4-Pillar Foundation Series: Nutrition Fuels A Healthy Body, Brain

4-Pillar Foundation Series: Nutrition Fuels A Healthy Body, Brain

Brain fog and lack of ability to concentrate may indicate that you aren’t getting enough of some brain-boosting nutrition. The foods and beverages we consume help fuel our muscles, contribute to healthy skin, help us to recover after a workout and even affect the brain. Incorporate these healthy foods as part of a balanced approach to nutrition and improve brain function, energy, and mental clarity.

  • Eat fatty Salmon, sardines, and mackerel are high in brain-boosting Omega-3 fatty acids, DHA and EPA. Buy fish with shiny, firm flesh and not an overly fishy smell to guarantee freshness. Salt-water fish that smells like the ocean is ideal! If you don’t eat fish, look for daily supplements that provide a total of 1-2 grams of DHA and EPA.
  • Color your diet with berries. Blueberries have been found to help improve memory, but strawberries, raspberries, and acai berries also have a reputation for building brainpower. The organic label is important when buying strawberries to avoid excessive levels of pesticides.
  • Improve focus with B Vitamins. Vitamins B6, B12, and folic acid help reduce homocysteine levels, helping your brain “take out the trash” and function more efficiently. B Vitamins can be found in dark, leafy greens, Greek yogurt, chicken, and fish. As a bonus, Greek yogurt contains probiotics that help the body absorb B12 and boost immune function.
  • Eat the whole egg. Egg yolk provides an excellent source of choline, which your body then uses to produce acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter that is essential to memory function. Buy eggs from pasture-raised chickens who eat a natural, omnivorous diet for the darkest and richest yolks.
  • Go nuts. Nuts provide a third Omega-3 fatty acid, ALA. Walnuts, flax seeds, chia seeds, and pumpkin seeds provide the ALA and Vitamin E needed to support memory and brain function. Just remember: a serving size for most nuts and seeds is a closed palm-full.
  • Hydrate all day. The brain is the first organ to suffer when you’re dehydrated, and most of us wake up that way after not drinking water all night. Improve short-term memory, focus, and decision-making abilities by starting your day with 20 ounces of water. Set a goal to drink half your body weight in ounces of water each day to stay hydrated.

How you fuel your body is important to total health. That’s why nutrition is one of the EXOS 4 Pillars for optimal human performance. Fuel your body with good food that provides all the essential nutrients, and you’ll experience optimal results on your journey to better health and wellbeing.

Source: www.teamexos.com