10 Foods to ‘fuel’ your brain and ‘stay sharp’. The Harvard Medical School faculty member and nutritional psychiatrist Dr. Uma Naidoo is a nutritional psychiatrist. In addition, she is the best-selling author of “This Is Your Brain on Food: An Indispensable Guide to the Surprising Foods that Fight Depression, Anxiety, PTSD, OCD, ADHD, and More” and the director of nutritional & lifestyle psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital.
She says, “When I’m hungry, I never go grocery shopping. People who do are more likely to be lured to purchase packaged items and unhealthy comfort foods than they are to choose from a variety of whole, fulfilling foods.”
I take great care in choosing what I put in my body. People frequently ask me, in my capacity as a nutritional psychiatrist and the author of “This Is Your Brain on Food,” what they should always keep in their kitchen in order to fuel their brains and stay sharp at any age.
I came up with the acronym BRAIN FOODS to make it simple to remember my grocery list:
- B: Berries and beans
- R: Rainbow colors of fruits and vegetables
- A: Antioxidants
- I: Include lean proteins and plant-based proteins
- N: Nuts
- F: Fiber-rich foods and fermented foods
- O: Oils
- O: Omega-rich foods
- D: Dairy
- S: Spices
So, here you are to find out about 10 foods to ‘fuel’ your brain and ‘stay sharp’
- Berries and beans
The best berries to choose from include blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, and strawberries.
Eat ripe berries as soon as possible because they don’t stay very long (even in the fridge). When ripe, fresh berries aren’t readily available, frozen berries are acceptable as long as they don’t contain any added sugar or additives.
Additionally nutritious and reasonably priced sources of vitamins and nutrients, beans, legumes, and lentils. They can be an appetiser or a side dish and are extremely simple to prepare.
2. Rainbow colours for fruits and vegetables
Purchasing colourful vegetables, such as red cabbage, radicchio, green, and yellow bell peppers, will help you broaden your palate and increase the variety of nutrients that are good for your brain.
The same holds true with fruits. Citrus, kiwis, pineapples, and apples all come in a wide range of hues. Just watch out when eating too many sweet fruits, including grapes and mangoes.
Green is the most significant colour of all. Arugula, romaine, Bibb lettuce, endive, and bok choy are some of my favourites.
3. Antioxidants
4. Include lean proteins and plant-based proteins
5. Nuts and seeds
Your brain will become sharper thanks to the beneficial omega fats and oils found in nuts and seeds. Additionally, they include important vitamins and minerals like selenium in Brazil nuts. Additionally, seeds like flax, chia, and hemp are excellent choices.
Or, you might incorporate some into a homemade version of granola or trail mix, which has a lot less sugar and salt than versions from the store.
6. Fiber-rich foods and fermented foods
In addition to being beneficial for your weight management and digestive health, fibre also reduces body-wide inflammation. Artichoke hearts, quinoa, edamame, berries, and pears are a few examples of high-fiber foods.
Since they’re a natural source of active cultured bacteria and have been shown to reduce inflammation, fermented foods like kefir, miso, and kimchee are also excellent for your brain and gut.
7. Oils
Make sure you’re receiving enough good fats from sources like olive oil, avocados, and oily salmon while avoiding too much-saturated fat and harmful oils like those used for frying.
Be mindful of portion sizes and try not to overeat, even when consuming healthy fats. All fats include many calories.
8. Omega-rich foods
Fish like salmon, mackerel, and tuna contain essential omega-3 fatty acids help the brain.
Omega-3s are also abundant in plant-based meals such as chia seeds, flaxseeds, walnuts, and Brussels sprouts.
9. Dairy products
If you eat dairy, yogurts and kefir with probiotic cultures can do wonders for your gut, thanks to all the helpful bacteria and protein they contain.
Remember that certain conditions, like ADHD, can be aggravated by dairy, so be aware of how it affects you.
10. Spices
Spices are a guilt-free, calorie-free way to increase flavour in all of your dishes while also having positive benefits on the brain.
Your brain armour should include spices like turmeric, black pepper, saffron, oregano, and rosemary.
