Brain Food that Works © Dr. Eileen Silva

Forgetting where you put your keys when you are twenty is one thing…forgetting where you left them at 45 or older is another. As we reach our forties and beyond, we are all concerned about mental sharpness, and how we can positively impact mental acumen by food choices and lifestyle habits that work.

“You ate your way into this . . . now you need to eat your way out.” This motto I have often used with my clients is appropriate here. If you’ve been absent-minded, you already know that a diet of empty calorie junk food will do little to foster mental clarity, but do you know which common foods to eat that are directly linked to mental sharpness?

For starters, eggs and moderate servings of red meat--- both once frowned upon by health experts---are now recommended as an excellent source of choline. According to brain science expert Christina L. Williams, choline provides protection against senility and other brain health assaults, thus providing us “food for thought.”

And by the way, be careful not to limit your intake of fat too drastically. Fat, especially the omega-3 fatty acid type found in fish, is vital for good brain health. Other good fat sources include avocados, nuts, and extra virgin olive oil.

Another thing that may surprise you is how important sugars are to good mental function. You see, thinking really does require a lot of energy. Providing an adequate intake of carbohydrates assures that brain energy will be available as needed. It even helps to guard against neuron damage, which can be caused by chemical substances, like aspartame and MSG or flavor enhancers. By eating starchy foods like potatoes, corn, carrots, beets, and whole grain bread or cereal products, you can provide vital brain energy while avoiding a spike in your blood sugar.

Be sure that you have an adequate amount of protein each day, which not only provides you essential amino acids (there are 22 known), but also is critical to proper brain function. You will get those amino acids from dairy products, like milk and cheese. You can also get them from nuts, seeds, flax seeds, brewers yeast, soybeans, and some cereals.

The B vitamin complex is also necessary for a healthy brain (B1, B5, B6, B12, and folic acid in particular). Also, by rounding out your diet with those super-antioxidant foods like cranberries, grapes, cherries, spinach, broccoli, or raspberries, you may even slow down brain aging. Cranberries are so important for preserving brain function that they have even been shown to protect against brain cell damage after a stroke!

By the way, unless your doctor has advised you not to, feel free to follow all these foods up with a cup or two or coffee. There is clear evidence that coffee in moderation will improve mental clarity and agility. So, isn’t it time to pay attention to eating a diversified diet that will help you think more clearly again?