1. Water
Our bodies are 60-70% water which is why H20 is at the top of the list. Water contains no fat or calories and practically every bodily system we have requires water. It’s the vehicle used to transport vitamins, minerals and other nutrients to where they are needed in the body. It also helps us to regulate our body temperature.
Losing more water though sweat and other ways then we are drinking leads to dehydration, which seriously impedes our brains ability to think straight.
Signs of mild dehydration include thirst, headache, poor concentration, general brain fatigue and if standing up suddenly you may feel faint or dizzy.
So if you want mental staying power aim to drink about 1 to 2 litres of water a day.
Try carrying a water bottle around with you that way it will be easy to stay hydrated.
You can also eat more water based fruits and vegetables such as cucumbers, tomatoes, peaches, watermelons and courgettes. These and other dark green vegetables also contain vitamins A, C & E, mother nature's antioxidants which also assist to keep the brain healthy.
2. Green Tea
This powerful super food contains polyphenols an antioxidant that helps mop up free radicals in the body. Free radicals are damaged cells that are missing an essential molecule (an electron) which they try to rob from healthier cells in the body, causing the healthy cells to break down over time. This causes a cascade of damage particularly in the brain, the biggest producer of free radicals due to its high energy function and high use of oxygen.
As we get older the number of free radicals floating around our system builds up and we begin to lose the ability to fight the damage this causes. The continued build in our system leads to a process called oxidative stress. The more free radicals, the less our body can handle them, the more cellular damage done, the more oxidative stress.
This increases the signs of aging such as wrinkles, illnesses and other degenerative diseases. There is increasing evidence that free radical damage plays a key role in the development of Dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
We generate free radicals all the time but these are kept in check by the antioxidants that our body's naturally produce, but things such as air pollution, pesticides, cigarettes, alcohol and other toxins can cause our free radical production to significantly increase making it difficult for our body to naturally deal with the repair process and that is why we need reinforcement.
Polyphenols like the ones found in Green Tea act alongside the body's natural defence system essentially sacrificing themselves (well an electron) to prevent the free radicals from stealing electrons from healthy cells in the brain and the rest of the body.
It's good to drink about 2 to 4 cups daily.
3. Turmeric
A member of the ginger family, this yellow spice contains Curcumin, another powerful
antioxidant with anti-inflammatory benefits to boot. With India having a 25% less incidence rate of Alzheimer’s than the USA, this potent spice has already shown to improve brain function in people with Alzheimer’s and Dementia.
So if you’re making a curry or a meal that you want to spice up, add Turmeric or Curry Powder for that extra brain protection.