It is not a secret. What you put in your mouth affects your health! The holistic view of mind/body health has too long ignored the fact that “mind” doesn’t mean just thoughts and feelings. It means the brain — the billions of nerve cells connected by trillions of fibres, all leading to a network of brain systems that reach out and regulate every aspect of physical health. Caring for your brain is an important aspect of caring for your health. The most direct and easily available way to positively affect brain function and memory power is through diet. Check out some of these boosters and zappers for memory and brain function.
Boosters
Antioxidants:
Vitamin C: It is a well-known and powerful antioxidant. It can reduce the risk of plaque formation in the arteries and block the effects of free radicals that can reduce blood flow to the brain and impair memory. Vitamin C is found in parsley, sprouts, citrus fruits, strawberries, broccoli, potatoes, kiwi, red peppers, cabbage and leafy greens.
Vitamin E: It not only prevents deterioration of the brain, but also helps to restore brain function. It is found in nuts and seeds, nut oils, peanut butter, wheat germ, whole wheat and other grain sprouts.
Vitamin B12:
It is often called the “brain food”. A deficiency of vitamin B12 can lead to irreversible memory loss. The acid content of the stomach decreases with age, so the older people have more difficulty in absorbing B12. Vegetarians have a problem maintaining B12 levels because plants can’t make or store B12. Therefore, these two groups of people have a particular need to take B12 supplements to maintain full memory function.
Exercise:
It improves the flow of blood to the brain. It raises natural serotonin levels, reducing the likelihood of memory-zapping depression. It balances the rest/sleep cycles necessary for healthy mental functioning. Thus it can improve memory in several ways.
Meditation and relaxation:
If you want to keep your brain awake and alert, you’ll need to calm down. Meditation and relaxation exercises are the antidote to the brain’s ability to think clearly when it is stressed, tired or emotionally distracted. These two brain relaxers create an environment in the brain that allows it to boot up quickly and efficiently and remain at peak performance throughout the day. Research shows that high anxiety can temporarily erase or muddle recollection. Because stress has such a strong negative effect on memory, learning to relax is one of the first steps taught in memory classes.
Zappers
Fats and proteins:
Excessive intake of fats and protein affects memory function. You can boost memory power by reducing your intake of fats (found in butter, oils, nuts and processed bakery goods) and protein (found in fish, red meat, milk, eggs and cheese).
Sugar and carbohydrates :
If you take in too much sugar or too many carbohydrates, the increased levels of serotonin will make you sleepy, lethargic and less able to recall details.
Alcohol:
Long-term use of alcohol at high levels definitely impairs memory. Alcohol further impairs memory by causing specific nutritional deficiencies. Some alcoholics have very poor diets that negatively affect not only memory but also general health. Alcohol itself directly causes a nutritional deficiency in even casual drinkers because it impairs the processing of some vitamins, particularly B1. The deficiency of B1 has direct and profound effect on memory processing. If you have a drink or two each day, you can give your memory a helping hand by taking a multiple vitamin that includes 50 to 100 mg of Vitamin B1.
Coffee and cigarettes:
If you smoke and drink coffee, you are setting yourself up for long-term memory loss. Over the time, smoking causes or enhances the deterioration of blood vessels and this keeps the brain from receiving a healthy blood supply. Not only does this lead to an increased risk of stroke, but also it will slowly, affect the brain’s ability to think and remember.
Sleep deprivation:
Lack of sleep definitely affects the brain’s ability to hold onto information. Without adequate rest, the body’s natural balance of the brain ‘chemicals is disturbed, thus making it difficult to remember.
Stress:
Stress is a primary memory zapper, especially when it’s chronic. It interferes with the supply of glucose, the fuel that powers the brain. When this happens, new memories are hard to lie down and existing memories are hard to retrieve. Stress is not only experienced in tense situations; it can be manufactured in the body by the things you eat. Stimulants, such as caffeine and nicotine, fatty processed foods loaded with preservatives, put a tremendous amount of stress on the body that can trigger the stress response.
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