For a long time I have wondered what the best foods for boosting brain function were. I’m sure we’ve all heard of the half of your plate is protein, one fourth is grains and carbohydrates, and the other fourth is vegetables. But is this really the correct proportion sizes? Should we be eating more carbohydrates and vegetables? I’ve decided to dive into the best brain food and find out what the healthiest portion sizes are.
Some key findings include:
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- For the carbohydrates, it needs to be highly personalized to your own needs based upon what your body can tolerate.
- For vegetables, the vegetables should be non-starchy (which means that they vegetables do not contain starch).
- For protein, the protein should be good quality protein that is sourced from an organic and pasture raised farm, or wild caught for seafood. The protein could also come from a produce item, rather than an animal.
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Carbs
The Breakdown
Why is it important to eat carbohydrates?
Carbohydrates is the body’s main source of energy. Carbohydrates go through a series of processes where they eventually become blood glucose. Glucose is what fuels your body and any activities you do. The extra glucose is then stored in the liver to be used by cells later This is why many runners will eat high carb-containing foods before a long run. Carbohydrates are also important for brain function, especially for children and teenagers.
Why is it important to eat protein?
Protein is composed of amino acids, one for eh four macromolecules (amino acids are building blocks). The human body will use the amino acids to build and repair muscles and bones. It will also produce hormones and enzymes. This is why many athletes will eat protein or drink protein drinks before and after their workouts. Protein also helps to aid in muscle recovery.
Protein
The Breakdown
Veg
The Breakdown
Why is it important to eat vegetables?
Plain and simple, vegetables are healthy. Vegetables also provide nutrients that you can’t derive from any other food source. This is why it is important to vary the vegetables up because each vegetable will have different nutrients and vitamins from another.
Brain Foods
Foods Great For Boosting Brain Function & Health
Fatty fish is rich is Omega-3s which are known to build neurons and boost brain health. If you don’t want to eat fatty fish, I recommend taking fish oil supplements or drinking fish oil.
Dark chocolate (or cacao) contains an antioxidant known as a flavonoid. Flavonoids are believed to improve memory and learning. They also stimulate blood flow in the brain. A 2018 study concluded that chocolate with at least 70% cacao could improve brain plasticity.
Berries, similarly to dark chocolate, contain antioxidants. One of these being flavonoids which improves communication between neurons, reduces inflammation throughout the body, and increases brain plasticity.
Eggs are great sources of vitamins B-6, B-12, and folic acid. Research has shown that increased consumption of these vitamins may lead to a prevention of brain shrinkage and/or delay cognitive decline.
Portion Size?
So what is the perfect portion size of each of the three core food groups?
The healthiest option I have found is one half of the plate is filled with vegetables of different colors. One fourth of the plate is filled with healthy carbohydrates. And the last one fourth is filled with high quality protein.
