Food for thought
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As a nation, we’re all living longer but how can we maintain our brain function well into those twilight years –hang on to our memory, boost our alertness and concentration, and improve our mood.
Before you throw good money away on the uncertain promises of supplements, stop and take a look at what you eat. You’ll be surprised at how much better you feel and think when you give your brain, eyes and nerves what they need to function at their best.
Brain Power
A powerful organ, our brain is responsible for coordinating virtually all of our body’s processes. And while it makes up only 2 percent of our body weight, it requires around 25 percent of the kilojoules (calories) we consume to keep it powered up.
6 ways to feed your brain
Make breakfast a daily habit
The brain must have a regular supply of fuel to function well. After 8 to 10 hours of sleep, your brain is crying out to be fed. Don’t heed this call and you’ll pay the price - nutrition researchers have found breakfast eaters concentrate better and are more efficient at their work than breakfast skippers.
For kids, there’s no doubt that breakfast is a must. Children who miss breakfast are less alert during the late morning hours and find it hard to concentrate on tasks that require recall and prolonged mental effort. Teachers often schedule difficult maths lessons in the mornings so kids need to eat something before class. Even factory workers who skip breakfast have been found to be more prone to accidents and have a lower production output compared to those who have something to eat in the morning.
So make it a habit to have a quick bowl of wholegrain cereal with low-fat milk in the morning or toast with cheese or peanut butter. If you have to race out the door, pack a sandwich the night before to eat on the train or bus. If kids can’t face food in the morning, just a glass of milk or milk with MILO® or Akta-Vite is better than nothing.
Glucose will fuel your brain
While most of the body can use a range of different fuels, the brain relies solely on glucose. But unlike our muscles, the brain can’t store its own glucose so it is reliant on a continuous supply from the bloodstream.
Deprive your brain of glucose and you’ll find it hard to concentrate, feel tired, cranky or even light headed. Dieters on no-carb diets (like Atkins) may be familiar with these symptoms and they should be considered as a sign of an unbalanced diet.
Quality carbohydrate foods are what the brain needs and the best choices are whole grains or low GI types (pasta, grainy bread, temperate fruits and legumes). These ensure a steady supply of glucose in the blood stream to feed your brain.
Long chain omega–3’s
The brain is a high fat organ with its predominant fat being the long chain omega-3 called docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Research is growing in support for these omega-3’s in the maintenance of good brain function – especially in the prevention of Alzheimer’s disease and depression.
Omega-3’s are essential fats – we can’t make them ourselves so we must get them from what we eat. The best sources of omega-3’s are oily fish such as salmon, mackerel, blue-eye trevalla, sardines and tuna (check the label – only some brands of tuna are high in omega-3s). Aim to eat 2 or 3 fish meals a week including canned, frozen as well as fresh. If you can’t or don’t eat fish, a fish oil capsule every second day is a good idea.
Water and hydration
Your brain needs to be well hydrated to perform at its best. Nutritionists recommend you drink around 8 glasses of fluid a day, more if it’s humid weather or you’ve been sweating. Your fluid intake doesn’t have to be 100 percent water, but water is the ideal beverage as it’s inexpensive and kilojoule free. Other fluids such as weak tea, herbal teas, broths, diluted juice and sugar-free drinks also count towards your 8 glasses.
Tea for theanine
If you’re looking for a hit of caffeine to pick you up, skip the coffee and energy drinks – it’s tea that has the edge over other drinks for boosting concentration and overcoming fatigue.
Tea has long been valued for its ability to both relax and refresh. Now scientists have discovered that it contains a unique natural compound known as theanine that can help you through complex tasks such as switching attention and being able to ignore distraction (things we all need to do these days with multi-tasking).
Research shows that it is tea’s combination of theanine with low levels of caffeine that is the key – theanine appears to work with caffeine to enhance its positive effects on speed and accuracy, mental fatigue and tiredness. And it doesn’t interfere with sleep at night the way pure caffeine does.
You don’t need to drink a lot – 2 or 3 cups a day (regular or green tea) is all you need.
Iron for oxygen transportation
Along with glucose, the brain also consumes most of the body’s oxygen. Iron is an essential mineral responsible for transporting oxygen around the body, so when it’s in low supply, oxygen levels in the brain fall. Women and teen girls are particularly susceptible to iron deficiency.
Keep iron stores topped up with red meat 3 or 4 times a week. Other options if you don’t eat meat are iron-fortified breakfast cereals and dark-green leafy vegetables like spinach or bok choy. Combine them with a vitamin C rich food such as orange juice, capsicum or tomatoes to improve absorption of iron from non-meat sources.