Wednesday, July 27, 2011

THE BEST FOODS FOR YOUR BRAIN

Although regular exercise and stress management help to improve brain function, there are certain nutritional habits that can strengthen your brain power and retard brain aging. Here are five dietary tips to help your brain:

  1. Get the proper balance of omega oils. Increase intake of omega 3’s such as salmon, tuna, avocados, olive oil, nuts and seeds. Decrease omega 6-rich foods like vegetable oils, red meats, fried and processed foods.
  2. Increase consumption of free-radical fighting foods like blueberries, spinach, raisins and prunes.
  3. Increase intake of polyphenol-rich foods like grape juice, dark chocolate, and red wine (in limited amounts).
  4. Minimize intake of red meats and refined carbohydrates which may promote formation of homocystein, a protein that is linked to Alzheimer’s and dementia.
  5. Limit or avoid the intake of all artificial sweeteners. Artificial sweeteners negatively affect brain chemistry and have long-term negative impact on brain function.