Take the struggle out of thinking with dietary modifications.
Though it may seem that the food you down at meal time has little to do with the mental processes that take place deep within your brain, in truth, your diet can play a part in determining just how clearly you see things. If you are eager to improve your mental clarity, build your memory or just give your brain a little boost, consider modifying your current diet. By swapping out some less-than-helpful foods for edibles that are tied to better brain function, you can likely reap the mind-building benefits.
Instructions
1. Avoid fatty foods. Though potentially delicious, fatty foods have negative impacts on both your waistline and your mental functioning. As Tara Parker-Pope reported for the New York Times, high fat diets can lead to a decline in cognitive mental function. This means that the first step in sharpening your mental skills is setting down those fries and trading those chips for some healthy fruit instead.
2. Reduce your calorie intake. The results of a 2009 University of Munster study indicate that the way to a better functioning brain may simply be eating less. This study found who reduced their caloric intake by 30 percent performed better on tests of mental aptitude. Researchers further hypothesize that this improvement in mental skill could be a survival mechanism as starving individuals would need improved mental function to seek out food. Whatever the reason, however, trimming the calories -- though not to starvation levels -- may give you a mental advantage.
3. Eat more vegetables. You probably already know that a diet rich in vegetables has health benefits; however, you may not have realized that these benefits can extend to improved brain function. As reported on the Today Show, a 25-year study conducted by the Harvard Medical School indicates that individuals who ate diets rich in veggies, including super-foods like broccoli, cabbage and brussel sprouts, remained mentally sharp longer than those who didn't include these brain-boosters in their diets.
4. Snack on blueberries. Not only do they fit perfectly into a cobbler or pie, blueberries may also do wonders for the brain, reports WebMD. As "Superfoods Rx" author Steven Pratt, M.D., reports, this fruit seems to prevent age-related mental decline. By picking up a handful of blueberries the next time your tummy rumbles, you may be able reap these benefits.
Tags: your mental, brain function, fatty foods, , that individuals