10 Super Foods to Super Boost Your Brain

A key aspect of God’s nature is that he’s a healer. He’s holistic.

From Eden onward, it’s always been about a partnership between heaven and earth. Between God and us. Even in the most practical matters.

We have a part to play with the Creator. Questing for wellness is a conscious, proactive process on our part as we reach for our full potential … spirit, soul and body.

(There is more helpful info about key terms with an asterisk at the bottom of this post.)

Including These 10 Foods Regularly in Your Diet Will Super Boost Your Brain!

1. Avocados

  • The perfect food to protect and enhance your brain.
  • A great source of monounsaturated fats*. These fats form the myelin sheath, a protective coating that insulates your neurons and permits fast neurotransmission.
  • Good source of the carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin which can boost your brain’s processing speed.
  • Twice the potassium of a banana which lowers blood pressure. And that promotes brain health.
  • Try to eat at least a half avocado every day.

2. Salmon

  • Consumers of wild fish exhibit better memory, better cognitive aging, and even have bigger brains! The king of these fish is wild salmon.
  • Rich in Omega-3 essential fatty acids which are essential for good brain function.
  • Rich source of a powerful carotenoid, astaxanthin. Boosts cognitive function and advances neurogenesis (birth of new neurons).
  • Contains anti-inflammatory* substances.
  • It’s recommended to eat a 4-ounce serving, two to three times a week.

3. Coconut Oil

  • Contains a medium chain fatty acid which sparks your body’s fat-burning process.
  • Fat-burning process helps create ketones which is your brain’s preferred fuel source.
  • Coconut oil is the good fat that can actually help you lose fat!

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4. Blueberries

  • Steven Pratt, MD, author of “Superfoods Rx: Fourteen Foods Proven to Change Your Life,” calls them brainberries!
  • Improves learning capacity and helps guard the brain against oxidative stress.
  • May reduce conditions of brain-aging like dementia and Alzheimer’s.
  • Try to get up to a cup a day.

5. Broccoli

  • This cruciferous vegetable is full of powerful plant compounds, including antioxidants.
  • Anti-inflammatory.
  • High in vitamin K which is known to enhance cognitive function.

6. Eggs

  • Concerns about dangerous cholesterol in egg yolks have been debunked.
  • Eggs (especially the yolks) are one of the most nutritious foods you can consume—containing some of nearly every vitamin and mineral required by the human body!
  • Eggs are rich in Omega-3s and Vitamin E.
  • As with avacados, egg yolks contain the carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin, shown to protect the brain and increase processing speed.
  • Memory-improving choline, a micronutrient that helps your body create a neurotransmitter that regulates memory and mood.

7. Green Leafy Vegetables

  • Spinach, kale, and collard greens are good sources of Vitamin E which enhances cognitive function.
  • Great source of folate which contributes to serotonin production. Lifts mood.
  • Packed full of antioxidants.

8. Turmeric

  • A deep-yellow power spice which keeps your immune system healthy.
  • Helps your brain to be alert and able to process information.
  • Reduces inflammation and helps boost antioxidant levels.
  • Improves brain’s oxygen intake.
  • Add to dishes. Make Turmeric tea (recipe). Read A God-Created Solution for Diabetes, Arthritis and Cancer.

9. Walnuts

  • Walnuts are rich in vitamin E which helps to protect neurons and guards against cognitive decline.
  • High levels of antioxidants and zinc.
  • High in magnesium which improves your mood.
  • Deliver omega-3 fatty acids.
  • Other helpful nuts are almonds, cashews, peanuts, and flax seed. Nut butters are good as long as they are not hydrogenated.

10. Dark Chocolate

  • Here’s some good stuff! Includes flavonoids, a group of antioxidant plant compounds.
  • Natural stimulants, including caffeine which can enhance memory, focus, and mood.
  • Stimulates endorphins.
  • The darker the chocolate, the better. One-half ounce to 1 ounce a day will give the benefits you want.
  • Unsweetened or low sugar is best. Excess sugar is linked to dementia and early Alzheimer’s.

Other foods which are great for our brains include pomegranate juice, kale, tomatoes, coffee, and freshly brewed tea.

It’s also important to remember that regular exercise improves cognitive function. Your brain loves exercise!

Related:

Eat Smart for a Healthier Brain (WebMD)

Kwik Brain podcast on Podbean (also on iTunes and Stitcher)

Download this guide from Harvard doctors: Understanding Inflammation. Includes key signs of inflammation and a list of foods of beverages known to reduce inflammation.

KEY TERMS:

Monounsaturated fats — Some fats are necessary for optimal wellness. Good sources of monounsaturated fat include olives and olive oil, avocados, wild salmon, grass-fed beef, and nuts like almonds, cashew nuts, pecans, and macadamia nuts. People in Mediterranean climates have experienced these health benefits for generations: slimmer bodies, heart health, lower risk of stroke, reduced belly fat, and decreased risk of cancer.

Inflammation — A part of the body’s immune response to infections, damage to any tissue, and wounds. Chronic inflammation can cause diseases. Inflammation can damage the brain. Symptoms can include fatigue, chest pain, abdominal pain, joint pain, heat, fever, and rash. Foods which reduce inflammation include olive oil, walnuts and almonds, leafy greens including spinach and kale, salmon, and blueberries. Food ingredients that can cause chronic inflammation include sugar, trans fats, saturated fats, excess omega-6 fatty acids (vegetable oil, soy, mayonnaise, many salad dressings), refined carbs, MSG, gluten, and aspartame.

6 thoughts on “10 Super Foods to Super Boost Your Brain”

  1. It’s amazing how God has planned everything for us perfectly. All life comes from Him, so He knows what’s good for us. This article is full of insights. I am glad dark chocolates are considered brain food.

  2. Of all the foods on this list, it’s the avocados that I love the most. But the rest is fine and I highly recommend this to everyone. They’re brain foods, so to speak.

  3. Thanks so much for the helpful information. I already eat almost everything on the food list regularly so that’s great!

    1. Hi Angela! Sounds like you’re on the right pathway with brain-healthy food! I’m so glad all of this info about taking care of our brain is becoming available in recent years — nutrition and more.

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