7 ways to boost your brain
You exercise your body so it performs at its peak, but what about your brain? Nutrition editor Dr Rosemary Stanton shares her seven simple secrets to keep your memory sharp and retain, or regain, the cognitive edge of your youth.
The brain is an amazingly active part of the body. While it only makes up about two per cent of our total body weight, it uses 25 per cent of the total amount of glucose we burn each day. It also accounts for a sixth of our heart's daily output and a fifth of the oxygen we use every day. So it makes good sense to keep the brain in top shape.
To maintain its heavy workload, the brain needs fuel from glucose, which comes mainly from the carbohydrate we eat. Any carb can be converted to glucose for the brain, but the healthiest type includes fruit, wholemeal bread, oats, peas, potatoes or yoghurt.
The brain also needs many nutrients to build and maintain its structure. Fats are particularly important and make up about two-thirds of the brain's structure. However, this doesn't mean you should start gorging on fatty foods – the brain wants selected fatty acids found only in some fats (see Go for Good Fats, below).
Throughout life, the structure of the brain also needs protein, and the chemicals needed for messages to pass along brain fibres and nerve cells depend on the right balance of vitamins and minerals. In general, the same nutrients that benefit the rest of the body are also good for the brain.
But diet isn’t your only guarantee of a healthy brain – there are also lifestyle changes you can make to ensure your brain is functioning at full capacity. Here's our list of the top seven healthy habits for you to follow.
1) Eat breakfast:
Overnight, the body's metabolism slows down. When we get up and start moving our metabolic rate increases, but adding some food fires up the body and the brain. Good choices include healthy, slowly digested carbohydrates, such as fruit, muesli, porridge or wholegrain toast – they maintain an even supply of blood glucose throughout the morning. Add an egg for extra protein, if you like.
2) Enjoy a morning coffee:
Having a coffee to wake you up really works – new studies have confirmed that a morning cuppa improves your attention span and concentration. But don't be tempted to switch to an energy drink – these are loaded with sugar and some brands have excessive caffeine levels. A couple of coffees over the first part of the day is beneficial for most people, but no more than that. Avoid coffee at night, too, as it can disturb restful sleep.
3) Make water your drink:
Your brain doesn't handle dehydration well. Water requirements depend on the weather, your size and the amount of exercise you're doing, so there's no magic number when it comes to how much water you should drink each day, but thirst is the best indicator that you need some water. Don't ignore thirst and avoid satisfying it with sugary drinks – they can lead to excess weight.
4) Don't skip meals:
Blood sugar levels vary throughout the day, but when they dip, the brain takes a nap. To stay alert, include slowly digested carbs, as well as some protein at each meal. If you need a mid-meal snack, go for nuts, yoghurt or a piece of fruit.
5) Get active:
Exercise is a top brain tonic, as an experiment in South Australian schools found. Kids who took an hour out of each school day for physical education learned more in the remaining hours than kids who didn't. That's because when we're physically active, blood flow improves throughout the body and nutrients are delivered to the tissues. Research also shows that older people who exercise regularly retain better brain function than those who become couch potatoes.
6) Keep alcohol intake low:
We all know that brain cells don't like high concentrations of alcohol. However, studies show that in people aged 65 and above, a moderate alcohol intake – about one to two drinks a day – may help protect against some types of Alzheimer's. But more is not better and there are no advantages for younger people.
7) Go for good fats:
The dominant fat in your brain's grey matter is DHA – one of the omega-3 fats found in seafood – so including seafood in your diet can help brain function. This is especially important during pregnancy and infancy, when omega-3s can help brain development. There's also evidence that eating fish regularly helps kids' cognitive abilities. Some studies have also shown that fish improves concentration levels in boys, but most studies on children with ADHD have not shown benefits.
Taste.com.au — November 2011 , Page 102
Dr Rosemary Stanton