Many cultures all over the world usually refer to food as the body’s fuel. This is a really accurate food summary even although it’s missing one very important element – consideration for the brain. Without brain activity, the physical movements, emotional reactions, and thought processes related to being human wouldn’t occur. It would be like spending a day as a piece of rock. One will be alive but not conscious or independent. Given that the brain is important for functioning as a human being, maintaining its health is a must. This is where food for fuel and brain health combine. If someone deliberately feeds their body foods that offer benefits to their overall brain health, they will be rewarded in the short and long term. Movie maker Morgan Spurlock phrased it a little differently, “Sorry, there isn’t any magic bullet. You must eat healthy and live healthy to be healthy and look healthy. End of story.”
The wide variety of food choices can make determining what is and isn’t a difficult process. To identify foods to eat for better brain health, we connected with several experts.
Fish contains fat
Ryan Rottman is the Co-Founder and CEO of OSDB, a brand that offers an online sports database. Rottman suggests looking at a wide variety of fish that contain natural fats.
“I believe by now, everybody has heard from their grandmother or great-aunt that they should take fish oil pills. Believe it or not, they died with their advice. Our brain contains a lot of the same elements that are found in these fish. More than half of your brain is built from fat and most of it’s built around omega-3 fatty acids. Fish that contain fat is probably the greatest food sources for both of this stuff. Nothing needs to be done particularly to the fish at all, they grow naturally like this. Make sure you identify fish with these fats because not all have them.
Dark chocolate
Eating sweets appears to be counterproductive for health. JOI is the business of providing vegetable milk concentrate. Their CEO, Hector Gutierrez, suggests a change of mind in certain areas.
“Chocolate is one of those things that once you start eating it it’s hard to put it away, at least for me. So, when I found out that eating dark chocolate was good for my brain, I was thrilled. High quality dark chocolate has cocoa in it which is a natural antioxidant, and it has a wide impact on your head. First, consumption of antioxidants has been shown to help prevent mental decline caused by age or disease. Just that alone is enough to convince you to add this to your diet. But there’s more. These specific antioxidants have also been shown to affect brain growth and blood flow.”
Many colours
Deleted specialises in personal look after people suffering from mild to harsh allergies. Their CMO and Co-Founder, Dr. Payel Gupta, considers a person’s food pigments indicate a balanced diet.
“One of the simplest ways to tell whether or not your diet is working for you is to look at the color palette of what you eat. If you see consistency across foods and food categories, you may be doing your brain a disservice. Obviously, I’m not referring to artificial coloring in junk food here. Vegetables and fruits come in more colors than one can possibly name. This isn’t the most scientific way to put it, but these colors have things that are good for your brain. It’s a simple approach but natural colors are the best.”
Egg
Rym Selmi is the Founder MiiRO, a brand offering vegan, plant-based chocolate and baking ingredients. He warns others not to discount the benefits eggs offer irrespective of preparation style.
“On the surface, the biggest advantage of eggs may seem to be their price. While that’s in no way to be scoffed at, I would argue that there are even greater merits to remember of. Why do you think athletes consistently consume large amounts of eggs? The most popular answer here is protein, but that’s not what I’m referring to. Eggs also contain choline which is a brain anti-inflammatory as a performance enhancer with regards to things like memory or when the brain communicates within itself. Plus, eggs have an incredible versatility that almost all foods do not, so you will never be bored so long as you put some creativity into it.
Coffee
There are times when the brain needs a jumpstart. The Personal Trainer Pioneer is a business that provides valuable tools to help you become a certified personal trainer. Their Founder and Senior Editor, Tyler Read, proposes using coffee to start with and beyond.
“A cup of coffee a day provides a double advantage in play both daily and long term. The first, which everyone knows – caffeine. Some of us take a little longer to wake up than others and the kick provided by caffeine is just what we need to start our day. But the second advantage is not something you will feel cognitively. Coffee also has antioxidants. There have been findings that have led experts to believe that it lowers the risk of developing something like Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s. Now you can see why this is a double benefit.”
Berries
Edit Quality specialises in crafting the best direct-to-consumer brands on the web. Their Co-Founder, Lauren Kleinman, believes the wide choice and impact of berries should convince everybody to make them a staple food.
“Food trends are fickle but funny things. But sometimes, they really hit the nail on the head. For example, antioxidants have been touted everywhere and on everything. Although they have taken a bit of a backseat in the advertising world, the good things they are capable of have gone nowhere. It is widely believed that antioxidants can reduce stress and swelling levels in your brain. Also, as we age, our brains have to invent new ways to communicate. Without this, learning and improving personally would not take place. Antioxidants also help with this process, making aging a lot more graceful.”
Nuts
Jason Reposa is the Founder and CEO of Good Feeling, a brand offering seltzer and cannabis-infused beverage enhancers. He advises others to look at foods like nuts or legumes when trying for better brain health.
“Anyone with a little knowledge of how the brain works will point you towards antioxidants if you try to take care of your brain. There are so many great food sources to get it into your system, but in my opinion, nuts like walnuts, kidney beans, or lentils are the way to go. Both are delicious to eat and are powerful sources of antioxidants. You can follow the deep hare trail to understand what antioxidants do for your brain, but simply put, they work more efficiently and effectively.
Sheep
Food choices often come all the way down to a matter of taste preference. Patriot Cooler is a business that provides a collection of coolers and insulated drinkware. Their Business Development Manager, Marcus Hutsen, considers lamb the most suitable option as a result of its uniqueness.
“Red meat tends to be a food that our doctors try to keep us away from. For good reason too, extreme amounts can damage our internals. However, there’s one type of red meat that has been shown to help people maintain their cognitive abilities later in life. The meat is lamb. I am unable to say what about this meat that’s different from its counterparts but if you are going to go with red meat for dinner, why not help your future self in the process?
The above is more than enough information to point even the most distrustful in the right direction with regards to brain health. It’s important to remember that consistency is the key to seeing results. TV personality and entrepreneur Bethenny Frankel say it best, “Your diet is a bank account. Good food choices are a good investment.”
