Boost Your Brain....

Eating well is good for your mental as well as your physical health. Most of us are anxious about our physical appearance and therefore concentrate on exercise to tone the body and home remedies to take care of our skin and hair.

But the brain is one of the most important organs of the body that governs memory, attention, vision, speech and decision but we hardly seem to take any care about it. There are selected foods that can help in nourishing the brain and protect it from free radical damage, while brain exercises can help in enhancing brain power in an effective manner.

Choose Whole Grains

Replace simple carbohydrates like white rice and white flour with complex carbohydrates such as whole grains that have a low glycemic index which take time to break down thus, providing a constant controlled release of glucose into the bloodstream that keeps the brain alert and enhances concentration and memory. Opt for whole wheat breads, wheat bran, brown pasta and brown rice.

Eat oily fish

Good sources include linseed (flaxseed) oil, soya bean oil, pumpkin seeds, walnut oil and soya beans.  Oily fish contains EPA and DHA in a ready-made form, which enables the body to use it easily. The main sources of oily fish include salmon, trout, mackerel, herring, sardines, pilchards and kippers.

Avocadoes

Avocadoes are equally effective to improve brain health as blueberries. The benefits of avocadoes for health are well known and it is also helpful in boosting brain functions by improving blood flow to the brain, and better blood flow means and healthier brain with improved cognitive abilities.

Eat more tomatoes

There is good evidence to suggest that lycopene, a powerful antioxidant found in tomatoes, could help protect against the kind of free radical damage to cells which occurs in the development of dementia, particularly Alzheimer's.

Get a blackcurrant boost

Vitamin C has long been thought to have the power to increase mental agility. One of the best sources of this vital vitamin is blackcurrants.

Bet on broccoli

Broccoli is a great source of vitamin K, which is known to enhance cognitive function and improve brainpower.

Peas and Beans

Beans and peas are yet another source of complex carbohydrates that is economical and easily available and helps in promoting a healthy brain. Being rich in soluble and insoluble fibers, the beans take time to break down and be digested, thus providing a steady slow supply of glucose in the blood stream that is carried to the brain for its optimum functions. In addition, beans are a rich source of folate, a B vitamin integral to brain functions and improving memory.

Green Tea

The health benefits of green tea need no new emphasis. A few cups of this nourishing brew supplies load of antioxidants, especially catechines to the body that protects the cells against the harm caused by free radicals and oxidative stress and also promotes blood flow throughout the body. So, include 3 to 4 cups of green tea to your daily diet, replace soda and flavored drinks with delicious and refreshing iced tea for a healthy and fit body in the long run.

Go nuts

Good intake of vitamin E might help to prevent cognitive decline, particularly in the elders. Nuts are a great source of vitamin E along with leafy green vegetables, asparagus, olives, seeds, eggs, brown rice and whole grains.

Apart from food…..

Before looking into the foods that help in improving brain power, here are a few easy tips that can do a lot to enhance memory and concentration.

Daily exercise is the best way to expand brain health because it increases blood supply to the brain and promotes healthy neurons.

Getting 7 to 8 hours of soothing sleep also helps in enhancing brain functions because it helps in regenerating the brain and its functions.

Improving digestive health by including more prebiotics and probiotics in the diet also has a positive effect on brain health because the gut is closely related to the brain.

Challenging the mind with brain exercise such as playing chess, solving cross words or puzzles helps improve the capacity of complex reasoning and decision making.