What your brain does and doesn't crave

This week we are celebrating Brain Awareness Week.  Keep your brain healthy and try out these foods that Men’s Health Magazine named as the top foods your brain craves:

• Choline – “may improve your mental performance.”  According to a study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, “people in the study who ate more of this nutrient did better on cognitive tests than those who took in less. Dietary choline may aid production of the essential neurotransmitter acetylcholine.  The Institute of Medicine recommends 550 milligrams of choline a day for men.”  To add choline to your diet, eat: sockeye salmon, hard-boiled eggs, braised veal, halibut, roast turkey, braised beef bottom round, or blue crabmeat.
• AVOID TRANS FATS – “The closer science looks at trans fats, the worse they seem to be. Researchers at Oregon Health & Science University found that people with higher blood levels of trans fats had more problems with memory and cognition. Trans fats may displace healthy fatty acids in the brain’s neurons. Nix products that contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils and eat more vegetables, fish, nuts, beans, and citrus fruit, all of which foster brainpower.” Fun Fact: Coconut oil is trans-fat free.  Just make sure to choose the extra-virgin, 100% organic kind.  Use this in place of hydrogenated oils and butter to avoid that nasty trans-fat.  Some doctors are even recommending it for Alzheimer’s!

Stay even healthier with these foods:

• Cheese – “Eating cheese won’t raise your cholesterol.  When people consumed 13 percent of their daily calories from cheese, they saw no rise in their total or LDL (bad) cholesterol levels, a study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found. The fermentation process in cow’s milk cheese may be responsible for negating cholesterol-raising effects. So go ahead and have three deli slices of cheese a day. It’s a great way to boost your protein and calcium intake.”
• Cocoa Powder – “Cocoa powder may help reduce inflammation associated with arthritis, says a Spanish study. Scientists fed rate with achy joints a high-cocoa diet and saw signs of inflammation decrease. Cocoa may bolster immune responses in the body by regulating disease-fighting T cells.”
• Artichoke Hearts – They are a “good source of iron and dietary fiber.  They’re great in salads, or paired with roasted red pepper and pesto on a sandwich, or as a topping for homemade pizza.”

– Men’s Health Magazine, April 2012

The statements found throughout this site have not been evaluated by the FDA. They are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease or condition. If you have a health condition or concern, consult a physician or your alternative health care provider. Always consult a medical doctor before modifying your diet, using any new product, drug, supplement, or doing new exercises.