If late spring is the best time to go on a diet and get back in shape, it is also the best time to take care of your mind. Which must be fed with food as well as the body. Can nutrition help us keep our brains active and perky? It seems so. There is a link between the brain and the gut, where there are neurons that regulate stress, anxiety and tension. And we notice it in so many different ways. We have a stomach ache when we are tense and our stomach flutters if we let ourselves be overcome by anxiety. We use the term somatize to indicate the physical reaction to our emotions.
The link between mind and gut
It is in the intestine that serotonin, the happiness hormone, is formed. When we eat chocolate we experience a feeling of well-being that is not only physical but also mental. Just as too strict diets make us nervous and intractable. To be active, our brains need a balanced gut that can keep inflammation and stress at bay.
How to feed the brain and keep it happy and healthy? The brain is very sensitive to oxidative stress and must be fed with antioxidant foods that have positive effects on neural function. If we want to keep memory alive and improve concentration, we must choose foods with anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective properties. There is no single food for the brain but a varied diet that includes nutrients that allow it to function properly.
Healthy and active brain with these foods rich in antioxidants and useful for improving memory and concentration and fighting stress
If we want to stay focused we need to eat whole grains. They would ensure a constant supply of energy to the brain by slowly releasing glucose into the blood. Barley, rice, oats, spelled are mines of nutrients. And they must be cooked for a long time to be more digestible.
Spices and herbs would also improve concentration. We do not fail to add rosemary and sage, parsley and turmeric to our dishes to boost memory.
Fish guarantees us a good supply of omega 3 also present in flax and pumpkin seeds, walnuts and almonds. These fats would affect mood and help us manage stress. And what about the tomato that contains the precious lycopene, the powerful antioxidant that protects us from the action of free radicals? If we want to enhance its effect, let’s dress it with extra virgin olive oil.
Blueberries, grapes, cherries, strawberries and blackberries would improve memory. They are foods rich in anthocyanins that would reduce inflammation of the brain. As well as pumpkin seeds, rich in zinc and tryptophan which would affect mood.
If we want to boost our brainpower and keep memories sharp we need to eat cabbage, rich in vitamin K. E to fill up on vitamin C, citrus and black currants. This vitamin would help in the management of anxiety and stress. We will have a healthy and active brain with these foods.
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