Healthy Food Habits to Boost Your Brain power

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Eating well is important for both of your mental and physical health, your brain needs nutrients just like your heart, liver or muscles do, you can help your brain stay sharp by following some healthy food habits. Eat well and think well, what you should know:

1. Why you should eat multiple colored vegetables and fruits

Try to eat fruits and vegetables of a variety of natural colors as different colors indicate different nutrient profiles.

  • Red fruits and vegetables are often packed with the antioxidants Lycopene, which helps your body create vitamin A. Tomatoes, watermelon, red cabbage, cherries and beets are good choices.
  •  Most yellow and orange fruits and vegetables, such as carrots, grapefruit, lemon, mangoes, papayas, pumpkin, sweet potatoes and pinapples, are rich in beta-carotene, which can protect eyesight as well as keep your teeth and bones healthy.
  • White fruits and vegetables, including bananas, cauliflower, garlic, ginger, mushrooms, potatoes, onions and white corn, contain high amount of dietary fiber, helping you to maintain a healthy cholesterol level and may also lower the risk of heart disease.
  • Green vegetables and fruits are packed with tons of nutrients, which are essential to protect your body by boosting the immune system, fighting harmful free-radicals,lowering blood pressure and reducing cancer risks, add more of these green vegetables and fruits in your diet plan, such as broccoli, cucumbers, green beans, green cabbage, kiwifruit, spinach, peas and zucchini.

2. Why you need good fats

Your brain is mainly made of fat, so a diet with rich, healthy saturated fats is important to make your brain function optimally. So how to choose the “good fats”? Experts suggest people to eat more foods rich in omega-3s, seeds, nuts and cold-water fish are good for you, such as flaxseeds, sunflower seeds, walnuts, Chia seeds, salmon, sardines, mackerel, herring and kipper.

3. Why some spices and herbs should be included in your diet

Herbs and spices don’t just add flavor to your food, in fact, they are very helpful in enhancing your brainpower and improving your memory as well. Some super spices and herbs may do more for your health than you think:

  • Turmeric contains curcumin, this chemical has been shown to reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease.
  • Thyme is great too, for improving your brain function. The volatile oils in thyme can increase the levels of omega-3 fatty acids in the brain, this is important for improving memory and your learning ability.
  • Rosemary does well in fighting off the free-radical damage in the brain because of its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.
  • Nutmeg can improve your brainpower due to the compound called myristicin it contains, which is known to prevent Alzheimer’s disease. Nutmeg reduces stress and depression too, if you’re suffering from depression or anxiety, nutmeg can help.

Plus, cinnamon, clove, holy basil,oregano, sage and garlic are also great to keep your brain sharp. Add them in your diet!

4. Remind yourself to stay away from foods that harm the brain

If you are experiencing poor brain function, then it’s time to remove some of the foods from your diet,  such as sugar rich foods, processed junk foods, fried foods, salty foods and trans fats, if you’re drinking often, limit the alcohol intake.

More from Alex Jordon:

Top 9 Foods That May Harm Your Brain

10 Secrets to Cut Down on Sugar

Eight Natural Food Sources of Iodine

Liu Jiao
I have written articles on various physical and mental health related conditions, including diabetes/ heart disease/ autism/depression/Nutrition/fitness/diets/fad diets/herbs/alternative therapies/weight loss/obesity in children and adults/smoking risks/alcohol risks/fast foods/disease....

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