NUTRITION FOR THE BRAIN

Brain- the vital organ of the body!

No one can deny the complexity of our very small organ i.e. is Brain. It is one of the vital organs of our body. It is comprised of a dizzying array of neurons, dendrites, axons, and chemical neurotransmitters. This small complex organ, the brain, extends by the spinal cord, and governs the function of the entire body. It controls each and every other part of our body and has power over our reactions, movements, and even our feelings. Such intense activity of brain requires sufficient high quality fuel. If it is well fed it will perform better, and if you deprive your brain of the fuel it needs its performance will lose color quickly. The brain weighs just 2% of our total body weight, yet it gobbles up 20% of the body's total energy supply, up to 50% of our blood sugar, and 20% of the oxygen we inhale. As mentioned above, the brain also requires a steady supply of high-grade nutrients to perform. And no other organ in the body is as sensitive to a shortfall of raw materials. Glucose levels, oxygen, vitamins, minerals, amino acids and essential fatty acids are to be provided to the brain to keep it functioning brilliantly.


When it doesn't get what it needs, the brain starts sending powerful messages to us in the form of cravings. Following these cravings by eating sugary, starchy or fatty foods serves to destabilize blood chemistry.


Risk Factors

Regular sugar consumption threatens our mental health, as excessive consumption of white sugar and white flour keeps our endocrine and blood sugar management system in a constant state of stress. Simple sugars in candy, donuts, Ding Dongs, Twinkies and other sweet treats stresses the pancreas causing it to overproduce insulin, further lowering the blood sugar level.


Sugar consumption has various harmful effects as it greatly depletes B vitamins needed for healthy nerve transmission, depletes chromium needed for blood sugar regulation and strains the organs and glands that keep our blood sugar steady, the adrenals, pancreas, and liver, all of which are weakened by eating refined sugar.


Coffee is used as a drink to clear your mind, the morning cup of coffee is particularly used by many to wake up. However, this coffee consumption also has its own side effects. Some of the risk associated with coffee are:
o It depletes the body of minerals needed for mental energy
o It causes blood sugar to become unstable
o It interferes with our sleep when the brain is trying to rest


A stressful lifestyle, so common these days, can lead to adrenal burnout, resulting in low mental energy. The adrenal glands produce adrenaline and cortisol, the hormones that help to lift blood sugar levels. Weakened adrenals cannot keep the blood sugar high enough to satisfy the glucose dependant brain.


The Diet factor

Recent studies have given a lot of emphasis on the food we take. It has been found that the foods a person eats can have a powerful impact on a person's mental energy. Given below are some of the diet considerations that a person need to take to keep the brain in its best form.

• Take ample supply of fruits, vegetables and whole grains
• Eat small, frequent meals to keep blood sugar steady instead
• Have oxygenating foods - wheat germ, unsaturated oils, fish and soy products
• Enough intake of Mineral-rich foods - greens, kelp, fish, whole grains, potatoes
• Remove all foods that trigger excess insulin - sugar, alcohol, fruit juice, refined white flour, all concentrated sweeteners.
• Avoid all stimulants - especially coffee and sugar


Lifestyle Modifications

Besides dietary considerations other activities of our everyday life need to be modified to maintain good mental health. Here is a guide for your lifestyle modification
o Get enough sleep
o Get a handle on stress
o Do mental exercises - read books, take classes
o Hot/cold hydrotherapy - end a hot shower with 30 seconds of cold water
o Take 10 deep brain-oxygenating breaths each morning
o Do regular aerobic exercise
o Avoid alcohol and tobacco - they impair memory, retention, concentration and reaction time
o Avoid Marijuana- It impairs memory, attention and concentration

By Abdullah Salim and Nedalee Ruiz

Nedalee is the author of The Desperate Parents Handbook

Abdullah and Nedalee recommend Chanson Alkaline Water for more information on alkaline water.

And Healing Water Machines for an impressive selection of water ionizers and unbiased ionizer reviews.

Copyright 2008 By Nedalee Ruiz

Permission granted to reproduce in entirety only including links and author credits