Why is Optimal Brain Nutrition So Important?
Your Brain is a Voracious Eater
At about 3 pounds, you would not expect your brain to need so much fuel – but it does. When you breathe in, 20% of that oxygen filling your lungs ever gets directed to the brain, and a significant amount of the nutrients you consume go to power your brain as well. So not only does what you eat affect your muscles, your bones, and your organs, but it has a very large affect on how your brain performances. Without the right fuel and nutrients, your brain will perform at much less that optimum – and the result can be sluggishness, difficulty concentrating, and an accessibility to remember important words, appointments, and details.
What You Should Do to Improve Your Brain Nutrition
First of all, it is important to understand that there are many sources of protein, of fats, of carbohydrates – all the nutrients essential to life. Natural, plant-based sources of these nutrients are almost always better choices than processed foods. If you switch to a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, nuts, and lean meats including fish, chances are that you will quickly feel the results of increased energy, clear thinking, and a greater sense of well-being.
You should also focus on making sure that you are getting enough of the essential fatty acids – these are the fats that are needed in your body but that your body can not make from other nutrients. So they need to be consumed whole from natural sources. The essential fatty acids known as Omega-3s are incredibly important for brain nutrition, and are present in high quantities in many types of fish. Many nuts will also provide you with Omega-3s – almonds, macadamia nuts, walnuts, and cashews are a few types of nuts that are typically available in a neighborhood grocery store.
Most importantly, avoid fast food! Fast food contains large amounts of the bad types of fats that will harm not only your brain but your cardiovascular system as well. Often, when making a choice about what to eat, it is not necessary to make the perfect choice, just a better one. Do this, and your brain nutrition, health, mental power, and quality of life will improve!