Brain Food 101

Keeping your brain fit and young partially comes down to eating the right foods. In order to optimize brain health, follow the guidelines below.

Neutralize free radicals. Free radicals are like robbers who are deficient in energy because they are missing an electron. Free radicals attack other cells, such as motor neurons, to rob them of energy and satisfy themselves. Antioxidants are molecules capable of neutralizing free radicals. By reacting with them, antioxidants protect the body from undesired electron transfer reactions.

Rich sources of antioxidants include blueberries and cranberries, bittersweet chocolate (yeah!), most dark vegetables including the tops of broccoli, artichoke hearts, red beans, pecans, and cherries.

Eat the way nature intended. Start at the beginning. For example, eat a whole apple instead of apple sauce or apple juice. A large part of the nutritional value of an apple is the skin, which is rich in antioxidants and a good source of fiber too. The more processed the food, the less healthy it is, especially if sugar is added.

Help your brain absorb vitamins by eating the right kinds of fat. We need fat to absorb essential vitamins like A, E, D, and K.  More importantly, the brain is 60% fat and must be feed a steady diet of it. The membranes protecting nerve cells are mostly fat.

Avoid the saturated fats found in most animal meats. They clog arteries, cutting off essential oxygen to the brain and contributing to stroke. Stick to vegetable fats (especially canola and olive oils), fatty fish like salmon and mackerel, and white chicken meat or the leanest cuts of beef.

A lot has been written lately about the benefits of Omega-3 fats which help keeping the brain “oiled” like a well tuned machine. In addition to fatty fish, good sources of Omega-3 include walnuts, flaxseed oil, brazil nuts, kidney beans, navy beans, winter and summer squash, certain berries such as raspberries and strawberries, broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, romaine lettuce, and collard greens. Wheat germ, fortified eggs, and free-range beef and poultry are also good sources of omega-3s.

Contrary to what you’ve been told, carbohydrates are good for you. Don’t worry about carbohydrates, just make sure they’re complex carbs. 

As far back as ancient Egypt nutritionists knew the proper ratio of diet is 30% protein, 40% carbohydrates, and 30% fat. Carbohydrates provide glucose, one of only two fuels the brain uses to keep running and keep fit. High protein diets are hard on the kidneys and reduce energy to the brain. 

Stick to the complex carbs found in vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. Avoid simple carbs, especially refined white sugar and flour. The more refined foods a person eats, the more insulin must be produced to manage it. Insulin promotes the storage of fat, making way for rapid weight gain and elevated triglyceride levels, which can lead to heart disease and stroke.