Food for Thought: Eating for Mental Performance and Mind Health

Did you know that your diet has a large impact on not only how you feel in your day-to-day life but your mental performance as well? Diet is one of the pillars of health for a reason, what you eat affects every aspect of your well-being, including your brain function.

Your brain is one of the hungriest organs in your body, using 20% of the calories you consume. It also requires specific nutrients to stay in peak condition. To learn what improvements you can make to your diet to enhance brain function, just keep reading.

Stick to Whole Foods

One of the best things you can do for both your brain function and your overall health is to stick to whole foods. The typical western diet is loaded with sodium, sugars, and chemicals, none of which are beneficial to your brain.

Fill your diet with as many leafy green vegetables as you can – spinach, broccoli, and kale are all great choices. You should also eat plenty of fatty fish, which are full of the omega-3 fatty acids that have been proven to help prevent brain diseases such as Alzheimer’s.

When you want a snack, reach for a handful of berries and nuts rather than a candy bar. Berries are packed with flavonoids that help to improve memory, and nuts are excellent sources of protein and good fats that protect your arteries and keep the brain healthy.

Drink Tea and Coffee

There’s no magic solution to increase your intelligence, but drinking something with caffeine can help to make you more alert, help you concentrate, and boost brain function. Now, don’t overdo it with caffeine, or you’ll notice that you become jittery instead of hyper-focused.

Not a fan of tea or coffee? Try chocolate instead! The best option is dark chocolate, as it contains more cacao and less sugar than the milk chocolate alternative. Cacao gives your body antioxidants important to brain health. Oxidative damage that occurs without antioxidants contributes to brain disease and cognitive decline.

Consider Supplements

If you’re worried that your diet is lacking a certain nutrient or two, you can fill in the gaps with supplements. That said, there are a few caveats. First, you need to find out all you can about a supplement before introducing it to your diet.

Once you’ve done your own research, you should check with your doctor. Though they’re harmless more often than not, supplements can react badly with certain prescription medications and underlying conditions.

Last, remember that supplements should be used to fill in holes in your diet only. They should never be relied on as your main source of nutrition.

Improve Your Health to Boost Mental Performance

The great thing about making positive changes to your life is that every change you make will have a ripple effect. This means taking steps to make positive changes to your diet, for example, will boost your mental performance and brain health.

Changing habits can be tough, but once you get started, the improvements to your health will give you the motivation you need to keep going.

Looking for more information for improving your mental and physical health? Be sure to check out our blog!