Yahoo Finance Brain food: how to eat and sleep your way to a healthy mind
Feeling sluggish, foggy-brained and emotionally drained? And it’s only February?! You’re not alone.
Time for a brain boost. Neuroplasticity is the latest buzzword when it comes to cognitive wellness, and it refers to the brain’s ability to rewire itself. Nutrition, along with other lifestyle factors, play a key role in this process, meaning there are ways you can protect your brain and support your mental health through things like diet, exercise routine and sleep.
Here’s how to hack your way to a healthier mind.
The brain diet
Start with real food. The brain is mostly made up of fat and water, so eat plenty of healthy fats like oily fish, nuts, seeds and olive oil, particularly those high in long-chain omega-3 fatty acids, says podcast host Dr Rupy Aujla (@doctors_kitchen), author of Doctor’s Kitchen 3-2-1 (£16.99). “They have been shown to promote the growth of brain cells which can help maintain the adaptability of the brain and also provide quality protein, which is broken down into amino acids that are used for the production of neurotransmitters (the chemical messengers of the brain),” he says. “Dark leafy greens like cavolo nero, spinach, rocket and sprouts contain high amounts of phytonutrients that drastically reduce inflammation in the body, which can disrupt brain processes leading to symptoms of fatigue and low mood.”
In fact, as a rule of thumb, the darker the food, the better, says neuroscientist Dr Tara Swart (@drtaraswart), author of bestselling title The Source (£10.99). “These foods contain anthocyanins, that contribute to neurogenesis (the growth of new neurons in the brain), a form of neuroplasticity,” she explains. “So try to go for black beans over cannellini beans, purple sprouting broccoli over regular where possible. Organic dark chocolate (containing over 80 per cent cocoa) and organic coffee count, too.”
Berries are particularly beneficial to the brain, as rich sources of polyphenols, Aujla adds. “They may also be involved in the production of the brain-derived neurotrophic factor BDNF, which is involved in the maintenance and survival of nerve cells and could be a critical component of protecting the brain against disease.”
Alongside drinking plenty of water, hydrate by eating water-rich foods, too — like cucumber, melon and berries — which will help you retain more water than simply drinking it.
When to supp
In an ideal world we wouldn’t need to supplement our diets “if we all ate organic and grew our own food,” Swart says. But lifestyle factors mean we often miss crucial nutrients from our diets, and this is exaggerated in times of stress. “When we’re stressed, the body leeches itself of certain nutrients, particularly magnesium.” Magnesium plays an essential role in memory and sleep and it can be difficult to get enough of it from modern diets. Twitchy eyelids can be a sign of deficiency, she adds. Magnesium is best absorbed through the skin, so apply topically for best results. Spray a couple of drops of The Nue Co’s Magnesium Ease (uk.thenueco.com, £20), slather on some of Neom’s Real Luxury Magnesium Body Butter before bed (neomorganics.com, £36) or sprinkle a few handfuls of Westlab’s Magnesium Flakes (westlabsalts.co.uk, £6.99) into your bath.
Harley Street nutritional therapist Alice Mackintosh (@alicemackintosh_nutrition) says she often sees clients with deficiencies in zinc, choline and B vitamins in her clinic, and they are all important for supporting healthy brain function. “When it comes to supplementation, it’s important to remember that everything works synergistically together. In order for B vitamins to work well in the body, you also need folic acid and iron, for example.” Mackintosh runs her own supplement brand for women, Equi, with former investment banker Rosie Speight. The brand’s Original Formula for mind and body is supercharged with 46 nutrients (equilondon.com, £50).
The rise of “smart drugs”
Nootropics, also known as “smart drugs,” are growing in popularity, with an explosion of new products promising everything from enhanced memory to a sharper focus and better concentration. But do they work? Equi formulates its supplements with some natural nootropics for their overall “balancing effect,” Mackintonsh says. “Siberian ginseng is an adaptogenic herb that helps to support our adrenal response and balance hormones, so it may help us cope in times of stress. Another one is ashwagandha which is very calming and may support sleep cycles.” Indi Mind is another brain-focused supplement packed with anthocyanins, nootropics, adaptogens and beta-glucans (indisupplements.com, £40).
Overall, the message from most experts is that there’s no “magic pill.” Generally speaking, the best way to protect your brain is via “your plate and lifestyle,” Dr Aujla says.
Feed your second brain
Did you know that around 80 per cent of serotonin — dubbed the happy hormone — is produced in the gut, often described as our “second brain”? “The brain and gut communicate very closely linked by the vagus nerve,” Mackintosh explains. “An inflamed gut has been linked to things like low mood and brain fog.”
We know that by consuming enough different fibre sources and eating probiotic foods like sauerkraut, kimchi and kombucha we can help to promote a more diverse gut microbiome, but if you struggle to do this within your diet every day, Dr Swart recommends taking a probiotic. There are a number of different probiotic strains out there, so it’s important to find one that works for you. Symprove (symprove.com, £52 for four-week supply) is a popular choice. Read our full review here.
Stress less, move more
“Stress is the worst thing for your brain, cortisol literally kills off brain cells,” Dr Swart says. Incorporate breathwork and aerobic exercise into your routine to oxygenate the brain, there is also a benefit to simplifying your life where possible, this is known as “choice reduction.”
“Every time you make a decision, you’re dipping into your finite bucket of cognitive resources,” she says. “So doing things like laying your clothes out the night before and having a meal plan for the week, means you’re not using up your brain power on these things.”
Finally, get some rest. “During sleep your brain’s glymphatic system (which removes toxins and waste products as a result of normal cellular processes) gets to work to clear debris that can impact the functioning of your nerve cells,” Dr Aujla says. Aim for at least eight hours and try to stick to regular sleep/wake times.
