Brain Food by Lisa Mosconi PhD

Author:Lisa Mosconi PhD
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
Published: 2018-03-06T05:00:00+00:00

STEP

2

EATING FOR COGNITIVE POWER

11

A Holistic Approach to Brain Health

YOUR BRAIN’S FAVORITE MENU

We are now going to put the knowledge gained into practice and explore the basic guidelines for optimal brain nutrition. This chapter provides dietary and lifestyle recommendations for everyone who wishes to enhance their brainpower, improve their memory, and protect their cognitive skills. In addition, it assists those specifically interested in harnessing their diet to better optimize brain health, slow its aging, and minimize the risk of Alzheimer’s. These recommendations are based on solid, scientific evidence regarding those nutrient combinations deemed essential and necessary for maintaining peak brain performance that we’ve seen in the previous chapters. In addition, they employ the latest key concepts from the fields of nutritional medicine, microbiome, and nutrigenomics research.

First and foremost, we must find ways to increase your intake of brain-essential nutrients, as these are critical to proper brain function. A rundown of the “superfoods” that best provide these brain-essential nutrients is included, along with several practical tips as to how best combine them to achieve continued brain health. As you embark on eating healthier to extend your life and enhance your mental well-being, remember to focus on the most important foods and add them to your daily meals however you can.

Also remember that it isn’t only about increasing consumption of brain-healthy superfoods but also deliberately doing so while you reduce intake of foods that will instead harm your brain. Pay special attention to those also affecting heart health, such as processed, fried, and fatty foods. Be careful not to overeat red meat and dairy. If this sounds intimidating, don’t worry. I’m here to make sure you won’t have to deprive yourself to eat right for your brain. I have the “how to” when it comes to replacing brain-harmful foods with healthier and even more satisfying alternatives.

Moreover, the plan isn’t just a matter of dieting so much as it is a matter of changing your lifestyle to ensure that the majority of the choices you make are supportive of your brain’s health. As we talked about in earlier chapters, the best evidence to date shows that cognitive health in old age reflects the long-term effects of a healthy and engaging lifestyle. Physical activity, intellectual stimulation, social interactions, and good sleep are all part of the ensemble cast that works together to keep our brains active, vibrant, and alert over the course of a lifetime. To this end, I’ve included recommendations that address not only diet and nutrition but also those other areas of life known to directly contribute to the health and well-being of our brains.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.