Mental Health: Brain nutrition
Feeding your brain – optimizes your mentality!
It is of utmost importance to invest in your mental health! Neuroscientist Dr Lisa Mosconi emphasizes that brain nutrition should be a person’s priority.
As you feed your brain beneficial foods and hydration, your mind will be optimized, rejuvenated and energized to function satisfactorily. After all, the brain is the organ which uses the most energy in the body and consumes twenty per cent of the body’s energy.
In the study of Erika Calvo-Ochoa and Clorinda Arias (March 1, 2019) their observations concluded that the foods people eat that are high in sugar and saturated fats (harmful fats found in processed foods) result in obesity, other illnesses, deficiencies, and affect the hippocampus of the brain very negatively. The hippocampus of the brain is responsible for memory, constructing new memories, memory encoding, memory consolidation and organizing your memories into the boxes of your brain structures. It also regulates motivation, learning, emotions and spatial navigation. The hippocampus is very detrimental to human cognition. Furthermore, Calvo-Ochoa and Arias found that the saturated fats immediately damage brain neurons by modifying the way the neurons use their electrical signals (energy), as well as proliferating the molecules that are responsible for stress and inflammation.
This study together with many other research studies corroborates the urgent necessity of eating for your brain!
Feeding your brain:-
Facts - start by basing your thoughts on facts - which include the real things you see and hear, not on the stories (assumptions) you perceive.
Habits - be aware of working at the negative patterns, routines and habits in your life – so that you can develop new sound positive behaviours.
Thinking patterns - by initiating change in ineffective routines and habitual patterns – will make it easier to work at the pattern change of your negative thinking habits, and will promote positive thinking.
Educate and train your brain – by filling your mind with knowledge and wisdom you are feeding your brain with valuable information. Stimulating your mind with new information by researching different topics; or listening to educational TED talks or motivational YouTube videos; reading or listening to eBooks, develops your general knowledge and contributes to your brains word recognition and increases the fitness level of your brain. This stimulation keeps your mind active, increases brain development and keeps the neurons moving. It also encourages broadening your knowledge field in many things, equipping you for good social and work-related discussions and networking, it optimizes emotional intelligence, and supports good relationships.
Spend time with the right kind of people - people that will build and contribute to the strengths of your self-worth and temperament.
Forgive and let go.
Nutritionally:-
Extensive research is available on foods that contribute to the wholeness of our brain, foods which
optimize them for best functioning and keep our brain healthy. A small amount of this extensive
research on foods and supplements that will nourish your brain is recognized here.
Eat foods that nourish your brain -
The following extensive research contributes to brain nutrition, protection and especially toward the
optimal functioning of brain cognition such as memory.
Fatty fish (salmon, trout, sardines – rich in OMEGA 3 fatty acids) – builds brain & nerve cells; essential for learning & memory.
Blueberries – antioxidant & anti-inflammatory effects – assist stress & inflammation; aging & neurodegenerative diseases; improve communication between brain cells; improve memory & delay short-term memory loss.
Turmeric – the curcumin in turmeric increases absorption – enters brain and benefits the cells - it is anti-inflammatory & an antioxidant which benefits memory; eases depression; & excels new brain cells.
Broccoli – high in Vitamin K – forms sphingolipids (a fat in brain cells); promotes better memory; anti-inflammatory & antioxidant – assisting brain against damage
Pumpkin seeds – is an antioxidant – protects the body & brain from free radicals; it is a source of magnesium (it assists learning & memory & deters neurological diseases such as migraines, depression & epilepsy), iron (deters brain fog & impaired brain functioning), zinc (nerve signals & deters neurological conditions) & copper (controls nerve signals, deters neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s)
Cocoa powder (unsweetened) (found in dark chocolate) – is a brain boosting element & contains flavonoids (antioxidant plant elements), caffeine & antioxidants – this increases learning & memory, & slows down age-related mental decline. Cocoa is also seen as a mood enhancer increasing serotonin levels.
Nuts (Almonds, Pistachios, Walnuts, Pecans, Macadamias (monosaturated fats), Brazil (selenium), Hazel) – healthy fats, antioxidants & vitamin E - good for heart health which increases brain health. Improves cognition, memory & assists neurodegenerative diseases.
Vitamin E protects membranes from free radicals & decreases mental decline. Omega-3 fatty acids in nuts are very beneficial for your brain.
Flaxseed oil & powder – it contains high concentrations of Omega-3 fatty acids & lignans (which are building blocks that form cells) as well as antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties – which support protection against brain injuries.
Flaxseed provides neuroprotective strategies to the brain. Increasing cellular responses in the
brain – flaxseed increases the responses of neuron electricity (how fast the receptors pick up
the responses) (Mokhtari, Akbari & Sadeghi, 2017).
Oranges, bell peppers, guava, kiwi, tomatoes & strawberries – prevent mental diseases. Protect brain against mental aging & Alzheimer’s.
Antioxidant Vitamin C fights free radicals & supports brain health & aging.
Eggs – nutrients in eggs increase brain health, contain Vitamin B6 & B12, folate & choline. Choline (egg yolk) – creates acetylcholine – a neurotransmitter which regulates mood, memory & increases mental functioning.
Vitamin B’s – combat depression as well as folate; it also decreases mental decline in the elderly. Folic acid combats mental diseases such as Dementia. B12 combines brain chemicals & regulates sugar levels in the brain.
Green tea – caffeine in green tea just like coffee – increases brain function such as alertness, performance, memory & focus. It increases brain health with – L-theanine (amino acid which increases brain absorption - and increases activity of the neurotransmitter GABA – reducing anxiety & relaxing & calming people. It also increases alpha waves in the brain – calming you when fatigued (counterbalances the active effect of caffeine). It is also rich in polyphenols & antioxidants – they protect the brain from mental decline & reduce risk of Alzheimer’s & Parkinson’s.
Ashwaganda - is an ancient medicinal herb which benefits the brain and has been found to improve brain functionality, such as memory. It acts as an antioxidant wherein research has observed that it protects nerve cells from harmful free radicals and could even heal spatial memory impairment. It can lower blood sugar and cortisol levels, and as an adaptogen it could assist the body with stress, anxiety and depression symptoms.
Water – research claims that your brain consists of more or less 70-75% water (H. H. Mitchell). Therefor by consuming at least eight glasses of water a day you are not just contributing to your overall health but sustaining your brain. Water improves and maintains memory function, concentration & cognition. It balances your mood & emotions.
By including these foods and supplements in your diet you can keep your brain healthy and increase your mental productivity. Some foods protect your brain from damage, and some nutrients support brain development and functioning. Nutrition is an essential part of boosting mental health and functioning optimally.
Clean your mind:-
Very important before feeding your brain, detox your mind:
Eliminate bitterness and the seven roots that accompany it: unforgiveness; anger; murder; resentment; hatred; retaliation; violence.
Dispose of clutter - throw away and organize the clutter in your home, office etc. Write down on a paper the clutter you want to discard that has accumulated in your brain, all non-productive assumptions and stories; all negative thoughts and non-essential brain garbage which brings your self-worth and self-esteem down – then throw this clutter away.
Replace the clutter with positivity:
For at least 21 days write down the things that you appreciate and are grateful for every morning as you set your goals. Repeat reading it just before you go to sleep.
Recite a few positive declarations you make about your “self” each morning.
When your body is nourished, fit and healthy you experience joy!
When your mental health is in tip-top shape you think clear, equip enhanced memory, brain hormones are optimized, your productivity increases and you feel fulfilled!
Whilst being responsible, make the most of the present time and give little thought to the future, ensuring that you enjoy life while you can, as the Roman poet Horace encourages.
Elvira
JustLive Coach
elvira@justlive.co.za
“The strength of your mind determines the quality of your life.” Edmond Mbiaka
Disclaimer:
Please revert to the Terms of Use and Privacy stated on the www.justlive.co.za website with regards to content of the Life Enrichment Matrix. The writer does not claim to be a professionally registered individual on the subject of mental health, and herewith encourages readers who do require professional mental health related consultancy or medical related assistance, to please contact us if necessary so that we can refer you for professional assistance – info@justlive.co.za). Extensive research has been done for these articles and the necessary people recognized, but please when re-quoting anything from this document - honor the writer of this article.
Sources¹:
Lisa Mosconi, PhD, neuroscientist and author of “Brain Food: The Surprising Science of Eating for Cognitive Power.”
In Topor, 2019 –
Lee LO, James P, Zevon ES, Kim ES, Trudel-Fitzgerald C, Spiro A 3rd, Grodstein F, Kubzansky LD.
Optimism is associated with exceptional longevity in 2 epidemiologic cohorts of men and women. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2019 Sep 10;116(37):18357-18362. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1900712116. Epub 2019 Aug 26. PMID: 31451635; PMCID: PMC6744861.
Tahmineh Mokhtari, Mohammad Akbari, Yousef Sadeghi.
The Neuroprotective Effects of Flaxseed Oil Supplementation on Functional Motor Recovery in a Model of Ischemic Brain Stroke: Upregulation of BDNF and GDNF. 2017 December. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/322528406
H.H. Mitchell, Journal of Biological Chemistry 158.
Calvo-Ochoa E and Arias C (2019) Food for Thought: What Happens to the Brain When We Eat Foods High in Fat and Sugar?. Front. Young Minds. 7:32. doi: 10.3389/frym.2019.00032
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/12-proven-ashwagandha-benefits#1