“To eat is a necessity, but to eat intelligently is an art.”

La Rochefoucauld

Good morning peeps, meditation done.

Quote for the day:

“To eat is a necessity, but to eat intelligently is an art.”

La Rochefoucauld

You have to eat be able to do anything in life.

Food provides the fuel for you to function, to move, to think, to grow and repair our body, basically if we don’t eat we die.

But to eat intelligently is an art, getting the right balance between quantity, quality and the combination of protein, carbohydrates, fats, minerals and vitamins, good carbs, bad carbs, good fats and bad fats, it’s not only an art it is a science.

Many people are on low carbohydrate diets, but your brain and your body needs the right amount and type of carbohydrates to function properly.

Steven Ross Pomeroy states in an article he wrote for Forbes called “Do Low Carbohydrate Diets Make You Dumber?”

“The brain is a charged biological machine. In an unseen electrical storm that would rival even the mightiest lightning display, 86 billion neurons fire — almost nonstop — to create the mosaic of thoughts, emotions, and mental images that we call the mind. The whole operation is an immense power suck, ravenously consuming roughly 250 to 300 calories each day, 20–25% of a human’s base energy expenditure.

As far as food goes, the brain is a fairly picky eater. Like a young candy-craving child, it prefers simple sugar molecules — glucose to be specific — and when the brain doesn’t get glucose, it gets crabby and distracted.

Since the body most easily creates glucose by metabolizing carbohydrates, it stands to reason that limiting carbohydrates could dampen cognitive function?”

The Brain and Spine Foundation give the following advice,

Foods and drink to boost your brain

There are some foods that seem to be particularly good for our brains. Eat them as part of a balanced diet, with regular meals. Always eat breakfast, as this will help your concentration and mental performance throughout the day.

Foods that are good for the brain include:

• Oily fish, such as salmon, herring and mackerel. These are an excellent source of omega-3, which your brain needs to stay healthy.
• Olive oil, which is a healthy source of fat in the diet and can help reduce cholesterol levels and blood pressure. Some studies have linked olive oil with a lower risk of ischaemic stroke, cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease.
• Berries and other deep coloured fruits and vegetables, such as strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, acai berries, spinach, beetroot and beans. These foods are high in antioxidants, which help guard against disease by protecting cells in the body and brain from damage.
• Foods containing ‘good fats’, like nuts, seeds and avocados. Foods containing polyunsaturated fatty acids (nuts, seeds, fish and leafy green vegetables) and monounsaturated fatty acids (olive oil, avocados, nuts) may reduce your risk of both depression and dementia.
• Dark chocolate in small amounts! It contains high levels of antioxidants, but is also high in sugar and fat. One small piece of dark chocolate per day is enough to get the antioxidant benefit.
• Green tea, which is another rich source of antioxidants.

Food and drink that is bad for the brain

There are also some foods, which are particularly bad for our brains:

• Salty foods like crisps, tinned soups and ready meals. We know that salt causes high blood pressure, which increases our risk of stroke. Government guidelines state that you should eat no more than 6 grams of salt per day.
• Sugary foods and drinks like sweets and cola. These may give us a temporary energy kick, but the energy is released so quickly that we soon “crash”, feeling low and lethargic. Too many sugary foods and drinks in the diet can also make us overweight, which increases our risk of health complications.
• Trans fats, which are often present in ready-made foods. Trans fats are particularly bad for us and may increase our risk of ischaemic stroke. They are also known as ‘hydrogenated fat’ or ‘hydrogenated oil’.

So hopefully now you can see a little bit clearer why,

“To eat is a necessity, but to eat intelligently is an art.”

Have a tremendous Tuesday peeps, I am off to have a hearty, arty breakfast

Breathe, Believe and Achieve

Be Happy, Healthy and Wise

Keep on Winning, Smiling and Living the Dream

Namaste

Steve Agyei

Founder of Beyond Lifestyle Secrets

Author of Celebrity Training Secrets