Brain Health- Where Do I Start?
Your brain is mostly fat and communication between all your brain cells is dependent on how well your fatty membranes move. These fats that make up these membranes largely come from the diet. Why does this make a difference? Well, think about the difference between a hard wall and a wall of jello (thanks for inspiration on analogies Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs!) It is easier to walk from point A to B through Jello than it is a solid wall. In your brain, Jello is omega 3 fatty acids and solid wall is a mix of other types of fat including omega 6s, saturated fats etc. The more omega-3 fatty acids the more FLUID your membranes which means the EASIER it is for your brain cells to talk to each other = Better MOOD!
Omega 3 fatty acids have generally been decreasing in the diet. You can change that with just a few easy tips on increasing omega 3 fatty acids in foods you eat.
Foods that contain Omega 3s: 1. Cold fatty fish like wild salmon, sardines, and anchovies 2. Pastured raised egg yolks 3. Pastured raised or organic grass fed/ finished meats
Vegan or Vegetarian? NO Problem! 1. Flax seeds 2. Chia seeds or hemp seeds 3. Walnuts
Tips to get more Omega 3 fatty acids in your diet: 1. Upgrade what you already buy. If you purchase non pastured eggs, by organic pastured eggs or better yet see if a neighbor has chickens or a nearby farm and ask them what they feed on. 2. Add walnuts to your afternoon snack. Just a ¼ cup of walnuts per day can increase your omega 3 fatty acids. One of my favorite afternoon snacks: Medjool date pitted and stuff a walnut or two inside. Yum! 3. Eat wild fish 2x per week. This could be canned wild salmon made like tuna fish (and sardines are actually very tasty made this way too!) or canned wild Portuguese sardines in marinara sauce with crackers or over salad. Grill up wild sockeye salmon with lemon and dill and serve with quinoa and steamed asparagus. 4. Add rotation of hemp/flax/chia seeds to your morning smoothies
Get those omega 3 fatty acids in! Your brain and mood will thank you