EATING FOR OPTIMAL COGNITIVE FUNCTION

We’re all heard the saying: “your brain is like a muscle and needs to be exercised regularly”, and while your brain isn’t actually technically a muscle, the principal is true. The average person will only ever use 10% of their brain’s true power, so it makes sense to spend a little time working on it.

For a long time, it was believed that the brain you were born with is the brain you would always have, but luckily for us, we know that’s not true. When you spend time actively engaging and exercising your brain, your cognitive function increases and you benefit from sharper thinking, a higher retention rate for new information and more logical thinking.

Here are three simple ways to boost your brain power and cognitive thinking for a healthier brain.

Nutrition

You are what you eat, and when you actively seek out to eat a nutrient-dense diet, you’re fueling your brain with everything it needs to perform highly. Some great foods for healthy brain cognition are:

~ Salmon - for a healthy source of omega-3 fatty acids which have been linked to larger brain volume and higher mental function.

~ Walnuts - for Vitamin E which has been shown to reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer’s.

~ Eggs - for a healthy source of choline, a nutrient vital to maintaining memory and communication among brain cells. 

~ Spinach - for an excellent source of folic acid which has been shown to prevent dementia. In addition to this, spinach, broccoli, cabbage, and dark, leafy greens can also help improve memory.