1. Make a Salad. Green, leafy vegetables such as kale, spinach, collards, and broccoli are rich in brain-healthy nutrients like vitamin K, lutein, folate, and beta carotene. Incorporating these plant-based foods into your daily meals is essential for fighting against cognitive decline.
To mix things up, and enjoy some sunshine, try shopping at your local farmer's market. Diversifying your dishes with mustard greens, pepper-y arugula, or whatever lettuce variety is currently in season is a fun way to get creative in the kitchen.
2. Sear Salmon in Olive Oil. Fatty fish are full of omega-3 fatty acids. These healthy fats are essential for helping to lower the levels of beta-amyloid—the protein which causes Alzheimer’s— in the brain. By searing fish in olive oil, a monounsaturated fat, you’re getting even more of the healthy fats that your brain craves.
Take it a step further and carve up some slices of avocado on the side of fish—avocado is another terrific source of omega-3.
3. Legumes. Packed with vitamin B, beans, lentils, and soybeans and great for your brain. Toss them in a salad, make a soup, or add some tofu to your meal to reap the benefits of the beans.
4. Berries for dessert. Why not get your sweet fix and your flavonoids all at once? A study done by researchers at Harvard's Brigham and Women's Hospital found that women who consumed two or more servings of strawberries and blueberries each week delayed memory decline by up to two and a half years.
Add a side of walnuts, with the berries, or just a handful in between meals, for an added dose of alpha-linolenic acid, a plant-based omega-3 fatty acid.
5. Red Wine. Don’t go wild and drink the whole bottle, but research shows that small doses of red wine could be beneficial for the brain. Resveratrol, a potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compound, found in red wine shows promise in protecting brain cells from damage.
Indulging every now and then is good for you. Have a glass, and cheers to your health.
