Water

Drinking water in ample amounts enhances brain function. Sometimes when you feel tired and unable to think, drink two cups of plain water and observe your energy level and brain function over the next 30 minutes. Here's the formula for customizing water recommendations for my clients: body weight in pounds divided by 2 = number of ounces of water to drink daily. For example, a person weighing 150 pounds would require 75 ounces (nearly 2� quarts per day), plus more with exercise and sweating.

Eat by the Rainbow

The brain has very high needs for antioxidants like vitamin C and vitamin E. Because it is impossible to get adequate amounts of those in foods, It is recommended to take good quality supplements. Another huge family of antioxidants found in brightly colored fruits and vegetables are known as pigments or the natural colors found in foods. Here's a taste: green kale, broccoli, spinach, green beans, peppers; yellow summer squash, peaches, plums; orange carrots, winter squash, oranges, peppers; red strawberries, raspberries, tomatoes, cabbage, beets, pomegranate; and blueberries.

Scientists are studying and naming these pigments: bioflavonoids, carotenoids, polyphenols, lycopene, lutein, and others. James A. Joseph, PhD, researcher at the Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University, has been studying the effects of food pigments on health for more than 15 years. Because blueberries are particularly rich in pigments called anthocyanins and proanthocyanins, which include blue, purple, and red pigments, Joseph has dubbed them "brainberries." Ponder the possibility: A cup of blueberries a day may keep "senior moments" away.

Unfortunately estimates are that one in five young people between the ages of 4-18 eats no fruit or vegetables, and less than 50% consume the recommended five servings a day. Incorporating fruit and vegetables into an eating plan at a very young age helps children learn to like and eat these nutritious foods. Parents and other adults teach by example. Picture a dinner plate divided into four equal, pie-shaped sections. Fill � of the plate with protein such as chicken, turkey, beef, eggs, soy; fill � with carbohydrate foods such as brown rice, whole grain pasta/bread, quinoa; and fill � with brightly colored fruits and vegetables.

Fats as Building Blocks

The brain and entire nervous system contain high amounts of fats. Optimal brain function depends upon having enough of what are called "essential fats," which we must get from foods, as well as supplements of fish oils. Foods high in omega-3 fats include wild salmon, sardines, anchovies, ground flax seeds or oil, walnuts and other nuts, and sea vegetables aka algae.

The two primary functions of essential fats have nothing to do with calories. These fats function as structural building blocks for cell membranes and as molecules called prostaglandins, some of which reduce inflammation in the brain and body. Consuming more omega-3 fats and less omega-6 fats reduces inflammation.

(Images provided by Jewish Family Services.)

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