Eat right to keep the brain bright
October 16, 2003 Edition -1
Jeanne Viall
With thousands of matrics hitting the books, some healthy
advice on how to boost brain power may come in handy
If you think your brain has nothing to do with your stomach, think again.
Your brain is working overtime right now during exams, and what you eat not only feeds your body, but also your hungry brain.
It's simple really: the brain is the master control system of the body, and requires 20% of our oxygen and energy supply for its more than 100 billion brain cells.
Blood flow of oxygen to the brain is essential, as are foods that supply the brain with vitamins, minerals, amino acids and fatty acids.
So the best thing you can do to boost your brain power is to exercise to keep the oxygen flowing; eat the foods that will nurture your brain; and get enough sleep.
Some foods can boost your memory and powers of concentration, while others will leave you fatigued.
Heidi du Preez is a nutritional scientist whose focus is on eating natural, unprocessed foods. She's also author of Naturally Nutritious, which is available at health shops.
Beware of "quick fix" food solutions, she warns.
Drinks that offer you "energy" and preparations to keep you awake, for instance, contain a lot of caffeine and sugar and boost you artificially for a short time and then leave you feeling fatigued and drained. In addition, caffeine depletes the body of nutrients.
Now is not the right time to make drastic changes to your diet, but there are some basic foods which will help you stay alert and focused during exams.
Of course it's a good idea to stick to a healthy eating plan all the time, so that next time exams come around, your brain is in tip-top
condition.
Your first requirement is liquid: drink at least eight cups of water a day, preferably filtered. Dehydration leads to fatigue and lack of concentration - 65% of our body is water.
Avoid carbonated drinks: they're just empty calories. Rather drink herbal teas and freshly squeezed vegetable juices (diluted).
Your second need is food: keep a supply of healthy snack food that will boost your flagging energy levels. We often crave carbohydrates when we want to boost energy - complex carbohydrates are a good option.
Have a piece of fruit, fresh preferably, but dried fruit is better than sweets. Dates are excellent, or nibble on a seed mixture. Seeds are rich in the B vitamins, which are good for stress.
Stay away from quick fixes like chips and chocolates.
Next up are your main meals: eat regular meals with a large proportion of the "brain" foods which contain the vitamins, minerals and enzymes you need.
These are found in live foods such as fresh fruit, vegetables, seeds and nuts. By eating 50% raw, 50% cooked food, you'll get all the live food you need, says Du Preez.
And then there are the essential fatty acids (EFA) - these are now being discovered as star nutrients essential for optimal brain functioning and as mood stabilisers.
Without Omega-3 fatty acids (one of the EFAs) brain cells stiffen and inhibit the "messages" that pass between neurons. Lack of these oils has been linked to low intelligence, learning disabilities and depression.
The best source of these Omega-3s are avocados, cold-pressed oils like olive, and flaxseed. Oily fish also contains omega-3 fatty acids.
Root vegetables are good for brain functioning, says Du Preez, and don't forget the proteins.
Girls especially often neglect these. A balance of 25 percent carbohydrates and 25 percent proteins is good.
Because Du Preez prefers getting nutrients from food, she recommends a tablespoon of blackstrap molasses for the B vitamins. You'll also get these vitamins from raw salads, seeds and vegetables.
Foods to avoid are pretty obvious: most high-carbohydrate, heavily-processed convenience foods fall into this category.
In Eternal Health, Michael Elstein suggests consuming a diet high in anti-oxidants to turbocharge your memory. That's lots of fruit, vegetables, nuts, seeds and fish, along with supplements of vitamins A, C and E.
Many of the B vitamins enhance cognitive activity and memory by contributing to the synthesis of key neurotransmitters, such as acetylcholine, dopamine and serotonin, he writes. Production of adequate levels of acetylcholine is critical to memory.
Vitamin B5 is known as the anti-stress vitamin; B6 activates thinking and memory skills; and B12 prevents nerve damage by maintaining the fatty sheath that surrounds nerves. You'll get a good supply of B vitamins by consuming green vegetables, brown rice, nuts, sunflower seeds and eggs.
Certain minerals are considered to be good for memory: boron, found in apples, pears and beans, improves alertness and learning; zinc is another memory mineral and is found in beef, oysters, ginger, herring, beans and peas.
Lecithin, derived from soybean oil, is a good source of choline - which is a building block for acetylcholine - the neurotransmitter primarily responsible for comprehension and learning.
High Energy Balls
An energy-boosting snack while studying
170g dates
60g walnuts
40g dessicated coconut
30g sunflower seeds
2 Tbs of raw honey
30g toasted sesame seeds
Place everything except honey and sesame seeds in food processor. Process until well chopped but not pulverised. Add honey and process for another 20 seconds. Scoop out a teaspoon at a time, roll into balls, then roll in toasted sesame seeds. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Variation: Could also be rolled in dessicated coconut.
Four Seed Boost
Use this to boost your intake of B vitamins
half a cup sesame seeds
half a cup sunflower seeds
half a cup pumpkin seeds
half a cup flax seeds.
Grind all the ingredients in a coffee grinder.
Mix well and store in an airtight container, preferably in a dark jar, in the fridge.
Sprinkle over breakfast cereal or salads. Some vegetable stock powder, herbal salt and dry herbs could be added to the mix to make a delicious sprinkling for avocados, baked potatoes, vegetables and salads.
Sesame Seed Bread
Bread is often a staple, and this one is truly delicious while being very nutritious.
125g sesame seeds
300g wheat-free flour (use a mixture of oat, rye, barley, potato, rice, millet, soya)
75g molasses bran or oat bran
7ml salt
500ml buttermilk
50ml raw honey
5ml bicarbonate of soda
Mix all dry ingredients, except bicarbonate. Mix honey, buttermilk and bicarbonate and add to dry ingredients. Mix well and pour into greased loaf tin. Bake in pre-heated oven at 180°C for about an hour. Delicious!
Smoked haddock and spinach omelette
Don't forget the protein.
Poach a small piece of haddock in a little milk until the flesh flakes easily, about 5 to 10 minutes.
Remove from the milk and flake into large pieces.
Wash some spinach leaves thoroughly. When the omelette is nearly ready put the fish and raw spinach on top of the egg mixture.
Grate a little nutmeg over the spinach along with a little freshly ground black pepper. Fold the omelette in half, tucking the spinach into the centre.
Cook for one minute, allowing the heat from the omelette to steam the spinach. Serve immediately.
Almond Chicken
4 free-range chicken breasts or legs, deboned and skinned
2 Tbs olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 large garlic clove, finely chopped
2 heaped Tbs ground almonds
salt
Slice chicken into 1cm strips. Heat the oil in a shallow frying pan, add onion and garlic and cook gently until soft.
Increase the heat; add chicken and cook, stirring frequently until chicken has slightly coloured, about three minutes. Turn heat down and stir in yoghurt and almonds. Simmer for 8-10 minutes, season and serve with salad or vegetables.
Fruit Shake
1 banana
1 seasonal fruit
half a cup natural yoghurt
1 tsp raw honey
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup water or milk alternative (such as soy)
Blend all the ingredients together until smooth.
