What foods to eat for healthy brain, according to dietitian
Photo: what to eat for a healthy brain (photo: freepik.com)
Proper and balanced nutrition plays a crucial role in the functioning of our brain. To ensure optimal performance, certain foods should be included in your diet, while others should be avoided entirely.
Which 6 foods should definitely be part of your diet is shared by Ukrainian dietitian Oksana Skytalinska on Facebook.
Which foods you should avoid to maintain a healthy brain
Sweets can cause hypoglycemia, a sharp drop in blood glucose levels. This occurs due to excessive insulin production, which is triggered by the consumption of simple carbohydrates.
Even slight hypoglycemia can negatively affect the brain, leading to mood swings, fatigue, weakness, and impaired vision. Additionally, sugars increase inflammation and oxidative stress, which can damage brain tissue.
It's important to remember the impact of nutrition on brain health, emphasizes the dietitian.
What foods to exclude from your diet
- Sweets, especially those containing glucose-fructose syrup, added fructose, molasses, and dextrins.
- Sweeteners: aspartame, acesulfame, and others. There are no 100% safe sweeteners.
- Trans fats: all chocolates, candies, cookies with cream fillings, chocolate bars, store-bought cookies, chips, and margarine.
- Fried food in sunflower or corn oils.
These foods should be avoided to support better brain health.
What foods should definitely be included in your diet
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High-quality protein, specifically amino acids: Eggs, lean meats, fish, legumes, aged hard cheese, and fermented dairy products.
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Anti-inflammatory fats: Omega-3 from fish (sea fish) and plant sources (flax seeds, chia, nuts), olive oil, and a small piece of fresh frozen lard.
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Green and colorful vegetables: Primarily vegetables and some fruits, along with whole grain porridges.
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Berries: Especially wild ones like blueberries, blackberries, chokeberries, viburnum, but all types of berries are beneficial.
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Fermented foods: Fermented vegetables, fruit, berry, and vegetable kvass (fermented beverage) with minimal sugar, and aged cheeses like Parmesan.
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Clean water: Drink throughout the day to stay hydrated.
What is very important for the brain
- Maintain a healthy body weight, avoid visceral fat (fat around the waist).
- Eat mindfully, focusing on the nutritional value of the food rather than emotional choices.
- Stay physically active daily, including walking, weight training, and stretching exercises.
- Sleep 7-9 hours and go to bed at the same time every night.
- Breathe clean air (install quality air filters in your home).
- Stimulate detoxification processes, such as visiting a sauna and sweating. Broccoli enhances detoxification in the liver.
- Do not smoke (no smoking at all).
- Avoid alcohol.
- Protect your head and avoid head injuries.
Also, read whether frozen vegetables can be considered healthy.
This material is for informational purposes only and should not be used for medical diagnosis or self-treatment. Our goal is to provide readers with accurate information about symptoms, causes, and methods of detecting diseases. RBС-Ukraine is not responsible for any diagnoses that readers may make based on materials from the resource. We do not recommend self-treatment and advise consulting a doctor in case of any health concerns.
