This post is about the principles you must follow to properly feed your brain, in order to keep a healthy brain for a long time.
The principles are the following:
- Avoid hypoglycaemia. This means, avoid a low level of glucose in blood. Glucose is the fuel of the brain, and low levels of it can kill neurons. To maintain a more or less constant glucose level in blood, do not follow starving diets. Do not starve yourself. Eat something every 3 hours. Also, do not eat refined sugary products, because they indirectly produce hypoglycaemia.
- Eat foods low in saturated fats. Avoid completely trans-fats. Trans-fats (hydrogenated fats) can clutter blood vessels. So can do high amounts of saturated fats. You need cut completely the trans-fats intake, and reduce the intake of saturated fats to increase blood circulation through the brain. You should instead increase the amount of unsaturated fats, which are required by the brain.
- Follow a low calories diet. It looks like caloric restriction is one of the preservers of cells because reduces oxidation of brain cells.
- Follow an equilibrated diet. This means, combine your meals to eat all the foods that provide nutrients, those are: all brawn cereals, fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts and proteins.
- Eat nutritive foods. Do not eat foods that are just calories containers (sweets, cakes, snacks, etc). Make every bit count. So, everytime you eat something, make sure that it provides some of the nutrients the brain needs.
- Avoid processed foods. They contain large quantities of sugar, salt and trans fats. Instead, look always for fresh products.
- Feed your neurotransmitters. Neurotransmitters are basic for memory, concentration and learning. Furthermore, some of them are not produced by the body, so need to be provided through food. Eat lecithin, take tyrosine and fenilanin and serotonin.
- Eat supplements. You cannot eat all you need to feed your brain with the optimal nutrient quantities. Use supplements to supplement your food intake (I said supplement, not replace food).
Follow the previous principles and you will maintain your brain in shape for the rest of your life.
Want to know more?
Read the following books:
- Transcend, by Ray Kurtzweil
- Brain Longevity, by Dharma Singh
Long deep discussion about the type of diet we have to have to increase brain longevity