Can you eat to improve your memory? Apparently so. A recent article in CommonHealth
describes how one can eat to essentially clog up those brain pathways or how
one can eat to unclog your brain and improve your memory. Another article reviews 15
foods to eat for a healthy brain.
What food clog up
your brain?
We all know that eating high fat foods, especially those
high in saturated fat, can clog up your arteries and are not good for your
heart. Another fat, trans fat, is
especially bad as it builds up in our blood vessels and damages them. So those French fries loaded with fat and
foods high in saturated fat like bacon, are not only not good for your heart,
they might not be good for your brain.
The Diets high in
cholesterol and fat might speed up the formation of beta-amyloid plaques in the
brain. These sticky protein clusters are
blamed for much of the damage that occurs in the brains of people with
Alzheimer’s.
Recommendation 1
for a healthy brain – cut back on foods high in saturated fats. Read the label to see how many grams of
saturated fat are in the food. Eating at
a fast food restaurant? Look online at
their menu and nutrition information and choose menu items with less saturated
fat.
- Choose the grilled chicken sandwich instead of the fried chicken sandwich
- Choose fruit instead of French fries or at least get the smaller fries
- Choose Lay’s chips as they have a heart healthy oil. Choose the Sun Chips to get some whole grain
What foods are
good for brain health?
Unclog your brain and keep it unclogged by eating healthier
fats. Choosing monounsaturated fats like
Olive Oil and Canola Oil and Polyunsaturated fats like Corn oil and Safflower
oil are good for brain health.
Canola
oil – high in monounsaturated fats at 63% and very low in saturated fats at
only 7%. This oil also has a good amount
of omega-3 fats which are good for your heart and brain. An interesting fact is that canola oil
contains “phytosterols” which actually help reduce how much cholesterol your
body absorbs.
 |
| Canola Oil |
Olive
Oil – very high in monounsaturated
fats at 73%. Low in saturated fats at 13.8%.
Olive oil is a good source of vitamin E and K. Olive oil also provides
antioxidants which are anti-inflammatory.
Other healthy
fats: besides the plant oils other
healthy fat foods:
- Walnuts, almonds, pistachios – I add some chopped walnuts to my oatmeal or other cereal every morning.
- Flax seeds
- Fish- salmon and canned tuna are especially healthy because of the omega – 3 fats. CommonHealth recommends salmon to “keep your brain running smoothly – goodbye brain fog”.
- Avocados – these used to be on the “no” list as they are high in fat. But now they are on the “enjoy” list as avocados are loaded with monounsaturated fats good for heart and brain health. Avocados provide vitamins K and folate which helps protect against blood clots and improves brain function in terms of memory and your concentration. Enjoy that avocado dip and use some whole grain chips for dipping.
What “diet” is
good for brain health?
The Mediterranean Diet is not really a diet to lose weight
but an eating pattern for a healthier you.
Eating the Mediterranean way promotes heart heatlh and brain
health. Improve the health of your blood
vessels by eating more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, fish and olive oil.
- Blueberries – definitely brain food. My husband tries to eat some blueberries every day. Rich in those good for you antioxidants and high in vitamins C and K and a good source of fiber. Blueberries have a substance called “gallic acid” that promotes brain health by protecting your brain from degeneration and stress.
- Dark Chocolate – who doesn’t like chocolate? Chocolate provides “flavonols” a good for you and your brain antioxidant. (Have you noticed there are many, many antioxidants in foods and eating a variety of foods provides you with different antioxidants.) This antioxidant helps improve blood flow to heart and to your brain and helps lower your blood pressure. Looking for some Hershey chocolate? Choose the dark chocolate to get the health benefits.
- Green Leafy Vegetables – yes, that Kale salad is good for your health. Or choose Swiss chard, Romaine lettuce, spinach. Eating from a salad bar? Skip the iceberg lettuce and load up on the spinach or darker salad greens. The darker the green, the more vitamin A and vitamin K it provides.
Sources: CommonHealth,
15
foods, Canola
oil, Olive
Oil, healthy
fats Image source: Hershey,
Avocado,
Canola
oil
Having Dementia disease knocked my grandma off her life and had her living like a mad person, I didn't know how the better part of her life eluded her, my mind was completely splatted in two, She showed a severe decline in her mental and cognitive skills in the last few years of her life and her quality of life had deteriorated greatly in the last 3 years of life where she was mostly bedridden. I am very glad my partner sought help and now she is free from all signs of psychosis. She was healed through the herbal medicines from Dr Charanjit, I do not wish to go the same route and I manage to live a fairly active and healthy lifestyle.
ReplyDeleteHere are her words "Finally, can you imagine what it would feel like to be NORMAL again, like I were before I was struck down by this horrible condition that you never asked for, and don’t deserve?" Sounds great doesn't it?
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In my own case it was just over four years ago when my Mum began to sound different on the phone. She lived back East with my siblings and my husband and I were living on the West coast and in phone calls it became apparent that my Mum's voice no longer had the same tones of excitement and humor that she used to; and instead it was very flat. At the same time she began to tell us about a situation at work that just didn't seem possible; she was complaining that a group of fellow workers were conspiring to get her. Although Mum had much academic success as a teenager, her behavior had become increasingly odd during the past years. She quit seeing her friends and no longer seemed to care about her appearance or social pursuits. She began wearing the same clothes each day and seldom bathed. She lived with several family members but rarely spoke to any of us. Obviously this whole story seemed very unbelievable and we sensed something was wrong but had no clue as to what it could be. We recommended that my Mum quit her job and look for something else - as we began to wonder if she had a "mental breakdown" and would get better once out of the stressful job situation.
ReplyDeleteIn the case of Mum, she was having persecurtory delusions, auditory hallucinations and negative symptoms that had lasted for at least Three years. All of these symptoms fit with a diagnosis of Dementia. Her story reflects a common case, in which a high-functioning young adult goes through a major decline in day-to-day skills. Although family and friends may feel this is a loss of the person they knew, the illness can be treated and a good outcome is possible as it all got better when we started using a herbal medicine for her through Aparajita.
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