"Feed My Brain"

Why your brain needs fats and anitoxidants:

Your brain needs a good supply of essential fatty acids to function properly. The body can not produce these fatty acids so you will need to get them through either food sources or supplements in your daily diet.

Researchers believe that these fats not only help to supply oxygen to your brain cells but also help protect the brain cell membranes and prevent damage that may cause illnesses like dementia and Alzheimer’s.

Which leads us to believe that you may need to increase your intake of these fatty acids which are called omega-3 fatty acids? The most common sources they are found in are: fish oils, olive oils, nuts, and also seeds.

A good example of what fish oils can do may be found in the Japanese. They have a diet rich in fish and this could account for why they have one of the longest life expectancies in the world.

One of the best and strongest sources for omega-3 fish oil can be found in Wild Salmon. By adding wild salmon to your diet 1-2 times a week or by taking a mercury-free supplement as recommended by doctors would benefit your over all brain health.

As mentioned before nuts are also a great source for omega-3 and omega-6. Numerous studies involving over 220,000 people have shown that adding nuts to our diets can help with not only our brain with omega-3 oils, but also helps to reduce the risk of heart disease, which is the leading killer of both men and women in the United States. Nuts contain super strong antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties.

Adding about ¼ cup of nuts (walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts, macadamia nuts, peanuts, pecans, or pistachio nuts) to your diet around 2-4 times a week could help improve your over all health.

Research has shown that more than 20% of the population over the age of 85 suffers from some kind of dementia. We can see from other cultures that life styles can improve the level of mental function beyond the age of 85.

Some suggested things that can be done to improve our odds for a better mental health in our later years are as follows.

Do crossword puzzles and or other mental games. Research has proven that engaging in cognitive activities will help prevent memory loss. And while crossword puzzles may help with memory functions, mental exercises with a friend is much more rewarding and beneficial (relationships) Your diet can also be very important in helping to limit brain aging. Dr Nicholas Perricone, M.D., author of "The Perricone Promise", addresses this fact in his book. He tells us about what antioxidants are and how they work, also what food sources they can be found in.

The #1 Super food in his list of 10 Super foods is a little know berry found in the rainforest of Brazil called Acai berry. I would recommend finding a source with this powerful antioxidant in it. I personally use Acai Plus. Not only does it have the Acai berry juice in it but also many other strong antioxidants like Mangosteen fruit juice and the famous Goji berry juice along with over 100 other nutritional ingredients. For a more detailed list of ingredients and more information about Acai Plus you can go here: AcaiPlus

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