Brainfood-Nutrition and Your Brain

I bought the book 'Brain Food' written by Dr. Brian Morgan and Roberta Morgan many years ago.Most people would view food consumption as an activity to prevent hunger.They would eat anything as long as it pleases their palate until they are inflicted with chronic diseases such as hypertension, diabetes or heart disease.These are people who eat to their hearts' content and does not bother about the side effects of their diet on their health.

The book reminds me that the right diet is vital for our well being right from the time of pre-birth(in our mothers' womb) and to the time of our demise.How we end our lives is often determined by how we live our lives!

In school we were never taught the effects of nutrition on our brain.We only learnt what happens when food enters our mouth,passes to the gastrointestinal tract and ends up in our bloodstream or in our rectum.

The book teaches how food can alleviate mood swings,memory problems,sleeping problems,lethargy and depression.

From what I understand,we have to eat right during our pregnancy because during pregnancy,malnutrition can retard the child's physical and mental growth.Malnutrition at this time can result in permanent reduction in the number of brain cells.This in turn can interfere with all the subsequent stages of growth and can disturb the whole chain of growth and development.Poor nutrition during pregnancy will result in smaller newborn head size in proportion to the body size.An undersized brain often means lowered intellect and diminished brain functions.

To sustain our well being and maintain overall physical and mental health throughout our life, we need to consume well balanced meals and pay attention to restore the brain's chemical balance with proper nutrients.Among the nutrients needed by the adult brain are the B vitamins(B1,B2,B3,B6 and B12),folic acid, biotin,pantothenic acid,Vitamins A,C,D,K,Minerals Iron, Zinc,Manganese, Copper, Magnesium, Calcium, Sodium, Potassium, Iodine and Phosphorus. Glucose provides energy and helps build new tissues, while protein builds new cells and repair brain cells.

Elderly people also need a balanced, healthy daily diet, just like at any stage of life-and even more so, to help them recover from injuries or illnesses.As a person gets older, the amount of muscle tissue present decreases and the rate at which the body conducts its overall processes slows down.So, just as less sleep is needed, fewer calories are required from the diet.The diet may be adjusted to compensate for the metabolic changes occurring in the body.However, a failure to reduce the amount you eat can lead to obesity, which increases arteriosclerosis,which is detrimental to brain health.

Elderly people need to tailor their diet according to their health condition to prevent or delay diseases of the brain like senility, Parkinson's Disease or Alzheimer's Disease.Keeping the brain active and keeping an active and healthy lifestyle will lead to a graceful aging process for the elderly.

So the lesson learnt from the book 'Brain Food' is that we must always practice a complete and well balanced diet at whatever stage of our lives.A healthy brain will lead to a healthy and happy body.

So, the best practice is to cook using natural ingredients that are free from preservatives, colorings, pesticides and unnecessary additives.Wholesome foods are whole grains, nuts,green vegetables, lean meat, chicken and fish, dairy products and lentils.

I now try to eat brown unpolished rice more often and reduce on fats,oils, meat,salt and sugar.When making omelettes, I would throw away some of the yolks so that less cholesterol is consumed.Since the book mentioned that organ meats are good for the brain I will try to cook them occasionally as they are also high in cholesterol.

As a general rule, whatever meal we cook must have the carbohydrate component, protein component, and vegetables to provide the minerals and vitamins components to make a complete meal.The fat component will come automatically from the way we prepare our meals.We must eat a variety of foods and not stick to any particular type so as to get the maximum benefits from various nutrients available.