5 Superfoods That Boost Brain Power

Your gut being your second brain isn’t just a charming way to explain your hangry ways. It’s an actuality. Our gut and brain remain in constant communication through the vagus nerve.

The vagus nerve hangs from our brainstem and acts as a gauge of what’s going on down below. Everything you eat influences how you feel, behave and perform. Here are the top brain-boosting foods for your everyday life!

Avocados

Unless you’re intermittent fasting, breakfast truly is the most important meal of the day. Your stomach is starting off with a clean slate. That’s a prime time to give your mind the energy it needs with brain-boosting foods.

Avocados are an excellent source of monounsaturated fatty acids. A study in the Journal of Neurochemistry found that eleven months of a diet high in monounsaturated fats improved cognitive decline and enhanced the ability to learn new subjects.

Starting your day off with avocado is a great choice because they mostly have long-chain fatty acids. Not only will you feel fuller longer, but you’ll have more time to burn these fats off. 

Spread your avocados over sprouted whole grain bread for the ultimate brain-boosting breakfast. Sprouted grains have less starch to break down than regular whole grains. Your body’s already doing a lot of work breaking down long-chain fatty acids in the avocado. Plus, the whole grains serve as food for your healthy stomach bacteria, which makes your vagus nerve happy.

Berries

Ever turn to a sugar rush for some natural energy? Instead of a candy bar, go for nature’s candy. Grab a handful of berries! They’re a healthy source of simple sugars that are easier for your body to burn through for a burst of energy.

Berries are also rich in antioxidants that help fight off free radicals that might damage brain tissue. Free radicals can potentially disrupt communication between brain cells. So, eating berries helps keep the flow of information running smoothly.

Plus, your gut bacteria like to eat the skins of berries. These fibers improve your presence of probiotic bacteria, which pleases your vagus nerve.

Up the probiotic intake by mixing your berries with yogurt or kefir. Eat a berry salad while consuming some kombucha. Try fermenting your berry harvest. There are many ways to enhance the brain-boosting benefits of fruit!

Dark Greens

We all know salads are healthy options. Now, consider ditching the nutrient-deficient iceberg lettuce and mix in some dark greens.

There’s a reason why Popeye could take on the world after some spinach. Greens get you going!

Dak greens contain many nutrients essential to brain health, including: 

• Vitamin K - Regulates Calcium Deposits in the Brain
• Lutein - Improves Visual Recall
• Folate - Influences Mood
• Beta-Carotene - A Carotenoid that Prevents Cognitive Decline

Don’t just stick with one type of leafy green. Each has its own nutrition profile that will provide you with additional antioxidants and nutrients the other might be missing. 

There’s more to leafy greens than raiding the salad bar. Opt for a collard green wrap instead of a tortilla. Try adding spinach to your next smoothie. Dress up some kale and make kale chips.

Walnuts

Ever notice that the inside of a walnut looks like your brain? Walnuts are an ultimate source of brainpower. These snack choices have the most polyphenolic acids (polyphenols) of any nut! 

Research shows that polyphenols protect the brain in many ways. For one, they help fight off neurotoxins that can promote disease. They also fight off inflammation that can destroy healthy brain cells.

Not a huge fan of snacking on walnuts? Use these healthy nuts or other things. Smash them into tiny pieces to make breadcrumbs for your next parm. Soak walnuts to make plant milk. Grind them a nut flour. There’s plenty of ways to go nuts over walnuts.

Fish

Perhaps no food is more associated with brain health than fish. Oily fish are rich in omega-3 fatty acids.  

Omega-3 fatty acids help balance out the elevated amount of omega-6 fatty acids typically present in the Western Diet. That’s huge for brain health. Research shows there is a strong correlation between too many omega-6s and depression.

Some of the best fish for improving your brain function include:

• Salmon
• Krill
• Anchovies
• Halibut
• Swordfish
• Sardines

Try to get wild-caught whenever possible. Factory farmed fish are at a higher risk of containing too much mercury. Mercury is a potent neurotoxin. Therefore, factory farm fish might unravel some of the brain-boosting progress you’ve been making.  

Eating fish every day can be bad for the breath (and a little expensive). So, you can get all the omega-3 benefits of eating fish and still have kissable lips with KO3 Krill Oil.

This pure Pure antarctic krill oil contains healthy fatty acids like carotenoids, DHA, EPA, phospholipids, and astaxanthin. It has everything you need for a healthy serving of fish without the expensive raw bar bill.