3 Nutrients to Help you Nourish your Brain

By Danielle Cockerill, CHN

Have you heard the term “brain foods”? I can say that it has been popping up all over my world. I started The Nourished Brain to help you optimize your mental well-being with delicious whole foods. And while we all know that fuelling our bodies with whole, nutrient-dense foods is good for our health, do we know what specific nutrients can nourish our brains? If you’re not feeling as confident in this area, fear not! This blog will get you started.

To help you begin (or simply add to) your brain nourishing journey, I want to share with you 3 key nutrients that I add to my shopping cart each week.

1.   ANTIOXIDANTS

Antioxidants have compounds that neutralize damaging free radicals in our brain and bodies. There are many things that can increase free radicals in the brain and promote neuroinflammation (1). Neuroinflammation then contributes to a variety of symptoms such as mood swings, anxious feelings, brain fog and decreased memory function. Antioxidants defend against this damage, lowering inflammation and therefore stabilizing moods, reducing anxiety, and giving you mental clarity.

Now I know you’re thinking “load me up on antioxidants!”

You can easily find antioxidants in all your colourful fruits and vegetables (and frozen is fine, too).  One of my favourite lines from a nutrition school textbook is “Eat the Colours of the Brainbow”. Adding a variety of colour to your plate ensures your brain and body is getting all the different antioxidant compounds from your food! 

Red foods like tomatoes, beets, strawberries, and cherries contain antioxidants that help improve memory and digestion (2). Oranges, peaches, and sweet potatoes contain compounds that can prevent brain cells from free radical damage (3). Substances in yellow foods like ginger, turmeric, pineapple and yellow peppers have been shown to help improve brain function (4). Nutrients in kale, spinach, and broccoli reduce oxidative stress improving brain and liver function while those in blue & purple foods like blackberries, blueberries and eggplant help oxygenate the blood. This helps improve circulation, boosting brain activity to help with brain fog and improving memory (5). Each compound does slightly different things, so that’s why I recommend eating the Brainbow!

Adding a variety of colour to your plate ensures your brain and body is getting all the different antioxidant compounds from your food! 

2.   OMEGA-3’s (or Omega-3 Fats)

Omega-3’s are an “Essential Fatty Acid” (EFA). They are dubbed essential because your body doesn’t make them on its own, meaning you need to get them from your diet!

There are 3 types of omega-3s:

1.   ALA (alpha-linoleic acid)

  • This type is found in plant-based sources like flaxseed & flax oil, chia seeds & chia seed oil, pumpkin seeds & pumpkin seed oil, as well as walnuts & walnut oil

2.   EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid)

  • Found in cold-water fatty fish like wild caught salmon, halibut, mackerel, cod, and trout.

3.   DHA (docosahexaenoic acid)

  • Also found in cold-water fatty fish & algae

Science today is showing that the two main omega-3s to nourish your brain with are EPA and DHA. Your brain is made up of 60% fat, with 25% of this fat being omega-3s EPA and DHA. Increasing your intake of EPA and DHA through food can reduce inflammation, depressive symptoms and anxiety while increasing your mood, working memory and cognitive function (6).

A note for my plant-based lovers: The human body is supposed to convert ALA into EPA & DHA, but the reality is that it is not very efficient at it. Up to 80% of us do not make this conversion. Therefore, if you’re eating a plant-based diet, you may need to investigate into some safe supplementation.

Science today is showing that the 2 main omega-3s to nourish your brain with are EPA and DHA

3.   Vitamin D

Known by many as the “sunshine vitamin”, it is made by our bodies when sunlight hits the skin & interacts with a form of cholesterol. Research has linked a deficiency in vitamin D to mood disorders, depressive symptoms, seasonal affective disorder (SAD), chronic pain, low immunity, and poor thyroid function (7; 8). Considering that over 32% of Canadians have lower than sufficient levels of vitamin D, I had to make sure this nutrient made it on this post (9).

Apart from practicing 20-30 minutes of safe sun exposure a day, you can get vitamin D from food sources including egg yolks; oily fish; and cremini, maitake, & shiitake mushrooms.

Over 32% of Canadians have lower than sufficient levels of vitamin D.

At The Nourished Brain, I teach my clients how to get these delicious nutrients affordably into their shopping carts - and provide the recipes to their exact preferences. I have total faith that you can get these nutritious foods on your plate – today! Why not try a spinach and mushroom omelette for breakfast? Have a chia pudding topped with berries and ground flaxseed for a snack, and a walnut crusted halibut with a side kale salad for dinner.

If you haven’t started yet, it is thyme for you to turnip the beet on your mental well-being.