ADD Nutrition Tips
Over the past few weeks we looked at the impact of different food groups (carbohydrates, protein, fats and vitamins and minerals) on optimum brain function. One thing that stood out throughout this discussion is the fact that brain nutrition is not something that we can simply leave to chance. Eating whatever takes your fancy and hoping for the best is not an option for those who are serious about battling the symptoms of ADD/ADHD through powering up the brain in the most efficient and beneficial way possible!
The purpose of this week’s article is to summaries the things that we have learned about brain function and to emphasize some of the most important insights. This will hopefully provide you with a ‘big picture view’ of this vital topic. I am going to do my best not to enter into too much technical detail while presenting this ‘big picture’. This is why I am going to present the information in the form of the “Top 8 Nutrition Tips for Optimum Brain Function”:
1. Maintain Balance: The brain is the most complex organ in the human body. To think therefore that it can operate successfully on just one kind of ‘miracle substance’ is a fallacy! Your brain needs a huge variety of nutrients and vitamins and minerals to function properly. Do your best not to deprive it of that by concentrating too heavily on just one type of food or supplement.
2. Do not skimp on protein: This may seem like a no-brainer, but it is often the case that people skimp on protein, either through neglect or through following the latest diet fad. The fact is however, that your body and brain cannot function properly without the basic building blocks provided by sufficient amounts of protein in your diet. Making sure that you get enough protein is especially important if you are following a vegetarian diet as you will need to constantly combine certain foods to make sure that you achieve the right protein mix.
3. Aim for a Consistent Energy Supply: The brain is by far the most energy intensive part of our bodies, using around 20% of all energy consumed. This means that the brain should continually be supplied with new energy. Ideally this supply should be stable and available over extended periods. This is why it is so important to include Low-GI foods in your diet. Low-GI foods generally release energy over a longer period, making it the ideal brain power source.
4. Eat the right kinds of fats: Fats perform key functions in terms of protection and membrane formation in the brain. These roles are best fulfilled by fats that are optimally suited for this role and that are therefore needed by the brain in sufficient quantities. The most important ‘brain fatty acids’ are: Omega 3, Omega 6 and ‘pure’ DHA. Including sources of these fats in your diet is one of the most important things that you can do to improve brain power.
5. Don’t forget the vitamins and minerals: The human brain needs several kinds of vitamins and minerals in order to do its job of being the nerve center of the body properly. Some of the most important ones are: Vitamin E, B Vitamins, Vitamin C and Magnesium.
6. Avoid toxins and other harmful substances: It goes without saying that foods that are laced with pesticides should be avoided at all costs. There are however other kinds of chemicals that are less obviously harmful but that can nonetheless wreak havoc if their intake is not controlled. They include the chemicals used in creating certain artificial colors and flavors as well as the trans-fatty acids that are byproducts of heating fats to very high temperatures (e.g. when deep frying food).
7. Supplement where necessary: It is quite difficult to achieve the right ‘mix’ in terms of getting all the right nutrients, vitamins and mineral required for optimum brain function from your diet. It may therefore sometimes be necessary to increase the levels of some of them through supplements. This is often necessary in the case of certain vitamins and also with trans-fatty acids.
8. Get enough exercise: This is perhaps not a ‘nutrition tip’ as such but it is nonetheless one that is very important. Regular exercise aids circulation of blood through the body and is therefore of very beneficial for the functioning of the brain as the most ‘energy hungry’ part of the body. Exercise can also potentially reduce body fat levels. This is very important as studies have shown that fat stored around the body (especially around the middle) can interfere with certain aspects of healthy brain function.
The things mentioned above may seem like common sense but it is amazing how many people ignore them and then wonder why they feel ‘fuzzy’ and unfocussed! The fact is that we owe it to our brains to ‘do the right thing’ in terms of nutrition, especially if we are battling the symptoms of ADD/ADHD. Over the next few weeks we will have a closer look at how this ‘right thing’ looks in practice.
The purpose of this week’s article is to summaries the things that we have learned about brain function and to emphasize some of the most important insights. This will hopefully provide you with a ‘big picture view’ of this vital topic. I am going to do my best not to enter into too much technical detail while presenting this ‘big picture’. This is why I am going to present the information in the form of the “Top 8 Nutrition Tips for Optimum Brain Function”:
1. Maintain Balance: The brain is the most complex organ in the human body. To think therefore that it can operate successfully on just one kind of ‘miracle substance’ is a fallacy! Your brain needs a huge variety of nutrients and vitamins and minerals to function properly. Do your best not to deprive it of that by concentrating too heavily on just one type of food or supplement.
2. Do not skimp on protein: This may seem like a no-brainer, but it is often the case that people skimp on protein, either through neglect or through following the latest diet fad. The fact is however, that your body and brain cannot function properly without the basic building blocks provided by sufficient amounts of protein in your diet. Making sure that you get enough protein is especially important if you are following a vegetarian diet as you will need to constantly combine certain foods to make sure that you achieve the right protein mix.
3. Aim for a Consistent Energy Supply: The brain is by far the most energy intensive part of our bodies, using around 20% of all energy consumed. This means that the brain should continually be supplied with new energy. Ideally this supply should be stable and available over extended periods. This is why it is so important to include Low-GI foods in your diet. Low-GI foods generally release energy over a longer period, making it the ideal brain power source.
4. Eat the right kinds of fats: Fats perform key functions in terms of protection and membrane formation in the brain. These roles are best fulfilled by fats that are optimally suited for this role and that are therefore needed by the brain in sufficient quantities. The most important ‘brain fatty acids’ are: Omega 3, Omega 6 and ‘pure’ DHA. Including sources of these fats in your diet is one of the most important things that you can do to improve brain power.
5. Don’t forget the vitamins and minerals: The human brain needs several kinds of vitamins and minerals in order to do its job of being the nerve center of the body properly. Some of the most important ones are: Vitamin E, B Vitamins, Vitamin C and Magnesium.
6. Avoid toxins and other harmful substances: It goes without saying that foods that are laced with pesticides should be avoided at all costs. There are however other kinds of chemicals that are less obviously harmful but that can nonetheless wreak havoc if their intake is not controlled. They include the chemicals used in creating certain artificial colors and flavors as well as the trans-fatty acids that are byproducts of heating fats to very high temperatures (e.g. when deep frying food).
7. Supplement where necessary: It is quite difficult to achieve the right ‘mix’ in terms of getting all the right nutrients, vitamins and mineral required for optimum brain function from your diet. It may therefore sometimes be necessary to increase the levels of some of them through supplements. This is often necessary in the case of certain vitamins and also with trans-fatty acids.
8. Get enough exercise: This is perhaps not a ‘nutrition tip’ as such but it is nonetheless one that is very important. Regular exercise aids circulation of blood through the body and is therefore of very beneficial for the functioning of the brain as the most ‘energy hungry’ part of the body. Exercise can also potentially reduce body fat levels. This is very important as studies have shown that fat stored around the body (especially around the middle) can interfere with certain aspects of healthy brain function.
The things mentioned above may seem like common sense but it is amazing how many people ignore them and then wonder why they feel ‘fuzzy’ and unfocussed! The fact is that we owe it to our brains to ‘do the right thing’ in terms of nutrition, especially if we are battling the symptoms of ADD/ADHD. Over the next few weeks we will have a closer look at how this ‘right thing’ looks in practice.
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