Do you know how Hollywood always depicts mission control centres as the home base for characters in sci-fi movies about space? Where people sit in a room, facilitating and directing spacecraft missions all over the universe? The control centre is the main hub where messages are sent to astronauts and other appropriate space employees. It’s the critical place where information is translated from numeric data and other scientific jargon to a lexicon that all employees can understand. If there’s a miscommunication or bad wire crossed, chaos could ensue, and people could get hurt.
This type of sci-fi mission control centre is basically how your brain works. The brain is the organ that controls emotion, heartbeat, memory, touch, motor skills, temperature, hunger, thirst, breathing, and every other process that regulates the body. The brain works with the spinal cord to control how the body thinks, moves, and operates. It sends signals and messages all over the body to help it accomplish missions such as eating a sandwich, driving a car, and remembering to take the dog for a walk.
It’s the control centre of your body, and it’s massively important to your physical health and emotional well-being. You must take care of it just like you would any other part to encourage longevity and functionality.
Did you know that there are foods that encourage brain health? One of the most crucial components of brainpower is memory. Having a healthy memory plays a vital role in your daily life. A strong memory helps you learn new things and retain information. It’s important to protect your brain as much as possible from developing illnesses such as dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
Check out these brain empowering foods that will help to protect against dementia and support a healthy mind.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
For years, extra virgin olive oil has been praised for supporting excellent cardiovascular health, but did you know that it also provides benefits to your mental health and memory? A recent study found that diets high in extra virgin olive oil can dramatically decrease tau build-up — the protein that helps stabilize the internal skeleton of the nerve cells (or neurons) in the brain — and potentially slow or alter advancing neurodegenerative dementia illnesses.
Olive oil is also full of vitamin E, a powerful antioxidant that protects the brain’s nerve cells. And, not to mention, it’s good for your skin, hair, and nails.
Aside from being nutritious and great for your brain, olive oil is also delicious. Mix it in with any salad, use it as a base for cooking stir-fries, meats, fish, and vegetables. You can also use it as a substitute for butter or margarine.
Oily Fishes
Do you love eating fish, such as salmon, mackerel, tuna, or sardines? Then, you’re in luck. Oily fish is a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids, essential to maintaining good brain health. The brain uses omega-3 fatty acids to create brain and nerve cells, which are pertinent for developing learning and memory skills. They’ve been proven to help prevent Alzheimer’s disease by sharpening memory and protecting the brain against decline, and they also encourage better mental health because they can help prevent depression.
Omega-3s travel through the brain cell membranes and interact with mood-specific molecules, giving them an encouraging boost. The anti-inflammatory properties of these fatty acids can also contribute to producing happier moods and relieving depressive symptoms.
It’s critical to incorporate these happy-making Omega-3s into your diet if you want to fill your brain with nutrients and improve your memory and overall emotional well-being. The human body can’t make omega-3 from scratch; it can only get them from food. Experts recommend consuming fatty fish twice a week to get the necessary health benefits of omega-3.
Consider grilling or baking a salmon fillet and then placing it on top of a bed of delicious greens for a healthy, yummy summer lunch. Add your favourite vegetables, sprinkle some walnuts on top (which, by the way, also contain omega-3s), and drizzle a homemade dressing made with olive oil and lemon juice.
Dark Chocolate
That’s right, folks. Dark chocolate is good for you. The decadent treat is loaded with fibre and antioxidants, which help prevent cell damage from free radicals. It can also lower the risk of cardiovascular disease, lower blood pressure, and improve blood flow. Recent studies have also shown that dark chocolate positively affects brain waves related to recall and memory.
The antioxidants in the sweet delicacy have the capability to alter your brain frequency called gamma. Gamma waves turn on when you’re actively processing information, solving problems, and learning. The gamma frequency enhances and speeds up due to the chocolate antioxidants. By consuming dark chocolate, your cognitive function could improve, particularly if you’re a senior. A benefit of dark chocolate is helping cognitive processes as they age.
Human beings’ cognitive function tends to weaken as we age. Sometimes we lose the capability for cognitive thinking, memory, processing, and recall. So go ahead, what do you have to lose? Treat yourself to some delicious (and brain-healthy) dark chocolate. Just remember to stick with brands with a cocoa ingredient of 70% or higher to benefit from the most antioxidants and health benefits.
When There’s Cause for Concern
Is there someone dear to you that’s recently been diagnosed with dementia? While maintaining a healthy diet and eating brain-boosting foods are helpful, you’ll also need as much help as you can get. Speak to your family member or friend’s doctor about dementia treatments. Inquire about at-home dementia care for your loved ones so they can receive high-quality nursing and personal support right in the comfort of home.
Find a home healthcare provider specializing in dementia care, so your friend or family member can work with a qualified and trained caregiver at home. Your loved one could eat brain-healthy foods every day, cooked by a professional. Dementia isn’t something that anyone should face alone, so talk to your loved one’s doctor right away about how you and your family can get the support you need.
Your brain is the centre of your universe. Protecting it and keeping it safe from harm is — in a way your life’s mission. By eating the right foods and seeking help when it’s needed, you’ll feel stronger, healthier, and mentally on track.