Mind Power as Related to Nutrition - Rethinking Your Daily Diet

                

 

This article touches on the nutritional aspects of mental health, and is intended
to enlighten the reader, presenting mainstream verifiable data as well as the author's
personal experiences with the examples as part of my own personal regimen and opinions.

Many people who study the human brain assert that a healthy brain never forgets
anything. Unless affected by injury or disease the brain never loses anything. Well,
as you can guess, there are many differing opinions on the less than exact science
of the human brain. Many scientists and clinicians can agree, however, that forgetting
something is actually a result of concentration, retention and significance, based
on the collective wisdom of these three very general topics.

The brain is an extremely active organ, metabolically speaking, and requires
large amounts of energy in order to function optimally. Armed with this knowledge,
we need to examine the best food stuffs proven to be absolutely essential for our
brains. Let's start with known causes of brain impairment, especially over time
such as Free radical damage.

Bearing in mind that the brain is about 60% composed of fatty or lipid molecules,
it should stand to reason that how the brain is nourished would have to have a great
deal of influence of cognitive functions, such as memory, reasoning and retention.
A brain-healthy diet is one that reduces the risk of heart disease and diabetes,
encourages good blood flow to the brain, and is low in bad fat and cholesterol.

Omega-3s are a particular type of polyunsaturated fats that are found in fatty
fish. Scientific studies indicate that omega-3s are important to maintaining brain
function in early development and throughout life, and may help protect the brain
from aging. Again, look at the brain's composition and the role of good fats and
fatty omegas should become more apparent.

Fatty acids seem to work in part by counteracting free radicals, which are atoms
that have an electron imbalance and are constantly seeking to steal an electron
to make itself whole. This process of stealing electrons from cells causes cell
damage. Brain cells are no exception and brain cell damage also occurs due to free
radical activity. Think of free radical damage as mental rust. So, what should we
eat?

The very best sources are cold water fish contain beneficial omega-3 fatty acids:
halibut, mackerel, salmon, trout and tuna. Most nuts can be a useful part of your
diet; almonds, pecans and especially walnuts are a good source of vitamin E, an
antioxidant.

Vitamins E and C together, vitamin B12 and folate may be important in lowering
your risk of developing Alzheimer’s. A brain-healthy diet will help increase your
intake of these vitamins and the trace elements necessary for the body to use them
effectively. Folate is gaining importance as a supplement critical in the fight
of Alzheimer's and dementia. Think whole grains and berries.

Foods high in antioxidants such as dark-skinned fruits and vegetables have the
highest levels of naturally occurring antioxidant levels. Such vegetables include:
kale, spinach, brussels sprouts, alfalfa sprouts, broccoli, beets, red bell pepper,
onion, corn and eggplant. Fruits with high antioxidant levels include prunes, raisins,
blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, raspberries, plums, oranges, red grapes
and cherries. Regular intake of these foods can greatly reduce those nasty free
radicals.

It is not clear how much fruit would have to be consumed to have a detectable
benefit. However, a study of elderly women showed that those who ate the most green,
leafy and cruciferous vegetables in the group were one to two years younger in mental
function than women who ate few of these vegetables.

I'd like to leave you with an idea for breakfast which will absolutely explode
your mental and physical energy to start your day. Works for me and others, but
you need to keep an open mind, at least gastronomically. Take a toasted whole wheat
English muffin or bagel, butter it lightly, No margarine ever, and then lay on the
peanut butter. Open a can of sardines, or tuna, canned salmon, about 3 to 4 ounces
and enjoy! Wash it down with fresh Apple Cider and you will enjoy a clear mind and
energy to burn. I promise! Thank you for reading.

I specialize in general interest short article content, especially for my own
content sites. I love to write and I look forward to contributing many many more
submissions, hoping people will find some useful or entertaining info.
http://www.healthcontentsite.com