Superfoods for the brain

Meal planning is one thing, deliberately including superfoods in our diet is another. One can be an economical activity while the other one can be considered an investment to our physical body, with the hope that it may serve us well for the many years to come.

For those who would like to enhance their ability to memorize things, start by incorporating brain-boosting foods into your diet. They not only help us retain more information, they can also be powerful antidotes to being forgetful (which comes with age). Make your own trail mix by incorporating brain-friendly superfoods such as nuts, seeds and dark chocolate. Superfoods have been around for a long time, although the word ‘superfoods’ has only been coined in the last decade or so to make it distinctly different from the rest.

Fish, wholegrain foods, dark leafy vegetables, berries are but a few food items that we can prepare more often to ensure our brain power is sustained.

For this week’s column, I’d like to focus on other superfoods such as matcha, dark chocolate and nuts and seeds — these are supplements we can easily add in to our daily lives.

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Matcha. Considered a natural nootropic (brain booster), matcha can help your brain work better by improving memory, focus, and motivation.

It also makes your brain healthier by increasing blood flow and giving it more energy and oxygen.

Try substituting one coffee cup to matcha latte, for example, and work your way towards replacing it altogether. You will get the same effect due to the caffeine properties of both drinks. Your brain will thank you for it.

Dark chocolate. The darker the chocolate, the better it is for your brain.

Studies show that consuming dark chocolates or cocoa that are high in flavanol can help improve the brain’s blood flow.

We have very good local brands of dark chocolate to eat as a snack. You can also opt to use this when making desserts or breakfasts.

Tablea is a great local product that we can use for this purpose and one example is oats champorado. Simply cook your oats in boiling water and milk, add tablea and your preferred sweetener and you’re good to go.

Nuts and seeds. Bring a handful of these in a small bag for a quick brain food snack. For those who like to prepare beforehand, making granola out of your nuts and seeds is a nice alternative to ensure you’re in tip top shape when utilizing brain power.

Simply combine your choice of nuts and seeds – think pumpkin seeds, flax seeds, pecans, walnuts – with some dried berries here and there for variety. Then add your sweetener of choice (agave is a good plant-based option) and bake in the oven for a couple of minutes.

Once cooled, you can crumble and eat as is or add in your yoghurt, oats or you may slice just like your typical granola bars. You can also make your own trail mix with this and add your dark chocolate bars.

These are examples of how we can supplement our nutrition with brain-friendly foods.

Happy cooking!

***

The author may be reached at kaycalpolugtu@gmail.com or follow her at Instagram @kaycalpolugtu and @aplateofbahaykubo.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. visits the Unilever Factory in General Trias, Cavite on Friday, Sept. 22, 2023. PHOTO BY KJ ROSALES/PPA POOL

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