Who doesn’t want to maintain mental clarity into old age? It’s possible if you regularly “exercise” your brain and give it the right diet. Thanks to it, you will be able to complete your work tasks on time, enjoy the hardest online poker strategies, and even learn a new language easier. For this purpose, eliminate these foods from your diet first.
Fast Carbs
Fast carbs enter the bloodstream instantly and are immediately transformed into energy. This is why they are also called digestible. This causes the blood sugar level to rise sharply. But the body needs something to dispose of this sugar, so it begins to produce insulin, a hormone that directs these calories either to “cover” the body’s current needs, or to the “fat depot”. What happens next?
There is a surge of insulin in the blood, after which fatigue, weakness and an imagined feeling of hunger come. So, fast carbs lead to rapid obesity. Besides, the glucose left in the blood after eating fast carbohydrates destroys the walls of blood vessels. Where the vessel is destroyed, atherosclerotic plaque can develop, causing the brain to stop getting the right amount of nutrients and oxygen.
Nicotine
Although nicotine isn’t actually a food product, it’s no less dangerous to your brain. It restricts blood flow to that organ, along with reducing its glucose and oxygen saturation. Nicotine not only causes premature aging, bad breath and increases the risk of lung cancer, it also affects the body’s productive function and the proper functioning of the brain’s neurotransmitters, by blocking the capillaries, small blood vessels that play a key role in the proper functioning of the brain.
Flavorings and Colorings
Anything that contains flavorings, dyes, or any other preservatives is bad for the brain. Toxins in foods with colorings impair brain nutrition. Always read the composition of foods carefully – this will help avoid consuming dangerous substances.
The most popular foods that contain flavorings and colorings are sweet sodas, marmalade, sausage, stock cubes, chips and bread crumbs, sauces and mayonnaises, processed cheese, frozen convenience foods and condiments.
Fatty Meats (Lamb, Pork)
An excess of fatty foods in the diet leads to excess weight, which in turn increases the risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease. But recent scientific work has shown that our brains are also in the crosshairs. Researchers at Purdue University in West Lafayette and the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia concluded that excessive consumption of saturated fats, which are so rich in fatty meats, especially when combined with simple carbohydrates, can lead to impaired cognitive function and increased risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.
Nevertheless, eliminating fatty foods from your diet is not an option. You just need to opt for foods that are rich in healthy fats. Salmon, trout, anchovies, sardines, herring and mackerel are high in Omega-3 and boast brain benefits. The American Heart Association advises including oily fish in your menu up to twice a week. Stick to these recommendations and you’ll be doing your heart and brain a good service. Moreover, look for Omega 3s in foods such as walnuts, sesame seeds, and flax seeds and oils from them.