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It has been proven in many researches that on an average we use only 1/6th of our brain. At the chemical level, food is the brain’s primary link to its environment and to its evolution. What we eat affects the brain chemicals. This change in the brain chemistry than influences our mood, behavior, the thought processes and the emotional reactions. More we can find out about the food and brain connections, better dietary decisions we can make to enhance our brain performance. With the help of “brain training” and “brain exercises” and the combination of proper “brain food” and “brain nutrition”, we can dramatically improve a human brain to perform a lot better than any average human brain. Improved brain performance is not only good for adults but will help kids becoming smarter.

What’s in the brain?

About 2/3rd of human brain is full of fat. Its not just any fats but they are very specialized fats. One of the most common fatty acids is oleic acid, which is also the most abundant fatty acid in human milk and in our diet. Mono saturated oleic acid is the main component of olive oil as well as the oils from almonds, pecans, macadamias, peanuts, and avocados. These fats are composed in myelin which is the protective sheath that covers communicating neurons. The membranes of neurons are composed of a thin double-layer of fatty acid molecules, these layers allow oxygen, glucose (blood sugar), and the micro nutrients as their food to function.

Brain food

To build brain cells we need two essential fatty acids. Our body does not produce them, which means we have to get them from the foods that we eat.

• The first essential fatty acid we need is Alpha-linolenic acid (ALA). ALA is the foundation of the “omega-3″ family of fatty acids. Food sources of omega-3 include flax seeds, chia seeds, walnuts, sea vegetables, and green leafy vegetables.
• The second essential fatty acid we need is Linoleic acid (LA). LA is the foundation of the “omega-6″ family of fatty acids. Food sources of omega-6 include cold-pressed sunflower, safflower, corn, and sesame oils.

Since the time of birth, children’s brain keeps developing, consumption of information and knowledge is at a very high rate during the early years. During this period good “health and nutrition” and proper brain food will help them to develop brain power and brain health for the future. Three-quarters of a infant’s energy goes straight to the brain. DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) and AA (arachidonic acid) are both crucial to the optimal development of the brain and eyes. During pregnancy the mother supplies the developing fetus with these fatty acids, and she continues to provide this important brain food to her infant through breast milk. A study published by American Journal of Clinical Nutrition have found that ” DHA was the likely breast milk nutrient that provided the improved academic outcome experienced by breast-fed children. Mother’s milk is high in DHA, and children who receive adequate amounts of DHA were shown to have higher IQs, as well as better vision than children who didn’t get enough DHA.”

Consumption of fish during pregnancy may also be beneficial for your babies brain according to a research published in Lancet in February, 2007. But in most countries doctors prescribe to stay away from the seafood because of the presence of methyl mercury in the fish. At the same time fish also contains omega-3 fatty acids which are very essential to the baby’s brain development. Parental advice is play it safe and take omega 3 fatty acids in the form of pills. From the health food shops you can get high strength odorless fish oil, fish oil supplements or fish oil capsules.

We know now that our brain functions on the good fat. In modern world our brain is going through the biggest shock of its life time of centuries. Most of the junk food we consume is full of TFA (trans fatty acids). TFA’s are not natural, they are man made and instead of helping our brains TFA’s are damaging our brain cells. TFA’s are known to disrupt brain communications. Avoid eating junk food. Now we know what we eat affects our brain. Lets look at the fresh fruits and vegetables. Most of the fresh food and vegetables that we buy are not organic they are full of chemicals through fertilizers and pesticides. When these chemicals are digested in our body some of them do make their way to the human brain. This can cause chemical imbalance in our brain and cause several illnesses. We can not completely avoid them as the structure of the market place. Try to buy the organic fruit and vegetables and don’t forget to wash them because they do get sprayed with chemicals to keep them fresh from the farm to the supermarket. Deficiencies or excesses of certain vitamins or minerals can damage nerves in the brain, causing changes in memory, limiting problem-solving ability, and impairing brain function. Scientists have just begun to understand how changes in particular nutrients alter the brain and how these neural changes then affect intelligence, mood, and the way people act. Always consult with a health care professional before starting a diet or nutritional supplement program. Small changes in diet can have large effects on our health.

Brain training exercises

Just like we do physical exercises to keep our body’s fit, we need to do brain exercises to stimulate our brain and keep it fit. We can not physically message our brain but we can stimulate it with the mind exercises. There are many brain training software’s available in the market for kids as well as adults. Right brain exercises are known to increasing brain power, stimulate brain cells and help brain development. Listening and playing music, playing board and puzzle games are good ways to start kids brain activities.

Here are some online free brain game sites for adults as well as kids.

• Brain Gym

• Brain Metrix

• Braingle

• Sharp Brain

• Mini Clip

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