8 Brain Foods That’ll Reenergise You This Winter

January 16, 2017
by Trisha Learn

    brain foods

    It’s Blue Monday which means it’s supposed to be the most depressing day of the year. How awful! Fortunately the foods you choose can have a big impact on mood and brain function. Here’s a list of foods you should try adding to your diet… we’re sure they’ll make you feel a lot better.

    Salmon & Flaxseed

    Oily fish like salmon are the best dietary sources of omega 3 fatty acids. These fats are a key mood-boosting ingredient that the body cannot produce itself.  Aim for at least 1 serving of oily fish per week or 1 tbsp of flax oil daily.

    Try our Zahtar Salmon with Fragrant Rice and Spinach.

    Watercress

    Watercress is a particularly rich source of folate. Folate is important to the production of the happy brain chemical, serotonin. Deficiencies in folate due to dietary insufficiency or (ahem!) excessive alcohol consumption can lead to symptoms of depression. So add these greens to boost your folate intake!

    Try our Sausage Puff with Homemade Red Onion Marmalade and Watercress Salad

    Red cabbage sauerkraut

    This fermented food can help promote the healthy microbes that reside in your digestive tract. This healthy bacteria produces neurochemicals that play a role in brain activity to change how you think and feel.

    Tyr our Balsamic Steak with Red Cabbage and Potato Wedges

    Nuts and seeds

    As you may already know, nuts and seeds are great sources of healthy fats. Sixty percent of the brain is made up of fat, so if healthy fats are lacking in the diet, it can have a big impact on mood and cognition. Nuts and seeds are also high in vitamin E and brain-strengthening minerals like magnesium which can help prevent cognitive decline.

    Try our Baked Risotto with Brazil Nut Pesto and Grilled Goat’s Cheese

    Eggs

    Our brain needs healthy protein for the amino acids that are used as building blocks for neurotransmitters. Eggs are a great source of amino acids as well as the phospholipid choline. Your brain uses choline to make acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter that may be important for maintaining memory. Try choose omega 3 enriched eggs for an extra brain boost! If you’re a beginner in the kitchen, here’s how to cook the perfect boiled eggs, to get you started.

    Try our Egg and Avocado Crackers.

    Dark chocolate

    Big surprise! Chocolate makes us happy! We definitely don’t need science to tell us this, but there is, in fact, science to back up why. Dark chocolate is rich in antioxidants and research has shown that these antioxidants may help reduce stress hormones like cortisol.

     

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