you feel full for a long time. Mixing them into a meal, smoothie, or eating them on whole grain toast will make you feel satisfied longer.
Blueberries for everyone!
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Who doesn’t love blueberries? They should be one of the easiest foods to mix them into your daily diet, especially since they’re low in calories.
Even the kids will love them.
Here's why:
Blueberries and other deeply colored berries deliver anthocyanins, which is a group of plant compounds with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects.
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They also are found to accumulate in the brain.
It might sound odd, but it can help improve communication between brain cells.
Better communication can lead to better cognitive functions. In the end, they could even help improve memory and fend off short-term memory loss.
Orange you glad you had that orange?
Too corny?
Who cares, you should be glad.
Look:
You can get your entire daily recommendation of vitamin C by eating a single, medium orange.
Getting the appropriate amount of vitamin C is crucial for brain health and a key factor in preventing mental decline.
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Eating sufficient amounts of vitamin C-rich foods can protect against Alzheimer's and dementia. It is a powerful antioxidant that helps fight off the free radicals that can damage brain cells. Instead, it supports brain health as you age.
If you aren’t partial to oranges, you should still do your best to get your recommended dose of vitamin C.
Vitamin C-rich foods include:
Bell peppers, tomatoes, kiwi, strawberries, and so many more.
Oranges are the best known for their vitamin C content, but they are by no means the only choice.
Pomegranate juice is incredible
Pomegranates pack quite a punch.
Some even consider them to be one of the healthiest fruits out there.
Check this out:
You see, pomegranate juice contains higher levels of antioxidants than most other fruit juices.
Seriously, it's crazy:
It also has three times more antioxidants than things like red wine and green tea, which are supposed to be some of the best.
The antioxidants can help remove free radicals, protect brain cells from damage, and reduce inflammation. These crucial antioxidants may even fend off age-related brain degeneration by strengthening the cells.
That sounds like a fantastic package deal to me.
Since pomegranate juice can be a bit on the tart side, they add a lot of sugar. We all know eating the purest form of any food is the best option. But pomegranates aren’t exactly the easiest things to crack open for a snack at work or on the go.
Luckily, you only need to drink 2 ounces of the juice per day. So you could add it to pretty much anything you want. Smoothies, seltzer water, or double up on antioxidants in green tea.
Eat the broccoli
Ah, now for one of the most dreaded vegetables in the land:
Broccoli.
This little green giant is loaded with antioxidants, vitamin K, and has anti-inflammatory properties.
It’s such a simple vegetable, but its vitamin K content is what really sets it over the top.
Why, is that?
Vitamin K is essential for forming sphingolipids, which is a type of fat that's densely is packed into brain cells. A few studies in older adults have linked a higher vitamin K intake to better memory.
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Eat ALL the nuts
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Nuts contain healthy fats, antioxidants, and vitamin E which all contribute healthy brain benefits. Vitamin E shields cell membranes from free radical damage which can help slow mental decline.
In fact, a study from Harvard found that eating nuts can be strongly correlated with a long life.
Researchers studied over 100,000 people and found that people who ate nuts daily had a 20% lower death rate after comparing them to people who didn’t eat them at all.
While all nuts have certain benefits for your brain, walnuts may be the best of all.
Walnuts also deliver omega-3 fatty acids which happen to be the building blocks of your brain cells. They can help strengthen and defend the cells even more against free radicals.
Nuts are also just about the most convenient snack to promote brain health on the go.
They come in snack packs or can be added to whole grain granola.
Although, consider this:
If you aren’t fond of eating whole nuts, you can get just as many benefits from nut butter spread on whole grain toast or added to a shake.
Pumpkins aren't just for pie
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Seeds have similar powerful benefits as nuts, which makes them another fabulous brain food.
Pumpkin seeds have the best benefits of all, so we’re going to focus on them.
Pumpkin seeds contain potent antioxidants that protect the brain from free radicals.
However, what really sets them apart is the fact that they're an excellent source of magnesium, iron, zinc, and copper.
That's not all:
Each element is vital in its own right.
Zinc and copper are crucial for nerve signaling. Magnesium is essential for learning and memory. Iron deficiency can cause brain fog and impaired brain function, as well as anemia and other issues.
A deficiency in any of these minerals can be linked to depression, epilepsy, Alzheimer’s, and other neurodegenerative disorders.
Eat that sushi
For most people fish is usually at the top of the list for brain food. Although, they aren’t just talking about any fish. You’re going to need some fatty fish.
Fatty fish includes salmon, trout, and sardines, all of which are rich sources of omega-3 fatty acids.
According to experts, about 60 percent of your brain is made of fat. Half of that fat is made up of omega-3s because your brain uses them to build brain and nerve cells. They are also crucial for learning and memory.
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In the end:
Omega-3s can help slow age-related mental decline and fend off Alzheimer's disease.
Not getting enough omega-3s can be linked to learning impairments and depression.
One study found that people who eat fish regularly tend to have more gray matter in their brains. For those of you who aren’t neurologists, gray matter contains most of the nerve cells that control our decision making, memory, and emotion. So the more, the merrier, quite literally.
Eggs are excellent
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Eggs are a fabulous source of several nutrients that have been tied to brain health.
Although we also want to mention that there's limited research on the link between eating eggs and overall brain health.
However:
The nutrients found in eggs are beneficial to your body in more ways than one because they include vitamins B6, B12, folate, and choline.
Choline is a crucial micronutrient that helps regulate mood and memory. Studies found that higher intakes of choline have been correlated to better memory and mental function.
Eating eggs is an easy way to fit choline into your diet because egg yolks are among the most concentrated sources of this micronutrient.
B vitamins play several roles in brain health. They can help slow the progression of mental decline in the elderly
Being deficient in certain types of B vitamins has been linked to depression, Alzheimers, dementia, and depression. So keeping up with your daily intakes can improve your mood and protect your brain in the long run. And all you have to do is eat a few eggs for breakfast, make some egg salad, or eat a cobb salad. What could be easier than that?
Coffee is amazing
I’m happy to say that coffee is another brain booster. So next time my friends tell me I drink too much coffee I can officially tell them it’s brain food.
It has a lot to do with coffee's high concentration of antioxidants.
The two most beneficial components in coffee are caffeine and antioxidants.
Here's why:
They will help you focus, while also protecting the health of your brain.
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The caffeine has some positive effects on your brain.
For instance:
It improves your mood, increases your alertness, and sharpens your concentration.
It can even reduce the risks of neurological diseases. Such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.
So next time they make fun of the fact that you need that morning cup of coffee, you can roll your eyes and keep sipping on those antioxidants.
Don't feel guilty about that chocolate
That’s right:
Now you have an excuse to eat all the dark chocolate and cocoa powder you want.
Maybe it’s better in moderation, but you only live once, right?
Both dark chocolate and cocoa powder include flavonoids, caffeine, and antioxidants which work as brain boosters.
The flavonoids in chocolate are beneficial for areas of the brain that deal with learning and memory. According to researchers, these compounds may heighten memory and slow down age-related mental deterioration.
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Chocolate is also a legitimate mood booster.
Then again, there’s no real surprise there. Chocolate in any form certainly boosts my mood.
Brain-Boosting Supplements
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The things that set brain food apart from other food are the vitamins and minerals they contain. It’s what you need to function daily.
Your body craves these things at all times, and most people mistake that hunger with other things.
You might think it’s borderline impossible to eat all these foods daily. But you still want to improve the health of your brain. We all want to function better and not be so tired all the time.
If you're interested in boosting your brain power, you might want to check out these vitamins and supplements.
Brain boosting supplements
If you have issues in your daily life, such as depression, severe fatigue, anxiety, or even anemia, you should take a trip to the doctors.
If you explain your problems to a professional, they will be able to help you figure out if you have any deficiencies.
Fixing that will be one step in improving your physical and mental health.
Keep in mind:
This list covers the basics.
Some of them will be familiar to you and others will be new. This list might not include all the vitamins and minerals out there, but it’s an excellent place to start.
Understanding Your IQ
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Part of the reason people are so interested in improving their brain health is that they also want to improve their IQ.
That’s not true for everyone:
But many people are curious.
Some even believe intelligence and success go hand in hand.
“IQ” stands for an “intelligence quotient.” It is measured through standardized tests and used to compare peoples intelligence. These tests don’t necessarily measure intelligence through knowledge and learning. Instead, they focus on problem-solving and quick thinking skills.
Some people put a lot of stress on their IQ, believing it is a surefire way to tell how smart you are naturally.
Fair enough, but:
There is a lot of speculation on whether this can be a real test of intelligence.
There are plenty of resources if you would like to learn more about the average IQ, how it is measured, and what it means.
How you can increase your IQ
As we mentioned before, IQ tests typically focus on testing your quick thinking and problem-solving skills.
Even though there are plenty of people that are above average at both, that doesn’t mean that you can’t improve your score.
However:
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Not everyone thinks that intelligence can be found through these standardized tests and they don’t give much mind to their scores.
They prefer to focus on their GPA, which is just as, if not more important, in many real-life situations.
If you are interested in taking an IQ test to see where you fall on the scale, there are plenty of ways to do so online, even if it’s only for fun.
You can take short tests or find a long one that you have to pay for.
But if you already know your score and want to bump it up, there are plenty of ways to work on that.
Brain food
Brain games and puzzles
Train your memory
For more ideas on how to train your brain and bump up that IQ score, check out the video below for some extra ideas:
The Importance of Brain Foods for Your Children
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At the beginning of this post, we talked about brain development through different stages of our lives.
Remember:
We also mentioned that a babies brain is developing at lightspeed.
What's even cooler:
It will continue to do so until they’re about 20 years old. That's why people say young people are "sponges."
Your brain will slow down gradually over time.
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Don't worry:
It's totally normal.
With that in mind, however, you need to remember:
Brain food isn’t just for adults.
We might be thinking about the road ahead and the potential to lose our memories and knowledge as we grow old.
Kids aren’t going to be thinking that way.
They are so busy thinking about their daily lives and what they’re learning. They’re new to so many different aspects of life that we take for granted.
That means:
You’re in charge of feeding their minds with knowledge and the right foods.
You should stay away from the vitamin list we provided because they won’t have the same needs as us early on.
Ask your doctor before giving them anything like that.
Brain food doesn't fit into that category.
In fact:
You can give your kids as much healthy food as you want.
Also, keep in mind the daily recommended serving guide above is focused on adults. So it might be a good idea to steer clear of the caffeine at least.
Other than that:
Skip the fast food and sugary snacks as much as you can.
They might be a sweet treat, but they aren’t going to play a role in improving their health and cognitive functions.
Everyone Needs a Boost -- Time to Try Some Brain Foods
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Source: pixabay.com
Brain food is for everyone.
That means:
Kids and adults alike will benefit from the right foods.
You should remember that these aren’t the only brain foods out there.
There are plenty of fruits and veggies that are packed full of nutrients that will keep you sharp, motivated and energetic.
Just remind yourself:
All you have to do is try to fit them in throughout your day. It shouldn't be too hard because most of them make great snacks.
They can be added to your meals, eaten as a snack or side dish, and some can even be added to a morning shake.
When you become intentional about the food you put into your body, you will begin to see a difference.
You don't have to give up everything that you love.
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I'm a foodie just as much as the next person.
But I also want to do better every day. I want to constantly work on improving myself and a big part of that is a healthy diet and a healthy mind.
When you incorporate the best brain foods into your diet, not only will you feel better, you will also function better.
All you need is the right snacks.
Do you have a favorite brain food? Let us know in the comment section below!
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