Eating. It’s something we do every single day. In fact, most of us do it at least three times a day. We try to watch and make sure the food we fix and eat is healthy for our body. After all, we realize that eating good foods and avoiding bad foods will mean we’ll live longer and be healthier. The thought of less trips to the doctor and more trips to the lake keep us canvasing the produce aisles.
We’re actually racking up a fantastic bonus when we approach our diets from this standpoint. Many of the foods that pamper and strengthen our heart, lungs, and other inner necessities do the same for our brains.
Below are some of the foods you should make certain you’re getting enough of and the reasons why.
- Fish. Oily fish (mackerel, kippers and salmon) are especially rich in Omega-3 fatty acids. Eating fish not only improves concentration, it can actually speed up brain waves.
- Wholegrain food. Be sure your diet has a beautiful mix of wholegrain foods such as cereals, wheat bran, wheatgerm and wholewheat pasta. Studies show that wholegrain foods help our memory and concentration.
- Blueberries. Mental Fitness experts absolutely love blueberries and can’t say enough good things about them. They actually improve short term memory loss which means they not only strengthen and improve a mind that’s functioning well – they can heal one which isn’t doing so well.
- Tomatoes. We all know that lycopene is a powerful antioxidant found in tomatoes. We also know how much our hearts love lycopene. Research now shows that the lycopene found in tomatoes can actually help protect against free radical damage to cells which leads to dementia, particularly Alzheimer’s.
- Cocoa (!). The antioxidant concentration in a cup of hot cocoa has been found to be higher than that found in either red wine or green tea.
- Remember Your Vitamins. Alzheimer’s patients are found to have higher levels of homocysteine than other people. Folic acid and vitamin B12 help prevent homocysteine from building up in the body, which gives an extra level of defense against dementia. Fortified cereals are an excellent source of vitamin B12.
- Pumpkin Seeds. Snacking on pumpkin seeds provides you with your recommended daily amount of zinc. Just a handful a day is all it takes. Zinc is vital for enhancing memory and thinking skills.
- Oranges and Orange Juice. Vitamin C is believed to have the power to increase mental agility.
- Sage. The herb that no good cook would even attempt dressing or stuffing without has a strong reputation for improving memory.
- Curry. Scientists tell us that a chemical found in the spices curry and turmeric help the immune system clear amyloid-beta from brain tissue. Amyloid-beta is the substance that forms the plaques characteristic of Alzheimer’s disease.
- Green Vegetables. The folic acid found in green vegetables improves memory.
- Cranberries. In lab tests, cranberries have been shown to preserve brain cells.
- Eggs and Skim Milk. Studies have found that boosting choline can improve memory. Egg yolks are among the richest natural sources of choline. Experts tell us that skim milk also contains choline.
- Green Tea. I’ve been preaching the virtues of green tea forever when it comes to physical health. Now, research proves that green tea is just as important for mental health. A Japanese study of 1,000 people over the age of 70 found that those who drank the most green tea showed the least signs of the cognitive decline.
- Vitamin E. A study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology reports that vitamin E might help to prevent poor memory. Good sources: Nuts, leafy green vegetables, seeds, eggs, brown rice and whole grains.
- L-Carnosine. L-Carnosine is a strong antioxidant which appears to protect the brain from plaque formation that can lead to senility and Alzheimer’s. L-Carnosine is found in chicken and lean red meat.
**The Heavenly salmon at the top of the post is from a Country Living Recipe: Horseradish-Crusted Wild Pacific Salmon. Personally, I don’t like salmon’s attitude, so I need a recipe that’ll bring out flavor it didn’t even know it had. Click the link for the recipe.
