8 Foods to Keep Your Brain Young

Our conversations often revolve around physical and mental health. Staying active and having a good diet are great ways to keep your body healthy. Practicing self-care, meditation, or seeing a therapist is great for mental and emotional health. However, we don’t often talk about brain health and how we can fuel our brain through the foods we eat.

Your brain is the control center of the body. It is in charge of your thoughts, memory, emotions, touch, motor skills, vision, breathing, temperature, hunger, and many other processes that regulate the body. It keeps our respiratory system going, our heart beating, and more. So how can we keep our brain working at peak condition as we age?

Healthy Eating for Cognitive Health

Alzheimer’s and other dementias continue to be a threat as we approach old age, but did you know there are ways to prevent these conditions? Engaging in activities such as working through puzzles and word searches are common and effective ways, but the food you consume also contributes to your overall brain health.

There are numerous foods linked to better brainpower and eating them once won’t do the trick. Incorporating these foods into your everyday diet is what will reap the most reward in the long run. The foods that strengthen your cognition act as protectors to your heart and blood vessels too, so there are many benefits of adding these superfoods to your plate.

Although there is no way to stop brain deterioration outright, by changing your eating routine now, you can help prevent your cognitive health from worsening and even reverse brain cell damage that has already begun.

What foods can you incorporate in your meals starting today? How can you create a meal routine for your family to enjoy and benefit from? Here are eight foods to boost brainpower:

1. Turmeric 

The micro ingredient that gives turmeric the orange colour is called curcumin, which is known to increase blood flow to the brain. It is a key plant for preventing or reversing symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease and other neurological conditions. When mixed with pepper, this long-standing brain superfood provides even stronger benefits.

2. Blueberries

Blueberries are rich in antioxidant compounds, which are linked to improving brain function. The whole berry family is beneficial as they contain minerals that are important for your brain and heart health. Blueberries in particular help improve cognitive abilities, especially memory.

3. Greens

Eating leafy green vegetables such as spinach, kale, broccoli, cabbage, collards, and brussel sprouts is very beneficial for brain health. By incorporating greens into one or two meals a day, you can significantly reduce brain deterioration over the years.

4. Coffee

Coffee is a universally enjoyed beverage. Some love the smell alone and some love the taste. Regardless, it is a staple in the morning for people all over the world. Although many people believe coffee is unhealthy, it is a vasodilator, which means it is good for blood circulation. Coffee is linked to brain health as it opens the network of blood vessels in your brain. It is difficult to fit coffee into your routine if the caffeine keeps you awake after dinner, so try mushroom-based coffee instead. And remember, no sugar!

5. Tea

>A drink that has been around since the beginning of time, tea has been enjoyed by many over the years. Green and white teas are known to have brain-boosting powers and are specifically linked to improved memory.

6. Legumes

Legumes such as beans, peas, lentils, and peanuts are good for your body. They are a common ingredient in Alzheimer’s prevention diets as they contain vitamins critical for brain function.

Related article: Unlocking the Power of Legumes

7. Fish

Fish such as salmon, anchovies, herring, and sardines contains omega 3 fatty acids. This is essential for the brain and eyes, and are responsible for memory, language, creativity, emotion, and attention. To prevent overfishing, there are other foods with high levels of Omega 3 fats you can also try, such as flax seeds and chia seeds.

8. Red Grapes

A key ingredient in red grapes is resveratrol, which protects the brain. Helpful for patients with Alzheimer’s, these grapes are linked with improved brain health and delaying symptom onset. This is why drinking one glass of red wine a day has health benefits. You can get the same benefits from enjoying red grape juice or eating red grapes.

Conclusion

There are many changes you can make to your diet to help improve your brain health and memory. Whether it be for yourself or your loved ones, incorporating these foods into your daily diet will reap short-term and long-term benefits your brain will thank you for!

We at Green Schools Green Future believe in the power of healthy eating and providing energy to your body through fresh ingredients. That is why it is our goal to build green schools where kids can learn the importance of nutrient-rich foods that they grow and cultivate themselves.