Las Vegas Diet and Exercise Examiner

 Finding yourself having one too many "senior moments" lately?  Feeling not as sharp and on point as you used to be? Your brain may not be getting the essential nutrients it needs to function at its optimal best.  

Being the central powerhouse of your body, your brain is always on, 24/7. It's the central command, firing out orders all day and all night throughout every system running inside of you.  That would tire even the fittest of us, on our best days.  

Even just a thought, sends millions of neurons rushing through your body, firing back and forth, doing exactly  what is required of them.  Neurons that require 75% of your blood glucose (sugar), and 20% of your body's usable oxygen. Without getting way too geeky on you, neurons feed by astrocytes (the cells near the capillary walls in your brain) gulping up energy in the form of sugar or glucose from the bloodstream, and converting it into an accessible form the neurons can soak up. This in-turn, becomes fuel for the neurons, which then produce neurotransmitters, which in turn leads to your thoughts about moving your baby toe, driving your car, twittering your tweets or whatever else you think of every second of the day, even while dreaming.  Pretty Impressive! You brain actually utilizes about 1.5 calories a minute, which if you add it up, it's using the lion's share of your daily caloric intake.  So make those calories count!

Here's a few super, brain-power foods, that you can incorporate into your daily diet.  Your brain will be thanking you, as well as all of your twitter followers. In fact, tweet them this list after reading! Enjoy.

Wild Salmon 

Wild salmon is rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which your body cannot make on its own and requires them form our diet to function properly.  Omega fats such as DHA in wild salmon have been determined as critical for proper development and brain functioning.  Salmon also cooks quickly, and requires little effort. If you're on the go, try canned or handy pouches of salmon, and try to get 2 servings a week.

Eggs

The incredible edible egg might not just be a catchy ad slogan. Whole eggs (yes, that means the yolk too for all of you that have been sold down river on the "egg-whites only" craze of the 90's.) are loaded with nutrients such as vitamin E, omega-3's, and B vitamins which have shown anti-inflammatory properties and aid in brain cell development. You have to eat the whole egg to get the benefits and if you're eating properly and exercising, your body will use the cholesterol in the eggs wisely. You do in fact NEED some cholesterol and your body will manufacture and take what it needs from foods such as eggs. As always, organic eggs only please.

Raw Walnuts

Walnut are very high in the omega-3 fatty acid ALA (alpha-linolenic acid) and have come out swinging as a superfood not only for brain functioning but also for your cardiovascular system. If you look at a walnut, it kind of resembles a small brain with its bumpy features and dual lobes before you halve them. In addition, walnuts contain an antioxidant compound called ellagic acid that supports the immune system and appears to have several anticancer properties as well as containing relatively high levels of l-arginine, an essential amino acid, which may be of special importance when it comes to hypertension. Just a handful a day will do the trick. No need to get "nutty" with them. Haha.

Blueberries

As I recently reported on the powerful nature of the little gem, the blueberry, It turns out that it's great for the noodle as well! Anti-oxidant loaded, low-calorie, fresh, frozen, blended, however you choose them do just that, CHOOSE them!  

Spinach

Pop-eye knew it back when cartoons hadn't yet seen the paintbrush. Spinach is not only full of anti-oxidants which help the brain, it also is loaded with fiber, vitamin K, vitamin A, carotenoids ,flavonoids, and i could go on. It is truly the treasure of the greens family and of food in general.  In fact in a recent study, researchers found that feeding aging laboratory animals spinach-rich diets significantly improved both their learning capacity and motor skills. Eat it as often as possible, daily is great idea! 

Green Tea

Having made a splash a few years back, green tea has become an incredibly popular beverage these days, and for good reason. Green tea is loaded with anti-oxidants and phyto-nutrients providing the brain with an edge and extra focus. The minimal amount if caffeine in green tea, also has shown to stimulate activity in the brain, blocking proteins that are thought to cause Alzheimer's.  An ancient Chinese saying says: Better to be deprived of food for three days than tea for one.