By Start including these two beautiful foods into your diet
I don’t think I need to tell you how important food is for your body — let alone your brain. I focused on critical foods that harmed my digestion for many years — and avoided them like the plague. But, considering our brain and gut are intertwined on a level that most researchers haven’t yet fully grasped — it’s necessary to view nutrition through these two pathways. Any disturbances between the two pathways can cause problems, including obesity, disease, and even cancer. Our bodies run on what we feed them, and all other systems & processes are, therefore, also governed by this. Can you imagine what impact eating the wrong foods every day has on the functioning of our bodies? Unfortunately, it may not be considered necessary because we can’t see the consequences, yet sometimes feel vague symptoms like a decline in energy levels, skin condition alterations, and disease onset. But, we have to look deeper than this level because it has everything to do with nutrition — perhaps an accumulation of the wrong foods over time. Our brain is a vital organ and susceptible to many things, including ageing. The great news is that we can reverse this with alterations to our diet. James Joseph, PhD, of the U.S. Department of Agriculture Human Nutrition Research Center at Tufts University in Boston, researched rats to uncover what foods impacted brain function and age. Old rats fed a diet of high antioxidant strawberries or blueberry extract exhibited reversal of age-related deficits, including neuron function and motor and cognitive behaviour. These rats maintained the diet for two months. Within the brain, antioxidant molecules wage war against molecules known as free radicals. Free radicals can harm brain cells and function. The research extends to those for whom that walnuts have a similar effect.
Why Walnuts
Have you noticed how similar a walnut looks to our brain? They contain Omega three fatty acids, alpha-linolenic acid & polyphenols that somehow seem to block free radicals, which can cause inflammation. Walnuts may have beneficial effects similar to long-chain fatty acids found in aminal sources. What excellent news for vegetarians and vegans! All you need to eat is one ounce of walnuts daily to reduce harmful low-density lipoprotein or LDL cholesterol. In addition, adding berries and grape juice into your diet may increase your ‘health span’ when it comes to ageing and provide a longevity extension. There are also many economic benefits because it reduces the ageing process, which would further reduce or delay the onset of any debilitating, degenerative disease. Walnuts go so far as mediating the functioning of neuronal communication, which promotes the growth of new neurons. Inflammation and oxidative stress are contributors to Alzheimer’s and cardiovascular disease. But that’s not all my friends, because fruit and veggies may help provide the necessary protection to prevent the decline of cognitive and motor functioning during ageing! So, if you haven’t gotten on the high consumption of vegetable bandwagon yet — this is a good time! Veggies and fruit are high in polyphenols, molecules with potent antioxidant potential.
Key takeaways
The clear key message here is that we need to eat more veggies since they contain polyphenols that help eliminate free radicals in the body. It’s also a good idea to serve yourself some walnuts and berries. In terms of blueberries, about 1/2 a cup is shown to benefit. I must be honest and mention that blueberries are very expensive in Australia — and so are the snap-frozen varieties. I get away with buying expensive produce by purchasing a frozen organic berry pack and adding some daily to my smoothies in the morning. Blueberries are no longer available — due to the season, but when I can get my hands on them and am ok with spending the money, I’ll eat them. Being healthy doesn’t have to be expensive — but it can get that way sometimes. But I think of my health and longevity as an investment. I don’t waste my money on alcoholic drinks or go to expensive restaurants. I may, on minimal occasions, prefer to eat at a restaurant but feel that my home-cooked meals contain everything my body needs. Restaurante quality can sometimes lack a lot of nutrient value (in my opinion). That can lead to over-eating or eating the wrong foods to compensate for that lack. That’s why I have a flexible approach and only indulge once in a while, preferring to spend the money on buying and making my home-cooked meals. I leave you with the following tip: fasting can help regenerate cells and combat oxidative stress. Now, that doesn’t cost anything (because you aren’t eating) but allows you to gain many benefits without spending much money. Plus, eating and eating correctly increases your chances of having a very long, healthy and disease-free life. Now, I’m happy to invest in that for as long as possible — how about you?
Please sign up via my link if you want to read more articles like this or start writing your own. I’d love to see you on the other side. ???????? Sign up here for your medium subscription. I get a portion of your monthly fee at no extra cost to you, and it will go a long way in supporting me as a writer.