Now that finals are coming up I thought it would be cool to know what kind of foods would be beneficial to our brains to function better when we take our exams.
Brain Food: How to Eat Smart
How you eat can affect your mind at a fundamental levels. Here are five things you should know about feeding your brain:
1. Don’t overdose on sugar
The brain, which accounts for 2 percent of our body weight, sucks down roughly 20 percent of your daily calories. It demands a constant supply of glucose. But this doesn’t mean that you should slurp soda to keep your brains functioning optimally. In fact, high glucose levels slowly but surely damage cells everywhere in your body, including those in your brain.
2. Become a grazer
To optimize brain power, one tactic might be more frequent but smaller meals. The brain works best with about 25 grams of glucose circulating in the blood stream -- about the amount found in a banana.
3. Eat foods that don’t raise blood glucose levels
Pretzels cause blood sugar to rise very quickly. Raw carrots, however, do not. High fiber carbohydrates are raise blood glucose levels relatively slowly, and combining them with fat or protein can slow absorption even more. The key is a balanced diet, where all macronutrients -- carbohydrates, fats and proteins -- are given their due.
4. Know your fats
Not all fats are equal. Trans fats, common in fast food, are the worst. However, the brain is 60 percent fat, and very low levels of cholesterol have been associated with depression, aggression and anti-social behavior. Essential fatty acids, such as omega-3s, are proving valuable in treating depression and other psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia, as well as benefiting infant brain development.
5. Know yourself
Food affects everyone's brain a little differently. Listen to you body, and find out what choices are right for you.
1 comment:
All they tell us in school is to get a good's nights rest and eat a nutritious breakfast before you take an exam. You've taken the whole "breakfast" thing and made it into an extensive, 5 part regimen of what to consume to benefit our brains. Prior to this I probably would've taken my soda, 3 daily meals, pretzel, butter and listening to my stomach over any of the things "I should know" about feeding my brain. Out of all 5, I think becoming a grazer would be the toughest thing for me to accomplish.
On weekends, most people sleep in and disrupt their sleeping and eating habits. Some adjust just fine to having "brunch" at noon. I for one, am adversely affected by not eating at scheduled times. I become the victim of severe mood swings and remain in that state till I get something in my system. This wouldn't happen if I had the prescribed 25 grams of glucose circulating more frequently. I guess I should load up on my potassium. In other words, I should have a banana every now and then.
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