Eat yourself smart

New studies are confirming what many of us have long observed - there is a relationship between what we eat and how we think, act, and learn.

Our brains use 20 to 25 percent of the total energy we consume and the better you feed the brain, the better it works.

Nutrition affects the brain in three ways:

1. The brain is composed of trillions of nerve cells, called neurons which need proper nutrition to carry on their functions just like any other cell in the body.

2. From each neuron, tiny feelers called axons and dendrites reach out to connect with similar branches on other cells. The system looks a bit like a map, with many roadways connecting different cities. The feelers are “insulated” (a bit like an electrical wire) by a myelin sheath which speeds the transmission of electrical signals through the brain. Deficiencies of essential fatty acids and other nutrients that compose myelin can slow brain processes down.

3. Chemicals called neurotransmitters act like biological bridges to enable the transmission of signals across the gap between cells. They also affect mood, thoughts and actions. Some of the nutrients in the food we eat become part of the neurotransmitters that help us think. Neurotransmitters are probably the biological explanation for the food-mood connection.

Each one of these three parts of the brain needs specific nutrients to enable the whole circuit to function properly. If any of these areas are deficient in nutrients, the circuit, like a defective electrical wire, misfires.

Some foods perk up the brain while others put it to sleep.

Protein foods which contain the amino acid tryptophan tend to sedate the brain, Rich dietary sources of tryptophan are eggs, milk, bananas, dairy, sunflower seeds, a nd meat. Combining tryptophan-containing foods with carbohydrates will increase their sedative effect. The carbohydrates trigger the release of insulin which allows more tryptophan to get into the brain, encourages the production of the neurotransmitter serotonin so and sluggishness follows.

Protein foods containing the amino acid tyrosine wake up the brain. Tyrosine is found in seafood, turkey, tofu, legumes and tuna. So, a salad of legumes with tuna, tofu, or turkey would be the ideal lunch if you want to do something intellectual in the afternoon.

Even the order in which you eat your lunch can affect your afternoon performance. Eat the protein first, and you allow the amino acid, tyrosine, to wake up the brain. Then when you eat the carbohydrates, the tryptophan ushered into the brain by insulin will have less effect.

So, if you want to wake up the brain, eat a high protein lunch and eat the protein before the carbohydrates; if you want the brain to relax, eat a high carbohydrate lunch and eat the carbohydrates before the protein.

Folate-rich foods may be also be good for the brain. Foods rich in folate include fruits such as oranges and bananas, leafy green vegetables, some peas and beans, and liver.

According to data from the long-running study of aging, eating foods rich in folate - or even adding the B vitamin to the diet with supplements - appears to reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease.

And don’t forget that a high fat meal divertes blood from the brain to the stomach to help with digestion and so diminishes mental alertness.

All sounds too complicated? Well. Just try a smoothie with three basic ingredients and the fresh fruit flavouring of your choice and experience how to really give your brain an added zap when it needs one!

Mix plain yoghurt, a bit of flax oil, some tofu, a banana, freshly squeezed orange juice and some ice together in your blender.

Yogurt is relatively high in the amino acid tyrosine (a neurostimulant) so adding yogurt to other brain foods, such as flax oil (for brain-building fatty acids), soy foods (for protein and blood-sugar stabilization), and orange juice (for folate) and you have a blend of synergistic foods that will make your brain spark!