2015-12-29
Joybynature.com Team
Dec
29

Image Source: Goodhealth

Foods for Your Grey Cells

This can be done by making a few changes in your dietary habits and include organic foods to sharpen your grey cells. Foods that are low in trans fats and saturated fats, high in healthy fats, green leafy vegetables and food rich in whole grains are some organic foods to sharpen your grey cells.

Get Your Omega-3 Fatty Acids

  • Omega-3 fatty acids are very important for memory cells. Include omega-3 fatty acids-rich food into your diet at least three times a week. Fatty fish such as sardines, salmon, tuna, mackerel and herring contain large amounts of this essential fatty acids, including docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), which is essential for the normal functioning of the neurons, the nerve cells, in the brain.
  • For those not particularly fond of fish, go for walnuts. Walnuts funnily resemble the human brain and have been associated with cognitive functions and better memory scores. Walnuts are a great source of the plant-based omega-3 fatty acids, alphalinolenic acid. Walnuts contain more folic acid, Vitamin E and antioxidants than any other nut, and this organic food helps to sharpen your grey cells.
  • Other sources of omega-3 fatty acids are flaxseed oil, ground flaxseed, kidney and pinto beans, broccoli, spinach, soybeans and pumpkin seeds.

Dark Green Leafy Vegetables and Fruits

Green leafy vegetables and fruits, especially the colored ones, are rich in antioxidants which protect your brain cells from damage. Take a variety of colored fruits such as apricots, mangoes, watermelons, bananas and cantaloupe. Green leafy vegetables like spinach, broccoli, collard greens and kale are rich in Vitamin E and folate. Folate helps to reduce high levels of homocysteine in the blood which may trigger the death of neurons in the brain. So, enrich your brain as much as you can with colored fruits and leafy vegetables.

Eat Food Rich in Vitamin E

  • Eat foods that are high in Vitamin E. This would also include vegetable oil-based salad dressings , nuts and peanut butter. Vitamin E is a potent antioxidant and helps to protect the neurons or the nerve cells. Peanut butter and peanuts keep the brain healthy.
  • Avocado, rich in both Vitamin E and Vitamin C, is also associated with helping to deal with Alzheimer’s disease.

Berries to Protect Your Brain

Berries are rich in the antioxidant – anthocyanins, which help in the prevention of brain cell-breakdown. Blueberries especially have been found to be very effective in learning and spatial memory. Eat at least four cups of berries – blueberries, acai berries and strawberries, every week.

Feed Your Brain Coffee

Caffeine stimulates the release of adrenaline and hence, drinking coffee gives you an instant rush of energy to start off. Caffeine in coffee helps to sharpen your memory and the general brain functions. If you are not a coffee drinker, try any herbal tea or water with lime and sharpen your grey cell with organic foods.

Drink Green Tea

Green tea contains the powerful antioxidant, polyphenols, which protect brain cells from damage by free radicals. Drinking green tea also enhances mental alertness, memory and slows down the ageing of the brain cells.

Give Your Brain the Right Carbohydrates

Though carbohydrates keep you going, only the right carbohydrates keep the grey cells going. Simple carbohydrates like sugar, refined grain and white bread, give a quick boost to the brain followed by an equally quick crash. Simple carbohydrates also increase the risk of cognitive impairment in old people. Instead, eat food rich in complex carbohydrates like brown rice, whole-wheat bread, high-fiber cereal, whole beans, lentils and oatmeals. Include these organic foods and sharpen your grey cells.

Moderate Wine or Grape Juice

Alcohol, in moderate amount – a glass a day, helps in improving memory and cognition. Of course, too much of alcohol does the opposite – destroys the brain cells. So keep a check on your alcohol consumption. Red wine, which is rich in resveratrol, is the best option. Resveratrol is a flavonoid, which boosts the flow of blood in the brain and reduces the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. Other options of resveratrol include fresh grapes and grape juice and cranberry juice.

Though the brain might seem to be the most complex of all the systems in the human body, its maintenance and preservation are not so complicated after all. Take care of your brain with these simple organic foods and sharpen your grey cells, whatever your age.

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