the foods you choose to eat really can help you reclaim health!

Which Brain Foods
Make You Smart?

Can the nutrition in brain foods improve your memory?
Improve your performance?
Protect you from Alzheimer's disease or dementia?

Some researchers believe food does affect the brain: good nutrition can improve your brain health, but food lacking nutrients may cause mental problems.

Want to create smart eating habits for your brain? Focus on natural brain foods that are unprocessed and whole. You will look smart eating food filled with lots of nutrients.

People who study psychology and brain function have written books about specific foods and how simple eating plans can improve your brain function.

Does this happen to you?

Some days you can easily perform at your best all day long. But other days you struggle to complete simple tasks.
When your friends are having a good time, you just cannot join the fun because your energy is down and you feel sad.

Try changing what you eat.

To show your friends, family, or co-workers just how smart you really are, eat high-protein, low-fat meals balanced with a mix of carbohydrate foods. You will boost your brain power and mental performance.

Improve your mood by raising your serotonin level — put more carbohydrates (vegetables) and Omega 3 fatty acids (flaxseeds, salmon) than protein in your meals. One study found that a 5-to-1 ratio of carbohydrate to protein keeps serotonin levels from falling during the day.

Need to keep your focus on the tasks at hand? Add the mineral boron; you will pay attention. High fiber foods like apples, pears, almonds and tomatoes are good to eat on days you must pay attention. Boron and glucose from complex carbohydrates help you to stay focused and quickly recall and process information.

If it's your memory that needs a boost, rely on antioxidants and phytochemicals from berries, leafy green vegetables, and tomatoes. Antioxidants help you protect yourself against mental degeneration and dementia.

Changing a few eating habits to positively impact the health of your brain and add years of good health to your life sounds smart to me. And, of course, nutritionally dense high fiber foods belong in this eating plan.

Foods high in fiber contain many vitamins and minerals essential for top brain performance. Check for these nutrients in the brain foods you choose.

Glucose is needed for brain activity. High fiber complex carbohydrates help you balance blood glucose levels.
Antioxidants protect brain from oxidation. High fiber apples, berries, nuts, even chocolate produce good antioxidant activity.
Omega 3 Fatty Acids combat depression and protects against strokes. Flaxseed and other high fiber sources deliver excellent Omega 3 fats.
Folic Acid lowers levels of hemocysteine amino acide, which can clog the carotid arteries to the brain. Leafy green vegetables provide plenty this B₉ vitamin (also called folate).
Thiamine (vitamin B₁) helps the brain utilize glucose, essential for brain function. Nuts, whole grains, and beans are good sources for thiamine (thiamin).
Vitamin D helps to maintain phosphorus and calcium balance in the blood. Few foods provide vitamin D naturally; look for foods fortified with vitamin D. The best source for vitamin D is sunshine.

Want to learn more about how your choices affect your brain?
Read the book 20/20 Thinking by Maggie Greenwood-Robinson, Ph.D., or other books by authors who study brain function, human behavior, and health.