A little brain food and you're smarter and able to concentrate better in no time? That would be nice, but unfortunately it's not that easy. However, there are certain foods that have been proven to have a positive effect on brain development and everyday performance. Especially in today's performance-driven society, everyone is looking for ways to escape the afternoon slump, get through everyday life fitter and maintain their energy levels. We'll tell you what brain food really means and what's ultimately important when it comes to the right diet.
What is brain food?
The trendy term "brain food" basically means nothing other than food for the brain. Brain food refers to foods that have a positive effect on brain function and performance. Ingredients in brain food, such as important nutrients, vitamins and minerals, support our brain in dealing with daily challenges. Because only if the brain is adequately supplied with the right nutrition can we perform well in the long term.
Why is brain food so important for us?
In many ways, humans fare quite poorly compared to other living creatures. They are neither particularly fast nor particularly strong. In no area of physical abilities are humans superior to animals. But one organ makes the crucial difference: the human brain. Our brain can be considered our strongest muscle. But only if we use and train it correctly. For that to work, we need to give it what it needs, and do so regularly. Our brain is a real workaholic and works nonstop, consuming a lot of energy in the process. Although the brain only makes up about two to three percent of our total body weight, it is responsible for around 20 to 25 percent of energy consumption.
The optimal condition for our brain
You can imagine our brain as a plant that we have to look after. A variety of factors are important for it to bloom in full: water, nutrients and carbon dioxide from the air. If just one factor is missing, the plant will die. So we can see that a healthy balance is essential. The same applies to our brain - only that instead of carbon dioxide, we take in oxygen so that blood can be transported to the brain. Exciting, isn't it? Brain research is therefore looking into the question of the optimal nutrition for our brain and has so far been able to determine a number of things that we want to share with you here.
The most important brain drink
The most important substance for consistent performance is water . Brain food, or rather the number one brain drink, is the basic prerequisite for performance. This can be explained as follows: Our blood is made up of 90 percent water and is pumped by the heart through all parts of our body. If the body lacks water, the blood becomes thicker and flows more slowly. It therefore takes significantly longer for nutrients and oxygen to reach the brain. The transport function is therefore slower and our brain's performance decreases. Even a small loss of water is noticeable. It is therefore recommended to drink around two liters of water a day to optimally supply the brain.
Food for the Brain
Since we generally don't just eat liquid food, we now want to know what to look out for in a proper diet! Here, too, it quickly becomes clear that fluid intake plays an important role. When it comes to water, fruit and vegetables are at the forefront: they not only contain a large amount of water, but also numerous vital ingredients. A colorful mix of fruit and vegetables contains all the important vitamins, micronutrients and trace elements. Proteins are at least as important. Proteins are not only important for building muscles, hormones and enzymes, they are also an essential component of our brain cells. Eating high-quality fats is just as important. This lays the foundation for proper nutrition and better brain performance. However, some foods are specifically called brain food and score particularly well because they contain an above-average amount of nutrients. These include blueberries, nuts, turmeric and the exotic coconut.
Superfoods at I·DO
These superfoods can also be found in some of our I·DO juices. Walnuts, for example, can be found in our I·DO essence, a fermented vitamin concentrate to support the immune system. The yellow wonder tuber turmeric has found its way into several products thanks to its many positive properties: the 3 liter BiB ginger turmeric shots and Boost & Protect ginger shots with turmeric and pineapple.
Other factors
So far we have taken a look at the nutritional factors. But factors such as stress, lack of sleep and environmental factors also affect our brain. Stress is an absolutely exceptional situation for our body and impairs our brain function. In the short term it can lead to a performance boost, but in the long term stress has a negative effect on the body and brain. Since stress is considered the greatest health risk of the 21st century, we should learn how to best deal with stress and find more serenity in everyday life. In order to make the best use of sleep for regeneration, we have put together some sleep hygiene tips that can help you improve the quality of your sleep.
knowledge to take away
Our brain is a complex organ, and a wide range of factors influence its performance. The right diet provides a good supply of all the important substances to keep our brain running at full speed. The brain works nonstop and therefore needs to be constantly supplied with the right nutrients. A balanced diet can prevent lows, difficulty concentrating and tiredness, and can also be really tasty. So, as always, make sure you eat a healthy and balanced diet in combination with the right lifestyle of stress management and enough sleep.
