Brain is an important and crucial part which controls almost all the functions in your body. What’s more, having a healthy brain helps increase your mental ability as well as reducing the risk of developing mental problems. This is easy to achieve if you watch your diet and ensure that you take in foods that will offer your brain a positive effect.
Salmon
Fatty fish like salmon are an excellent source of the omega-3 fatty acids DHA and EPA — both essential for brain growth and function, says Andrea Giancoli, MPH, RD, a Los Angeles nutritionist and ADA spokeswoman.
Eggs
Eggs are well-known as a great protein source — but the egg yolks are also packed with choline, which helps memory development. Send your child off to school with a grab-and-go breakfast egg burrito. Try breakfast for dinner one night a week — scrambled eggs and toast. Make your own egg McMuffin at home: just put a fried egg on top of a toasted English muffin, topped with a slice of low-fat cheese.
Whole Grains
The brain needs a constant supply of glucose — and whole grains provide that in spades. The fiber helps regulate the release of glucose into the body, Giancoli explains. “Whole grains also have B-vitamins, which nourish a healthy nervous system.”
Oats/Oatmeal
Oats are one of the most familiar hot cereals for kids and a very nutritious “grain for the brain,” says Sarah Krieger, MPH, RD, LD/N, a St. Petersburg, Fla. consultant and ADA spokeswoman. “Oats provide excellent energy or fuel for the brain that kids need first thing in the morning.”
Sourced From: http://www.webmd.com/parenting/features/brain-foods-for-children#2
You like drinks, and they are good for your health. Some are nutritious; others are just for fun and refreshment. But did you know that drinks are essential for your brain? Although not all drinks are the best for your mental health, here are some which can really help boost your brain health quite easy.
Beet juice
Beets are a nutritional powerhouse—and so is the juice. It increases levels of nitric oxide, a blood gas that improves blood flow. How does that help your brain? Your brain needs good blood flow to function optimally.
Carrot juice
The old adage is that carrots are good for the eyes (indeed they are)—but we now know that carrot juice is absolutely great for the brain. Like other deeply colored vegetables (sweet potatoes, kale, red peppers, etc.), carrots are high in beta-carotene, an antioxidant that reduces inflammation—believed to be a factor in brain deterioration.
Red wine
Everyone knows that red wine promotes cardiovascular health (easy does it). What you might not know is that red wine has been linked to a lower risk for dementia.
One reason is that people who drink moderate amounts of red wine—up to two glasses a day for men or one glass for women—have an increase in HDL “good” cholesterol. Research from Columbia University has found that people with the highest levels of HDL were less likely to develop dementia than those with the lowest levels.
Sourced From: http://bottomlineinc.com/5-best-brain-boosting-drinks/
Not all the foods you eat are always good for your health. And especially with the vulnerability of the human brain to memory loss and the stuff, there are some foods that can spell doom for your brains health. These are some of the foods you will need to stay away from at all costs, or reduce the rate in which you consume them, if you want to keep your brain healthy.
A new study looked at brain scans of participants before and after they drank beet juice. The post-beverage scans showed an increase in circulation to the brain’s white matter in the frontal lobes—a part of the brain that’s often damaged in people with dementia.
MSG
It is common to get a headache, tightness in the chest, or even have vivid and bizarre dreams after eating Chinese food. A popular additive in Asian cuisine — MSG — is used by chefs to enhance the flavor, but it can wreak havoc on your brain health, attacking the brain stem. As an excitotoxin, MSG over stimulates neuron receptors, causing a firing of impulses that they become extremely exhausted, and die hours later.
Precooked and processed foods
These types of foods over stimulate the production of dopamine, also known as the “pleasure” neurotransmitter that leads to excessive cravings. Precooked and processed foods contain preservatives, additives, dyes, and artificial flavors that have the ability to affect our behavior and our cognitive functioning. “Processed foods and any foods that are hyper-allergenic can take a toll on brain health,” said Brandon Mentore, sports nutritionist, and functional medicine practitioner, to Medical Daily in an email. “The more chemical and synthetic the compounds in food are the harder they are to digest and detoxify.”
Trans fat
Trans fat is known to raise our “bad” (LDL) cholesterol levels and lower our “good” (HDL) cholesterol levels. A high consumption of trans fat can even lead to brain shrinkage. The synthetic trans fats increase the amount of oxidation in our body and create an arterial stiffness, Mentore explained. “All of this plays into the vascularity and the plasticity of your brain and nerve transmission. This can increase inflammation and plaguing in the brain.”
Sourced From: http://www.medicaldaily.com/dumb-and-dumber-7-foods-negatively-impact-your-brain-health-291764