Food For Thought and Boosting the Memory

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Good Morning!

 

Food For Thought and Boosting the Memory

 

Most researchers agree that the best way to protect your memory is to eat plenty

of antioxidants and nutrients commonly found in fruits and vegetables. Brain

cells are especially vulnerable to toxins because the brain generates more free

radicals per gram of tissue than any other organ. Antioxidants also protect

neurons by keeping blood vessels supple and open, ensuring the flow of nutrients

to the brain.

 

In a study published by the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, researchers

tested people who ages ranged from 65 to 90 and discovered that the people with

the best ability to memorize words and do mental arithmetic were those whose

diets included the most fruits and vegetables. Coincidentally, the same group of

people ate the least artery-clogging saturated fat. Of all the fruits and

vegetables studied, blueberries and blackberries contain the most potent

antioxidants, anthocyanins.

 

As well as eating a diet rich in antitoxidants, taking extra vitamins can help

preserve memory, especially as we age.

 

Try to maintain a meal schedule! At the start of your day, it is important to

have a big high protein breakfast. This will jump start your metabolism, will

not spike your blood sugar and will " feed the brain " . After class, if it is

between breakfast and lunch, have a handful of nuts or good fats like cheese or

yogurt with fresh or dried fruit. Lunch is the balancing act! Students tend to

load up of the simple carbs found in rice, white bread and processed soups and

other canned foods, instead of the complexed carbs found in beans and root

vegetables. To keep your blood sugar from spiking and wanting to hit the pillow

instead of class, go for the high protein and Omega rich options like tuna,

salmon or sardines with beans, and root vegetables. Study time can be a real

distraction if you are hungry. Avoid the coffee, dounuts, bagels and cookies and

go with green or black tea, or herbal tea. Have handy a tray of fresh vegetables

and fruit, cut and ready to eat. Drinking plenty of water will stave off hunger,

keep you full, hydrated and awake. This kind of snacking will get you through

your study time much quicker and with less distractions!

 

 

Boosting Memory

 

Start your day right with these memory boosting supplements that give you

antioxidant power, anti-aging protection, a lift in energy and encourage your

memory function.

 

People who take Vitamin C regularly, consistently score higher on memory tests.

Vitaman E is complimented by Vitamin C and work in great synergy to improve

brain function. Vitamin C acts primarily in cellular fluid. Vitamin C scavenges

free radicals and cleans up waste products. In addition to its anti-oxidative

activities, vitamin C benefits many other body functions.

 

Carotenoids, of which beta-carotenes are the most popular, are found in many

fruits and vegetables, animals, plants and microorganisms. The body converts

beta carotene into Vitamin A. Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin essential for

vision, growth, cell division, reproduction and immunity.

 

Super Omega 3 Fish Oil is known for being rich in unsaturated fatty acids and

provides rich OMEGA-3 fatty acids, (Pure EPA 360mg/DHA 240mg). Alaska Deep Sea

Fish Oil are made from natural marine lipid concentrate and are essential to

normal human cell and tissue growth and maintenance. If not found regularly in

the diet, the diet must be supplemented. These fatty acids are especially

abundant in brain cells, nerve relay stations (synapses), visual receptors

(retinas), adrenal glands, and sex glands.

 

As we age, a neurotransmitter, acetylcholine, may decline. This chemical is

responsible for the excitatory actions in the brain. A shortage of acetylcholine

in the brain has been associated with Alzheimer's disease. Some help maybe

available in this brain-saving supplement, phosphatidylserine, or PS. It is

reputed for its ability to stimulate production of the acetylcholine. Consider

taking 100mg of PS three times a day for 12 weeks.

 

Iron should be considered. Taking 8 mg for men with the recommendation for women

is 18 mg. Iron is vital to the body's formation of red blood cells, which help

carry and store oxygen throughout the body. Plant sources of iron include dried

fruits, whole grains (including wholemeal bread), nuts, green leafy vegetables,

seeds and pulses. Other foods rich in iron but which are usually eaten in

smaller amounts include soya flour, parsley, watercress, black molasses and

edible seaweeds.

 

Zinc is an essential mineral that is found in almost every cell. It stimulates

the activity of enzymes, which promote biochemical reactions. Zinc supports a

healthy immune system, is beneficial for wound healing, will maintain your sense

of taste and smell and is needed for DNA synthesis. Foods that contain zinc

include oysters (the most zinc), red meat and poultry. Other good food sources

include beans, nuts, certain seafood, whole grains, fortified breakfast cereals,

and dairy products. Zinc absorption is greater from a diet high in animal

protein than a diet rich in plant proteins.

 

Vitamin B12 bounds to the protein in food. Hydrochloric acid in the stomach

releases vitamin B12 from proteins in foods during digestion. Once released,

vitamin B12 combines with a substance called intrinsic factor (IF). This complex

can then be absorbed by the intestinal tract. Vitamin B12 helps maintain healthy

nerve cells and red blood cells. It is also needed to help make DNA. Vitamin B12

is naturally found in foods that come from animals, including fish, meat,

poultry, eggs, milk, and milk products. Fortified breakfast cereals are a

particularly valuable source of vitamin B12 for vegetarians.

 

Folic acid and folate are forms of a water-soluble B vitamin. These occur

naturally in food and can also be taken as supplements. Foods such as leaf

vegetables including spinach and turnip greens are high in folate as is dried

beans and peas, fortified cereal products, and some other fruits and vegetables.

Some breakfast cereals (ready-to-eat and others) are fortified with 25 percent

or 100 percent of the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for folic acid.

 

Mind Games

 

Some of the best ways to engage your brain is by using your memory functions!

 

1. The number one rule is: Get off auto-pilot! Avod brain shrinkage by expanding

your emotional and mental capacity. Break up your routine. Switch it up. Do

something different each day.

 

2. Memorize favorite poems, speeches or famous passages.

 

3. Read challenging books or articles that encourage you to expand your

interests.

 

4. Learn something new whether it is a new language, the words to a song or a

new recipe, this helps stretch the brain.

 

5. Practice other-handedness If you're right-handed, try brushing your teeth or

writing your grocery list with your left hand.

 

6. Play word games like crossword puzzles, sudoku and acrostics.

 

7. Test at your threshold. Testing yourself slightly beyond your capacity (80

percent right, 20 percent wrong) helps to increase brain neurons.

 

8. Get lost. Getting lost and then being able to find your way, by backtracking,

reading a map or deducing, helps to increase memory.

 

9. Choose one new thing to learn everyday. You will greatly benefit your

age/mind capacity, as you comprehend something new.

 

10. Stay optimistic, remaining so, enables higher cognitive function.

 

 

Andrew Pacholyk, MS. L.Ac

http://peacefulmind.com/student.htm

Therapies for healing

mind, body, spirit