Contents
This time we are facing a real challenge. diet for the brain, i.e. supporting our most valuable, neural structure precisely so that it can always work with full precision. Can we support the brain in the short and long term by choosing the right menu? How to get the brain what it likes best? And how can you reduce your risk of Alzheimer’s in this way?
The brain is like a muscle, and you have to take care of your muscles!
Gray cells are the nerve cells of the cerebral cortex. It was said that you have to take care of them and, above all, you shouldn’t lose too much of them. One of the stimuli for loss may include prolonged and intensive alcohol consumption or the use of strong psychoactive substances. Even marijuana can degrade gray cells.
Not so long ago, it was believed that the brain is a ready organ, the development of which continues until approximately twenty years of our life, and then… the end. It can only get worse. We often hear, even in the case of people who are not so old, that the memory is not so good or that the brain is playing tricks.
However, this is not true, because the brain should be viewed more as a muscle. Continuous stimulation can significantly develop a network of nerve connections, resulting in an increase in the number of synapses and dendrites. Of course, provided that we do not act to its detriment at the same time.
| TIP |
|---|
| As the first point, it is worth pointing out that the diet for the brain must begin with the elimination of harmful substances that affect its degradation. We are talking primarily about alcohol, which is invariably worth throwing out of our “daily menu”. |
Proper diet for the brain. You don’t expect this!
What should the brain be properly nourished? Surely you think that we will start with ready-made ideas for foods or vitamins to feed him. Meanwhile, “feeding” should start with … stimulation!
The phrase “use your mind” is more than appropriate here. It is worth studying all the time, reading books, magazines and articles. Above all, it is a good idea to find a hobby, preferably a multi-dimensional one (yes, even a dietitian and topics related to it may be included in this group).
Chess and other logical games that require a lot of effort from our neurons will also work very well, thus stimulating the growth of dendrites responsible for receiving and sending signals between cells. Regardless of age and needs, learning languages will also be a proven solution (and if, for example, from school years, we have an aversion to foreigners, let’s try learning sign language).
Another simple but effective idea to nourish your head is to sign up for aerobics. A diet for the brain should also be full of… sexual excitement. The release of serotonin, norepinephrine, vasopressin, oxytocin and dopamine is one of the most liked efforts from the point of view of our cerebral cortex.
| TIP |
|---|
| We can nourish our brain by stimulating it to act. We are talking about the physical sphere in the form of exercise, and even sex, and mental – learning, meditation and exposure to interesting surroundings. In a word: it is worth living actively, not be afraid of meeting new people and things! |
What’s worth eating?
The third ingredient is the one that is most strongly associated with the diet as such, i.e. the need to introduce appropriate substances through the digestive tract. What, then, our brain likes to “eat”?
- It is worth enriching the diet with unsaturated fats. Their presence allows the creation of natural protection for neurons, and accelerates the conduction of impulses. It is worth staying next to omega-3 fatty acids. We can find them, among others, in walnuts, sea fish, chia seeds and flax seeds.
- Antioxidants are known to delay aging and mutate cells. Therefore, they reduce the risk of dementia and improve memory – it is worth adding them to our special diet for the brain. Antioxidants can be found in large amounts, for example in the American blueberry, hated by many Brussels sprouts, and in spinach, cauliflower and carrots. It’s also good to capture the cherry season and buy apricots from time to time. However, the highest level of antioxidants can be found in dried and fresh herbs, garlic, cinnamon and turmeric. Let’s use spices, not only for the taste – they will allow us to keep our mind agile for longer.
- Forgetting to stay hydrated can be disastrous. The brain consists of many percent of water – the non-carbonated one is especially recommended, but not straight from the refrigerator.
- Complex carbohydrates will help cover energy deficits. The brain uses up to 25% of the energy needed by the entire body during the day, so you should not forget to replenish it. Wholemeal bread, groats, lentils and bran can be helpful. It is assumed that the brain uses about 130 g of carbohydrates per day for its work.
| TIP |
|---|
| Junk food is a bad idea for a menu if we want to fully take care of the well-being of our brain. It is worth paying attention to vegetables and fruits rich in antioxidants, which easily bind free oxygen atoms – mainly berries. Walnuts, spinach and sea fish are also gold for gray cells! |
Diet for concentration
A lot of it, right? And that’s not all, because there is something else very valuable at the moment: maximum concentration. In terms of macronutrients supporting it, zinc has already been mentioned (which can be found, for example, in almonds, clams, beans and green peas), but magnesium is equally important. Its deficiencies not only cause problems with concentration, but also provoke irritability, drowsiness and muscle cramps.
When it comes to sleepiness … sleep is also no laughing matter. As it is commonly known, the brain is able to partially regenerate during it. Artificially “lengthening the day” at the expense of sleep can therefore have terrible consequences, even counterproductive. Instead of being able to work longer and be active, our productivity drops day by day. The concentration diet is then, first of all, “feeding the brain to sleep.”
| TIP |
|---|
| Sleep is just as important as staying active and eating properly. Without sleep, our brain has no chance to regenerate, and therefore concentration, productivity and willingness to act drop drastically. |
Diet, Alzheimer’s, and Risk Reduction
Coming to the last clue … We face a huge risk related to neurodegenerative disease, which, according to the estimates of the National Chamber of Control, affects about half a million Poles – it is Alzheimer’s. Even more often you can meet with senile dementia, sclerosis, dementia. How to fight it?
First of all, by following the recommendations in the previous paragraphs. An appropriate diet for the brain, including a diet for concentration, will allow it to develop continuously and maintain nerve connections in optimal condition. The worst in this respect are people who remain stagnant, in their life routine, and are reluctant to gain knowledge or at least minimal physical activity.
You certainly know such people from your surroundings. It is never too late to try, but unfortunately, for many of them there is no rescue – changing your lifestyle and habits requires, above all, a sincere willingness to change. Therefore, it is always good to promote a healthy lifestyle, emphasize its benefits and present tangible, positive effects of such changes in the gray reality. Especially among the youngest, for whom working on habits is sometimes the easiest.
| TIP |
|---|
| Changing your lifestyle may not only help your brain age more slowly, it may also become a sufficient stimulant to protect against dementia and Alzheimer’s. |
We limit stimulants, sleep more, gain knowledge, eat vegetables, fruit and fish, and try to collect it all into one systematic, healthy lifestyle. These are five steps on the way for the brain diet to be effective, which means that our “muscle” can constantly develop. To work!