FOODS THAT FEED YOUR BRAIN

During exams, many parents give various medicines to their kids that claim to increase their learning power. Let's look at some of the natural brain and mood enhancers.

It's a known fact that the most important meal of the day is your breakfast. Breakfast eaters are likely to achieve higher grades, pay closer attention, participate more in class discussions, and solve more complex academic problems than breakfast skippers.

1. Consume more complex carbohydrates. Carbohydrates provide energy and as the brain uses around a fifth of the body's energy requirements, they are very essential for proper mental functioning.

->Complex carbohydrates take longer to digest, so they release their energy gradually, providing ongoing energy and stamina.

->Foods with the best brain carbohydrates include: Fruits, cereals and grains, vegetables and legumes, oatmeal, bran, spaghetti, rice and dairy products.

->Minimize the intake of simple carbohydrates. These are digested quickly and cause too much sugar to be released into the bloodstream. This is countered by the release of insulin. The brain is thus alternately flooded and starved of essential glucose, which may lead to dizziness, anxiety, headaches, thirst, mental confusion and sleepiness.

2. Encourage grazing. Children's behavior often deteriorates three to four hours after a meal. To smooth out the blood-sugar mood swings, let your child nibble on nutritious foods throughout the day. Pack these snacks for school and carry with you when you are away from home.

3. Perk up your proteins. Proteins in the diet affect brain performance because they provide the amino acids from which neurotransmitters are made. These are biochemical messengers that carry signals from one brain cell to another.

High protein, low carbohydrate foods that are likely to jumpstart the brain are seafood, soy, meat, eggs, and dairy.

4. Feed your brain the right fats. Both growing and aging brains need nutritious fats. The best source for the right kind of fats is fish. Because of the fatty acids they contain, fish is known as the best kind of brain food.

5. Consider vitamin supplements. Here are some of the vitamins which have been shown to affect behaviour and learning:

->Vitamin C is required by the brain to make neurotransmitters. In fact, the brain has a special vitamin C "pump" that draws extra vitamin C out of the blood and concentrates it in the brain. Sources of Vitamin C include tomato, orange, sweet lime, amla and sprouted pulses.

->Vitamin B12 is vital for maintaining healthy brain tissue.

->Vitamin B6 deficiency causes hyper-irritability and fatigue.

Flesh foods (non-veg) are good sources of Vitamin B.

Folic acid deficiency affects neurotransmitter functioning, resulting in symptoms associated with depression.

6. Insure enough iron. The symptoms of iron deficiency include irritability and diminished mental alertness. Iron rich foods include greens, jaggery, dates, egg yolk etc