THE spartan shops
FOOD & NUTRITION BLOG
I’m not very good at remembering names. In fact, you may introduce yourself to me and two seconds later, I’ll forget it. If your name is particularly complicated... let’s just be real here, there’s maybe a 0.01% chance I’ll remember it. My memory now, compared to when I was in high school and even middle school, is in pretty bad shape. Back then, my brain was like a sponge and I could memorize blocks of text and know the exact placement of words or diagrams on a page. Now, no matter how hard I try to memorize something, it just doesn’t seem to want to stick. So, how can we, as students, face the daunting task of memorizing and applying information for our exams (especially if you’re like me and can’t even remember names)? The good news is that with a proper diet and lifestyle you can improve your memory and start firing some more neurons in your brain (just in time for our upcoming finals!) Other than getting a proper night’s sleep and exercise, certain foods in your diet may help improve your memory, although there is limited evidence to suggest a direct relationship between any one food and boosting memory. What we do know is that diets higher in unhealthy fats may be detrimental to your brain. Harvard Health talks at length about how diets high in saturated and trans fat can, over time, create plaques in the brain which limit the amount of oxygen-rich blood our brain needs to function. These plaques are characteristic of patients with Alzheimer’s disease. If we move along this train of thought, the solution would therefore be to decrease the amount of unhealthy fats and increase healthy fats like monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. The Mediterranean diet is our model diet for heart health, particularly because it has a good amount of healthy fats. In fact, new evidence is finding that diets good for the heart may also be beneficial to our brains. The Mediterranean diet emphasizes the following types of foods:
The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics also highlights some foods that may boost memory including:
Seafood, algae, and supplements are also good sources of DHA if you’re not a fish fan.
Try eating more of these foods next time you’re at the DC or pick up some healthy snacks at our various locations on campus!
Stay healthy and happy! It’s almost the home stretch!! Sources http://www.eatright.org/resource/health/wellness/healthy-aging/memory-boosting-foods http://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/boost-your-memory-by-eating-right Image Source (from top to bottom) http://2012books.lardbucket.org/books/success-in-college/section_09/c40e0dadaea097739730da5636f48c29.jpg http://www.capitalotc.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Mediterranean-Diet-Has-Anti-Aging-Effect.jpg http://fertilomat.com/web/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/eating-pregnancy-conceiving-minerals-vitamins.jpg http://www.gmtoday.com/content/m_magazine/2013/June/images/40berries.jpg http://www.theculinaryexchange.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/baked-salmon.jpg http://www.nuthealth.org/assets/Uploads/walnutshome.jpg
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November 2015
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