Is your cognitive function getting impaired because of an underlying condition, aging, or any other factor? Or maybe you are just conscious that eating healthy foods and the right foods can really help with cognitive behaviour. It certainly has been a year for mental health and physical health issues. Eating certain foods can go a long way in helping you to keep healthy. For example nuts, eggs and oily fish.
To that effect, this post highlights the top seven foods that will help with memory, focus, concentration, understanding, and many other cognitive aspects of the brain. Don’t worry, these are just your day-to-day foods some of which you may already have in your kitchen. Those that you don’t, you can easily purchase them at your local grocery store or use your meal boxes if you are a fan of a meal delivery service. Speaking of which, are you a member of Home Chef? If not, I’ll tell you more about this meal delivery service later on in the article. You can check out some Home Chef reviews here, in the meantime.
The top 7 healthy foods
1. Eggs
Cognitive impairment is characterized by the patient being unable to learn new things, remember things, concentrate, or make decisions well. This mental condition can be caused by several internal and external factors. One internal factor is; homocysteine. These amino acid molecules found in the bloodstream form the building blocks for proteins in the body. However, excessive levels of them can lead to increased risks of cognitive impairment, among other conditions.
But eating eggs may help with brain impairment, at least according to this study. You see, eggs are rich sources of the B vitamins, including vitamins B-6, B-12 as well as folic acid. According to the study, these vitamins will lower the levels of homocysteine, safeguarding the brain against its cognitive-impairing effects.
There are many ways in which you can consume your eggs to protect your cognitive abilities. For example, you can eat them boiled, fried or scrambled, or even raw, especially by adding them to your smoothies.
Speaking of which Home Chef offers a few delicious egg recipes worth checking out. These are namely:
i. Pork egg roll in a bowl with crispy wontons and peanuts.
ii. Breakfast egg boats with bacon and candied grapefruit.
For starters, Home Chef is an entity that allows users to order meal kits plus their corresponding recipes online. In other words, it’s similar to Hello Fresh and Sun Basket. You can go here to learn more about the company. Some of the things that that independent review tells readers about include; how the service works, the menu, what’s in a box, the prices, and the delivery.
Source: pixabay.com
2. Broccoli
Eating lots of broccoli can help enhance your memory and cognitive capabilities. That’s because the vegetable provides Vitamin K plus some compounds known as “glucosinolates. “The vitamin will improve brain power, enhancing cognitive function while glucosinolates will hinder the breakdown of acetylcholine. This is a neurotransmitter that enables the central nervous system to perform properly, giving the brain a sharp memory. By the way, Alzheimer’s disease (one that destroys memory and other key mental functions) is characterized by low levels of acetylcholine.
3. Nuts
Do you love eating nuts? If yes, that’s cute because they are good for your brain health. Almonds, cashew nuts, macadamias, hazelnuts, walnuts, pine nuts, pecans, and pistachios all are good sources of vitamin E. According to studies, this vitamin might help to prevent cognitive impairment (especially in elderly people) by reducing oxidative stress. As such, consuming nuts may help ensure that your brain functions in a proper and healthy manner.
4. Oily Fish
Oily fish is great for brain health and cognitive function, thanks to its abundant essential fatty acids(EFAs) content. These acids promote the brain and its cognitive function in many important ways e.g they;
i. Increase the absorption of vitamins and minerals including those that are essential for the health and function of the brain such as Vitamin E, and the B vitamins.
ii. Promote proper nerve functioning with brain nerves included.
iii. Help produce hormones including estrogen, which play a key role in maintaining cognitive function.
iv. Help prevent and cure diseases that may impair the brain and its cognitive function e.g Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.
5. Whole Grains
If you have problems with concentrating or focusing, eating whole cornmeal, oatmeal, brown rice, or foods made from whole-wheat flour can go a long way. After all, the brain requires energy to be able to concentrate and focus. Yet, wholegrains are some of the best food sources for energy.
6. Pumpkin Seeds
Another good remedy for poor memory is pumpkin seeds. But apart from enhancing memory, these seeds can also help boost mood. They are rich in zinc–a thinking and memory-enhancing mineral. Additionally, they are abundant with magnesium (a well-known stress-busting mineral), and tryptophan (a special type of amino acid that will help boost and play an important role in the cognitive aspect of the brain).
There are many ways in which you can eat your pumpkin seeds. For example, you can top your breakfast or dress up your baked foods with them. Alternatively, you can toss them into Salad or stir them into your chili.
7. Tomatoes
Tomatoes contain a very powerful antioxidant known as “lycopene,” which can be very helpful in protecting the brain from losing its abilities due to a health condition. According to research, this compound could help protect brain cells against the damage that could be caused by free radicals, especially in the development of dementia. The effect of these radicals on the cells could lower the power of the brain, reducing the patient’s cognitive abilities.
Fortunately, eating tomatoes can help avoid it. Feel free to eat tomatoes with broccoli-which is another brain power-boosting food to enjoy more brain power protection.
Are you grappling with cognitive challenges such as memory loss, having a difficulty in understanding things, or having trouble concentrating? I know I have been suffering from the latter over the past few months, the stress of lockdown and life doesn’t help. I am also conscious I want to eat healthy foods. If yes, the good news is that you can remedy it by increasing your intake of certain day-to-day foods. These include eggs, broccoli, nuts, oily fish, whole grains, pumpkin seeds, and tomatoes.
