March 16th, 2021
I am going out on a limb and assuming that we all want to protect our brains, right? We only get one and I, personally, want mine to last as long as possible. You are probably nodding your head and saying, well, duh Lacey! You may be wondering what steps we can take to improve brain health. No? Well, I’m going to be sharing with you ways to feed your brain and keep it healthy, because this is my blog and this is an important subject that literally applies to everyone. Stick with me to learn a few interesting facts and I might even tell a story or two.
Did you know that of all of our organs, it’s the brain that is most effected by the foods we eat? I didn’t until I read “Prime-Time Health” by Dr Sears. His research tells us that the brain uses about a quarter of the food energy we consume. This is mostly carbs, which is why he emphasizes the importance of a diet full of the “right” carbs. Fun fact: the brain is 60 percent fat and, according to Dr Sears, it needs to be the right kind of fat.
Are you still with me? I struggled with these concepts because we have been told over and over that fat and carbs are evil and should be avoided to ensure good health. Go back and reread the previous paragraph. We are talking about the “right” kinds of fat and carbs, not chips and all things fried. Oh, that hurts! This is not a personal attack on anyone and I am not judging you at all. I am the first one in line for Taco Tuesday and do enjoy chips with my sandwich for lunch. This is about making wise choices and, for me, it’s about moderation. I have carrots with my sandwich and chips for lunch. This provides a serving of vegetables and I do not eat as many chips since I am adding carrots to the meal. Simple enough, right? What other foods can you swap or add to make your meals a better source of the nutrients that our bodies and brains need to function?
We have probably all heard of Omega-3s and that we need to add more to our diet. Do you know why? Several sources tell us that Omega-3s help regrow aging brain cells. Pretty cool, huh? I can eat, which I love to do, and regrow brain cells? I’m totally in! Go Fish! As in eat more fish, especially Salmon. The quality of your food is important and wild caught fish is the best. It is recommended to avoid swordfish and shark, for seniors. I like to make tuna salad, with pickle relish and a tiny bit of miracle whip, using canned light tuna as this is the healthiest option for canned tuna. You can also add hard-boiled egg to it if you would like. Dr Sears recommends eating more of the cold water fish and fish from the Pacific Ocean as it likely contains less biopullutants.
There are more brain healthy foods we will talk about next week. I challenge you to up your intake of cold-water fish, if it is possible and safe for you or to find a good fish oil supplement. As always, I look forward to your feedback!
Have a blessed week ~ Lacey