So far in my posts I have discussed some basic nutritional information, metabolic processes, and a few ways to change your diet to optimize your health benefits. Now in one of my final posts, I would like to discuss what you can do for your brain. This is not a subject that gets much media attention, with respect to other dieting regimens, because of what I believe to be the lack of superficial craze. That is to say that trying to increase your intellect or striving for your personal best, from grade-school to adult life, has never quite seemed like the popular thing to do.
Opinions and self-image aside, I think we can concede that your brain is simply the most important part of our bodies. So how do we take care of this treasure? Well we certainly don’t do it by depriving it of nutrients and pumping it full of junk-food. In a time before many of the market-foods were manufactured, it wasn’t as big an issue for societies, let’s say, in the Mediterranean region, to receive a sufficient amount of nutrients for all parts of their persons’ in their normal diet. They’d get their essential fatty acids from the fish and nuts, protein from the abundant source of fish and meats, antioxidants from fruits and berries, etc.
Nowadays it’s not so easy, which is why when it comes to brain nutrition, I opt for the supplementary approach. The key word in my previous statement is SUPPLEMENTARY. That means that on top of the right nutrition (adequate protein, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins and minerals) I use some supplements to further cultivate my brain. A quick overview in brain nutrition shows that proteins are necessary as they are the substance that your brain builds with, carbohydrates are your energy source, and good fat is used as a regulatory component (The Thinking Business Limited). Furthermore, antioxidants protect your brain from degenerative damage by free radicals as discussed in an earlier post.
In most generic brain-power supplements, you find many of the same ingredients which include: amino acids, B-vitamins, essential fatty acids, and antioxidants. These are all elements that you could/should be getting in your normal diet, but if you’re deficient in these key elements necessary for proper brain functioning, this is how you can restore the balance. By proper brain dieting you can expect gains in your memory, mood, and functioning (AskDrSears.com). For example, have you ever misplaced your keys, looked all over the house, only to realize that they were in your pocket, purse, or jacket the entire time? How about putting things where they don’t belong, like trying to put a peanut butter lid on a jelly jar? Or my personal favorite, where I am searching high-and-low for the remote to the T.V. only to find that it had been sitting on top of the T.V. the entire time. These “brain farts” occur, in part, due to conditioning, stress, hereditary traits, sleep deprivation, but it also has a lot to do with your day-to-day memory and recognition abilities (Story). These are aspects of your brain’s cognitive functions that can be improved by the aforementioned nutritional elements. As far as your mood goes, it can help keep it elevated and inhibit “swings” or drastic polar shifts, which will enable you to approach all matters with a more level-headed outlook (Christie).
References
AskDrSears.com. AskDrSears.com. 2006. 30 November 2008 http://www.askdrsears.com/html/4/T040400.asp.
Christie, Catherine. Nutrition and Well-Being A to Z. 2008. 30 November 2008 http://www.faqs.org/nutrition/Met-Obe/Mood-Food-Relationships.html.
Story, PJ. Jeff & Bonnie Story. 2008. 30 November 2008 http://www.pjstory.com/Forgetfulness.htm.
The Thinking Business Limited. the thinking business. 2008. 30 November 2008 http://www.thethinkingbusiness.co.uk/brain_zone.html.
3 comments:
Another very informative post. I know I am the worlds worst for misplacing things, and I think that it is genetic or stress related. My mother had a bad memory, my brother and my older sister all can't remember things that well. Are there supplements that you can by at GNC that help to improve memory? If so, what is it called, and do you know anything about it? Side effects, advantages, disadvantages? Is there a key food or diet change that I can do to increase memory? Help me out here!
Good text and documentation here. My only real comment is right in the beginning, when you said that "lack of superficial craze"--and I see that you even try to redefine that phrase. I would suggest a rewrite of that part. I'm still trying to work with that and I find it's a bit confusing.
On to a technical question: Can anybody get these supplements at regular grocery stores or do we need to go to the local GNC? Which supplements are most important? How much would they cost?
By "lack of superficial craze," I meant that there isn't any media hype in regards to its products. For instance, the Atkins Diet, which is touted as something of a holy grail type diet, despite many accusations of its serious health risks. If it makes for a rough read though I can most certainly change it.
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