Published:
02/15/2014 05:16am
Tired of Brain Fog? Eating Well For a Clear Head and a Healthy Body
Do you find it becoming more and more difficult to concentrate? Do you find yourself struggling to remember simple things throughout your day? Brain fog may be your problem.
The continual decrease in the quality of the American diet is not only increasing our risk for disease, it is having a significant impact on the health of our brain. The good news is there are simple changes to your diet that can help you think more clearly.
A study completed at UCLA and published in the Journal of Physiology found that eating a diet rich in high fructose corn syrup over the long term impaired the brain's ability to learn and remember. And in contrast a diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids helped to minimize the damage.
In the study 2 groups of animals were fed a high fructose solution daily and the second group was also supplemented with omega-3 fatty acids. They found that the animals were much faster navigating a maze when fed a diet including omega-3 fatty acids than those deprived of those nutrients. The brains of those low in dietary omega-3 fats were slower and their brain cells had difficulty signaling each other. This disrupted the animal's ability to think clearly and recall the maze they had learned 6 weeks earlier.
High fructose corn syrup is found in processed foods, soft drinks, condiments and many other products. According to the USDA, it is estimated that today the average American consumes more than 40 lbs. of high fructose corn syrup each year. Fructose occurs naturally in fruits, but also contains water and beneficial antioxidants important for brain health.
Omega-3 fatty acids are essential in the diet (the body cannot produce them so you must consume them). Sources of omega-3 fats include fish, nuts, flaxseed and meat from grass fed animals. The average American diet is deficient in this important nutrient.
So, what can you do to shift your diet to one lower in high fructose corn syrup and higher in omega 3 fats? Try these tips below:
1. Eliminate soda - switch to water or herbal tea.
2. Cereals - look for those with