We all know that it is important to have a healthy diet and exercise to maintain good health but keeping your brain healthy is just as important as your physical health. Think of your brain as being the manager of your body. It controls your every body and eye movement, your ability to learn and your memory. So as you can see, it is just as important as maintaining a healthy heart.
To help you take care of your brain, below are a list of foods that you should AVOID:
- Processed Foods – convenient, yes but they are usually laden of added sugars such as fructose and corn syrup, and salt. They are also tend to include trans-fats, MSG and saturated fats. Too many of these foods are not good for brain health.
- Trans-fats, also known as partially hydrogenated oils have been found to cause brain shrinkage similar as to that experienced by those suffering Alzheimer’s disease. Commonly found in chips, margarine, biscuits.
- MSG – Monosodium glutamate – popular in asian cooking and groceries. MSG causes the body to break it down into glutamate which acts as a nerve impulse transmitter in the brain. MSG also has many other side effects such as headaches, chest pains, nausea to name a few. It’s also been linked to behavioural problems and hyperactivity.
- Added Sugar – over consumption of sugar has been linked to poor memory, learning disorders and depression. Commonly added to soft drinks, energy drinks, cakes, biscuits, pastries and ice creams.
- Fructose – Fructose is naturally occurring in fruits, and that’s ok in moderation. But fructose or high fructose corn syrup that is added to foods can inhibit your brains memory and ability to learn.
- Artificial Ingredients – such as colours and some preservatives. Both are artificial chemicals and not good for your body – period.
- Caffeine – Why do we like products that contain caffeine? In short, it wakes up our brain and can make you feel more energetic. For a more detail explanation watch this AsapScience Video about how caffeine affects your brain. Too much caffeine is not good for you and should be kept to less than 600mg a day. View this table to find out how much caffeine is in your favourite drink. Symptoms of too much caffeine range from headaches, anxiety, insomnia, heart palpitations, jitters and increased blood pressure to name a few.
- Salt – too much salt in your diet can lead to high blood pressure which in turn may damage the arteries leading to your brain. It can also lead to dementia. Research has shown that people with a high sodium diet (mainly due to too much processed foods) and lack of exercise have a higher risk of dementia or stroke.
- Fast Food – it’s fast, convenient and tasty – well that’s what all the concoction of ingredients lead our brain to believe. Fast food is generally high in trans-fats, saturated fats, sodium, sugar and calories. Eating fast food frequently can cause obesity, increase your risk of heart disease and lead to depression. As most fast foods melt in your mouth quickly, the brain is tricked into feeling ‘not full’ so we tend to over eat even though we have consumed a lot of calories.
Processed foods and fast foods are designed to make us to buy them, over and over again. The packaging is specifically designed to attract the attention of the target audience. The position of the product on the supermarket shelf is strategically selected based again on the target audience. And when it comes to the ingredients, the brain is tricked into desiring more of these foods because it gets excited by the powerful combination of sugar, salt and fat. For the sake of your brain, steer clear of these.
And because we want you to take good care of your brain, here’s some foods to ensure you are including in your diet.
- Nuts and seeds, particularly walnuts, pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds.
- Foods high in Omega 3’s such as salmon, mackeral, tuna and chia seeds.
- Berries – blueberries, strawberries and Acai berries.
- Wholegrains such as oats.
- Leafy greens such as broccoli, kale and chard.
- Good quality saturated fats such as butter from grass fed cows.
References & further reading
- Healthy Diet Base – 10 Foods That Are Hurting Your Brain
- Mercola – How Trans Fat Harms Your Memory
- Breaking Muscle – Frustose is bad for your body and your mind
- James Clear – What happens to your brain when you eat junk food
- Inc – 19 Horrible things that can happen if you drink too much caffeine
- How Stuff Works – How Caffeine Works