NOVEMBER 2021
PAGE 6
Six of the Best Foods to Eat for a Clear, Sharp Mind Good news: Dark chocolate is on our list. By Jenn Sinrich , MarthaStewart.com
The Best Hobbies to Establish Now for Improved Brain and Memory Health Down the Road It's never too late to learn something new and safeguard your brain in the future. You know how important a healthy diet is for your overall wellness: Eating the correct foods can boost your immune system and lower your risk for a myriad of diseases, including heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and even certain cancers, per the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). What few of us seem to realize is the true connections between our diet and brain health, but it makes sense when you stop to think about it: Our brain needs fuel to function at its highest capacity. "If you are driving an expensive car, you fill it with premium fuel, not regular gas, since it won't perform as well," explains Sydney Spiewak, MS, RDN, CD-N and Clinical Dietitian at UMass Memorial Health Care. "This analogy is true of the brain—it requires a diet rich in the right nutrients, including vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, proteins, whole grains, and unsaturated fats in order to run smoothly." In short, if you want to keep your thinker sharp and clear, one of the best things you can do is eat a varied, nutrient-rich diet. Ahead, six of the best foods to eat to boost your brain health.
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Leafy Green Vegetables Spinach, kale, arugula, parsley, and romaine lettuces contain the nutrients lutein, vitamin K, nitrate, folate, alpha-tocopherol, beta-carotene, and kaempferol, which have all been associated with better brain health, says Nora Saul, R.D., C.D.C.E.S., L.D.N. of Silver Fern Healthcare in Hartford, Connecticut. One study published in the journal Alzheimer's and Dementia found that those who followed the MIND diet, which is high in leafy green vegetables, could reduce their risk of Alzheimer's disease by as much as 53 percent. Saul recommends consuming at least two-and-a-half cups of vegetables per day, and that one of those cups come from leafy greens.
