 |
Brain Foods Make You Think Differently for Back-to-school
Students might start thinking a little differently, once they learn about brain foods, and how they can help their concentration and make their school work easier. The most important meal of the day is breakfast. Kids who eat breakfast consistently do better on tests. Getting better grades is important, but making time to eat breakfast is tough. "If you don't have time for a sit down breakfast, grab a handful of walnuts, a whole grain breakfast bar, yogurt, or some peanut butter stuffed inside a whole wheat pita," advises Dave Grotto, a registered dietician, nutrition expert and director of nutrition educational services at Block Center for Integrated Cancer Care & Optimal Health. "Stay away from the high sugar/caffeine foods like doughnuts, soda and coffee," explained Grotto. "Eating those foods can provide immediate fuel (glucose) to the brain, but it's a very short-term fix. As your glucose level falls, concentration becomes difficult and you end up feeling tired and ready for a nap. Try making a fruit smoothie the night before so you can grab it in the morning and guzzle it on the way to school," suggests Grotto, who recently coached contestants auditioning for 'Who Wants to be a Millionaire' about specific brain foods that are optimal for concentration, and those that will slow a person down. "Use fresh fruit like blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, red grapes, and pomegranates ? all high in antioxidants, which research shows enhances cognitive function, recall and memory. Add some yogurt, mix in two tablespoons of peanut butter, for a supercharged brain smoothie. This tasty concoction will zap the brain into an A+ charged state of concentration that will last for hours." One of the best brain boosters is the dependable egg. Eggs contain protein and choline. Choline is one of the B vitamins that participates in many biological processes, and is especially important for healthy brain, cardiovascular, and liver function. Check the label for the type of eggs that are rich in Omega 3 fatty acids, which are also naturally lower in cholesterol. Omega 3 fats contain DHA, an essential fat needed for brain development and for reducing harmful brain plaques. Students who chow down on burgers, fries, chicken nuggets or pizza at lunch, will get a quick blood sugar surge, accompanied by that all too familiar crash, most likely just as it's time to walk into their next class. Studies have shown that consuming a high fat diet can impair learning skills as well as memory. Instead, try a grilled chicken sandwich on a whole grain bun, or grilled tuna or salmon burgers on whole wheat bread. Lean proteins with whole grains, along with some healthy fats, will help students sustain energy and maximize their potential throughout their school day. Like gasoline in a car, students need to fuel themselves in moderation throughout the day. "If hunger pangs hit in mid-morning, mid-afternoon, or as soon as you come home from school, avoid snacking on candy bars, soda and potato chips," says Grotto. "These foods can raise cholesterol levels, contribute to weight gain and obesity, and an increased risk of diabetes. Instead, choose brain food snacks like almonds, walnuts, sunflower seeds, whole grain cereal bars, peanut butter and fruit juice-sweetened jelly on whole grain bread. Instead of soda, mix non-sweetened grape juice with green tea. Green tea has the same healthful antioxidants as red grapes and berries. If you need a chocolate fix, the news is good. A small bar of dark chocolate - rich in antioxidants, is fine. Or. some dark chocolate chips with some healthy nuts ? good for you and tastes great!" Students need to keep their levels of concentration up to absorb all the information teachers are feeding to the brain. At night brain power needs to be maintained to handle homework and studying, to say nothing about extracurricular activities and a busy social life. "Feeding your brain the foods it needs, will help you think in a new way about what you eat," concluded Grotto. The Block Center for Integrative Cancer Care and Optimal Health was founded in 1980 by Penny and Keith Block, M.D. with a focus on treating the patient as a whole person, not treating just the diagnosis or symptoms. The Center's research-based treatment integrates an innovative approach to the best of conventional medicine with scientifically sound complementary therapies -- therapeutic nutrition, botanical and phytonutrient supplementation, prescriptive exercise, and systematic mind-body strategies -- to enhance the recovery process. Block has pioneered this "middle ground" approach to cancer care and optimal health - designing a total treatment plan that is tailored to the precise needs of each patient, using a unique set of clinical and laboratory assessments. The Block Center is breaking new ground with the creation and development of Cancer Rehab as an innovative treatment modality, and currently is the only private North American medical center using chrono-modulated chemotherapy. While the Block Center is a full treatment clinic, it is involved in collaborative research with M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas as a Community Clinical Oncology Program (CCOP) and is also engaged in clinical cancer research with other university facilities in the United States and Israel. Betty Hoeffner, is a freelance writer who writes articles on a number of subject matters.
MORE RESOURCES:
|
Barbara Quinn: Nutrition for your pregnant daughterMonterey County HeraldAnd now that I'm pregnant, I have your nutrition advice on speed dial." (Whatever that means.) Poor thing. Her first three months of pregnancy were rough. Nothing stayed down and it wasn't so pleasant when it came back up. Lots of friends offered their ...and more » |
|
There's an app for nutrition, fitness and moreYork Daily RecordBy RAYNA COOPER I replied to my co-worker's suggestion to write about mobile apps for tracking nutrition and fitness on smart phones and other devices with skepticism -- would readers be interested? As the months passed, I got my own device.and more » |
|
Liquid Nutrition Announces Major Franchise Deal in QuebecEON: Enhanced Online News (press release)TORONTO--(EON: Enhanced Online News)--Liquid Nutrition Group Inc. (“Liquid Nutrition” or “Company”) (TSX-V: LQD.V and LQD.WT) announced today a major franchise deal in Quebec which will more than double the number of Liquid Nutrition stores in the ...and more » |
Google News
|
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
The Anti-Aging Wonders of Hyaluronic Acid
ABC News has recently focused on the possible anti-aging benefits of hyaluronic acid, also known as Hyaluron or HA. In a story entitled, "The Village of Long Life: Could Hyaluronic Acid Be an Anti-Aging Remedy?", the focus was on a villiage in Japan named Yuzuri Hara where people usually live a long time and often have perfect skin into their 80's or even into their 90's.
Finding Your Reason Why to be Healthy
The most incredible thing you can do for yourself is have a big enough reason why that will totally light up your life and will remind yourself of that reason every single day. We are going to go through a process to help you create your reasons why to make it almost impossible not to be healthy.
A Consumers Guide to Soy Terms
Although you may have heard about soy and all of its health benefits, you may not have figured out how to incorporate it into your diet, yet. There are so many products available; figuring out exactly what they are may seem overwhelming.
Free List of Fat Burning Foods
This free list of fat burning foods will help you make the right choices to burn off more fat than you ingest by eating them. The fat burning secret to losing weight is to eat and drink until you are full and satisfied, choosing foods that burn more calories than you consume.
Buying Organic Produce: 6 Tips on How to Shop Wisely and Save Money
Some say they don't or can't buy organic foods due to higher cost and less availability. Here are a few ways to make organics more affordable and easier to purchase for your family.
Aspartame -More Dangerous Than High Fructose Corn Syrup
It's really hard to believe that something could be worse than
the intense sugar loads from high fructose corn syrup and sucrose. But, Aspartame ( Equal, Nutrasweet, Equal Measure, Spoonful, Canderal) is even more dangerous to your health.
Nutrient Requirements of Women in Sport
Female and male athletes respond to training in a fairly comparable way. As volume and intensity of training increases, so does aerobic capacity and hence performance.
A Home Water Filter - Do We Need To Filter Our Drinking Water?
Do we really need a home water filter? Can't we just assume the water that flows from our kitchen and bathroom tap is sufficiently treated for contaminants by our municipal water facility? In order to answer these questions, we need to obtain a little more background information.Next to air, water is the most important element for our survival.
Dieting -- The Basic of Meal Planning
BASIC MEAL & MENU PLANNINGAs a basis for meals and menu planning, refer to the pyramid information mentioned earlier to make sure you have the basic food requirements met for all family members. Then cross check and plan by looking over basic food categories to target healthy foods to fit the lifestyles and health of everyone.
Chocolate Is Good For You!
Great news on the chocolate front! Chocolate is good for you. Under certain circumstances.
Calcium Absorption and Information
Ionized minerals, colloidal minerals, chelated minerals . .
Let Your Freezer Be Your Ally!
Most recipes end with instructions to "serve immediately." You could conceivably serve any one immediately but how about putting meals in the deep freeze for prosperity.
Train Your Self To Eat Healthy
For some people it is really hard to give up the junk food and sweets and eat a better, more nutritious diet. So let's use the example of eating the 5 to 9 fruits and vegetables we need daily.
Health and Nutrition
The Health and Nutrition Industry has come about as peoples awareness of the damage they have done to their bodies over the years becomes more apparent, both physically and through scientific evidence. Whats more they want to do something about-now!!I know, I've been there and as a Baby Boomer we, in our millions around the globe, are doing what we can to turn our health around for the better.
The Versatility of Actinase Protein Complex
The ingredients list found on the back or side panel of every commercially available food product - with few exceptions - serves as the consumer's best starting point for understanding the real contents of each product. It discloses the ingredients that make up the product, sorted in order from most abundant to least abundant.
A Look at Lactose Intolerance
Lactose is the primary carbohydrate in milk. Cow's milk
contains 4-5% lactose, whereas human milk contains
almost twice that amount.
True Health - Following Your Inner Knowing
Your Non-Conscious Mind is 98% of your full power. Over the last couple lessons we taught you how to use your conscious mind to actively create the directions for your non-conscious mind to follow.
The Great Influence Of Vitamin B to the Nervous System
In order for a person to actually have a healthy well-being, one must always remember to have an adequate daily intake of the prescribed vitamins, minerals and other nutrients that your body needs in order for it to stay healthy and fit.Unfortunately, due to stress and the increasingly fast-paced environment that we're often subjected to, it's quite easy to neglect one's body, most importantly one's health.
Healthy Eating Myths Shattered
Salt does Not Cause High Blood Pressure. Some things you need to know first to fully understand blood pressure, as well as helping you to understand about many other things in your body: The difference between average and normal.
How to Stop Bad Breath In 4 Refreshing Steps
OK, no more excuses. Here's how to stop making everyone laugh behind your back after getting a whiff of your noxious breath.
|
