How To Choose Smart Diet Plan For A Healthy And Sharp Brain
Our brain is the central part of our nervous system, which helps us in our ability to reason, think, plan, and control. We often assume that being health conscious is just about our body and not our brain. It is our brain that keeps us smart and helps us lead meaningful lives. To keep the brain healthy we need to eat foods that will supply a balance of nutrients, including protein and sugar. A healthy brain diet is indispensable as we need not run into problems relating to the brain, like dementia, strokes, and Alzheimer’s disease.
Diet Plan For Your Healthier Brain
Why diet? When there is high intake of saturated fat, cholesterol clogs the arteries and may lead to Alzheimer’s disease. People with high cholesterol levels and high blood pressure can suffer the risk of dementia. However, good cholesterol or HDL protects brain cells. A healthy diet plan, comprising healthier foods, is the most effective in the long run.
What is a good diet to follow? A diet plan with balanced with the right nutrients and low cholesterol will ensure good health. The following vegetables and fruit should be consumed regularly and made part of any diet plan.
- Dark fruits and vegetables, which have highest level of anti-oxidants. These include spinach, lettuce, kale, Brussels sprouts, alfalfa sprouts, broccoli beets, red bell pepper, onion and eggplant. Fruits with high anti-oxidant levels include raisins, prunes, blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, plums, red grapes and cherries. These vegetables and fruits are rich in anti-oxidants, contain needed mineral and vitamins, and are low in calories. They are known to be extremely beneficial for the overall health of the brain.
- Omega-3 fatty acids, which are present in cold water fish like mackerel, tuna, halibut, salmon, anchovies, herring, sardines, whitefish and trout. These acids enhance the efficiency of the nerve signal transmission at synapses.
- Nuts are a rich source of anti-oxidants; these include walnuts, almonds and pecans. Anti-oxidant rich food is essential in fighting aging and its related problems. It also improves short term memory and balance.
- B Vitamins are effective in lowering homocysteine, a blood protein that increases the risk of Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia. Good sources of B vitamins include potatoes, bananas, lentils, chili peppers, liver oil, liver, turkey, and nutritional yeast, among others.
- Multivitamin supplements are recommended; however, the best is to eat healthy vegetables and fruits. An overdose of vitamin supplements can be counter reactive.