7/31/2019 Boost Your Brain Power

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KnowledgeLong-Term Memory

Working MemorySpeed of Processing K E Y

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yo r brain is a f el-g zzling engine,and to kee it frommis firing, o needto eat the samefoods that kee o rheart health . Theseincl de lean rotein,good fats, wholegrains, and lent ofantioxidant-rich andinflammation-fightingvegetables and fr its,sa s Dr. Doraiswam .What follows is the

erfect da of eatingfor o r brain.

B R EA K F

A S T

6 oz Wild AlAskAnsAlmon With

three-beAn sAlAd

Five-vegetAblecurry stir-Fry

With broWn rice

Eggs contain choline, an essential nutrient that helps brainunction; steel-cut oats are high in ber, which helps regulate

blood sugar.

Blueberries are high in epicatechin, which has been shown topromote bloodfow, improve mood, and hone ocus. The almondsprovide protein and ber.

Dark chocolate (at least 65 percent cocoa) is rich in favanols,antioxidants that may improve cognitive unction, and it containsa little ca eine, which may help concentration.

Salmon is laden with omega-3 atty acids, which appear topromote brain health. Beans are loaded with the ber you needto keep your blood sugar o the roller coaster.

Toss eggplant, onions, broccoli, and yellow and red peppers intoa wok to unlock the maximum variety o antioxidants. Sprinkleon turmeric or anti-infammatory protection.

Cherries are a good source o melatonin, a sleep-regulating hormone. Greek yogurt is packed with protein and tryptophan,an amino acid that relaxes your nervous system.

your BrAinS ABility to chAnge in reSPonSeto exPerience. more neuroPlASticity equAlSdenSer concentrAtionS o Some BrAin cellSAnd Stronger, ASter connectionS BetweenthoSe cellS, SAyS henriette vAn PrAAg, Ph.d.,o the nAtionAl inStitute on Aging.

44percenTage

INCREASE INPEOPLES TESTSCORES OF FLUIDINTELLIGENCE(WHICH INVOLVESPROBLEM SOLVING) AFTER THEY COM-PLETED 25-MINUTE WORKING-MEMORYDRILLS 5 TIMES PER WEEK FOR 4 WEEKS

I dont recommend any supplements or brain per ormance because theres no magic bullet yet, says Dr. Doraiswamy. But I dont stop people romtaking B vITAMINS (B6, B12, and niacin), because many peoples diets lack them. I also allow ACETyl -l-CARNITINE, an amino acid that shows goodneuroprotective e ects in animal models. (We like GNC Vitamin B-Complex and Vitamin World Acetyl-L-Carnitine.)

suppLemenTs

WATER Sipping waterevery 15 minutesthroughout the day maydeter eelings o atiguecaused by dehydration.

CoFFEE Ca eine mayprotect memory andimprove ocus. Limit yoursel to one cup 30minutes be ore you needto be at your peak, Dr.Doraiswamy says. Thee ect can last up to6 hours, but studies showthat higher dosages o ca eine ( our to ve cupso oe) may hinder cog-nitive per ormance.

GREEN TEA I you needan a ternoon pick-me-up,opt or green tea. It hasabout one-third theca eine o co ee, so it wont ry your circuits.

Beverages

Cognitive erformance in almost ever categor declines aftero r mid-20s (see Save yo r Brain). B t o ma be able to

make o r brain more resilient if o re constantl learning new,mentall com lex things, sa s Denise park, ph.D., codirector ofthe center for vital longevit at the universit of Texas at Dallas.

save your BraIn

NEuRoplASTICITy

S s: P. m a d a s a , m.d., p ss a d u s a a t A z sA P a ; ga S a , m.d., uclA a a t A z sP P a ; d s Pa , P .d., a a u s t as a da as

c a ( ) d s Pa a Pa a r -l z, A a r Ps .

eXercIse your InTeLLIgence Brain researchers name their top picks or techniques to grow your gray matter

tAking dAnce clASSeS meditAting And doing yogA

Power reAding 1 (See SAve your BrAin chArt ) leArning A muSicAl inStrument

Studying A oreign lAnguAge PlAying cheSS (And otherchAllenging BoArd gAmeS)

tAking college-level orAdvAnced courSeS

doing cognitive trAining gAmeS 2 (See SAve your BrAin chArt)

leArning A comPlex Skill, SuchAS woodworking or PAinting Juggling

2. NEuRoBICS n s a s sa s a a a sp f a

a a p as s a a s a s.

1. BooK SMART t a b a b s

a a a, a s a a

a j a b b.

S NA C K A

l u N C h

S NA C K B

D I N N E R

S N A C K C

DIET

S : P s na a A a S s

thiS Power ul AntioxidAnt iS ound in dArk chocolAte,BlueBerrieS, teA, And grAPeS. PreliminAry reSeArch ShowSthAt it mAy enhAnce your memory And Protect neuronS,SAyS ZAhoor A. ShAh, Ph.d., An ASSiStAnt Pro eSSor in thedePArtment o medicinAl And BiologicAl chemiStry At theuniverSity o toledo.

EpICATEChIN

3.ChAllENGES /