Be Good to Your Brain

Our brain. We take it for granted right? Until it stops functioning correctly. 

As many of you know, my mom was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer's a few years ago. She was 53 and there was no history of early-onset in the family so needless to say, it was quite a shock. At any rate, her condition got me thinking very seriously about what I could do to protect my brain.  Staying socially active, doing crossword puzzles and exercising are all recommended by the National Alzheimer's Association. But there are healthy "brain foods" too. I keep a list of healthy brain foods on my fridge and try to eat at least three a day. So here, for your brains are some healthy brain foods: 

FRUITS- blueberries, apples, oranges, pears, peaches, cherries, pomegranates, mango, kiwi, papaya, cantaloupe, prunes, raisins, plums

VEGGIES- cooked spinach, kale, broccoli, cooked asparagus, cooked tomatoes, brussel sprouts, bok choy, cauliflower, alfalfa sprouts, red bell pepper, onion, eggplant, garlic

LEGUMES- beans, lentils

WHOLE GRAINS- Oats (steel cut oats, regular oatmeal), barley, buckwheat

OIL-- Olive, canola, soy, flax

FISH- Wild Alaskan salmon, albacore tuna, rainbow trout, swordfish, halibut, herring, anchovies

NUTS-- Walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts, pecans, peanuts

TEA-- Black, green

SEEDS-- Flaxseed* sesame, sunflower, pumpkin

SPICES-- Cinnamon, ginger, fenu Greek, rosemary, turmeric, oregano, cayenne, clove, nutmeg, bay leaf

* Flax is super easy to add to cereal, yogurt, on veggies or really anywhere. Buy it in it's seed form and grind it (coffee grinder will work fine) up to get the omega-3 benefits. It's better then a pill and adds a nutty flavor to your food.

The good news about healthy brain foods is that they're yummy, and even if they end up NOT being the holy grail of brain health, they are good for your general health. So eat some brain food!