So my boys are always asking why am I so obsessed with healthy food. They usually ask in a rhetorical, pre-teen "why are you such a pain of a mother?" type of a way. And really, they are not looking for an answer as they do know and genuinely appreciate what a gift they are receiving. Max often remarks gleefully that he's smarter because his diet is optimal. And according to the science, he's correct ..
So in a series of blogs I will try and explain why food is so important to us and why for our kids especially, eating a wholefood diet is the "right" thing to do.
Our brain thrives - and actually GROWS - using a complex cocktail of nutrients. For example zinc is responsible for over 300 chemical reactions in the brain. Magnesium signals the brain to grow more, connect more. Omega 3 fats are key building blocks for every single cell in the brain and these cells will only perform optimally with an adequate supply.
Unfortunately, our diet over the last century has become more and more nutrient devoid and we are not feeding our brains. This has implications not just for intellect but also affects our moods, our memory and our general well being. Put like this don't you just want to rush out and feed your brain "properly"? If so you may be lonely. Over 70% of US citizens do not get enough zinc, 60% are not getting the RDA for magnesium and Omega 3's intake is woefully low. And of course it's not just the US. Researchers have estimated that global IQ would go up 13 points if everyone ate adequate amounts of iron. Seriously, we'd get that much smarter?!!?
The brain is also HUNGRY. It's 2% of your body weight and consumes 20% of your calories. And more importantly if we feed it correctly it actually grows. As in generates more functioning cells. But it truly does need the right foods for this. Nutrient dense, minimally processed whole foods. It's picky and the wrong foods just don't fertilise it properly. In fact it doesn't function well at all.
And as if being smarter is not enough, the figures show that those eating traditional diets like the Japanese, Mediterranean etc. are 30-40% less likely to be depressed.
OK that's me off the soapbox for the day, but I will leave you with a parting thought.
Brainpower is in your hands.
Has this given you food for thought?
So in a series of blogs I will try and explain why food is so important to us and why for our kids especially, eating a wholefood diet is the "right" thing to do.
Our brain thrives - and actually GROWS - using a complex cocktail of nutrients. For example zinc is responsible for over 300 chemical reactions in the brain. Magnesium signals the brain to grow more, connect more. Omega 3 fats are key building blocks for every single cell in the brain and these cells will only perform optimally with an adequate supply.
Unfortunately, our diet over the last century has become more and more nutrient devoid and we are not feeding our brains. This has implications not just for intellect but also affects our moods, our memory and our general well being. Put like this don't you just want to rush out and feed your brain "properly"? If so you may be lonely. Over 70% of US citizens do not get enough zinc, 60% are not getting the RDA for magnesium and Omega 3's intake is woefully low. And of course it's not just the US. Researchers have estimated that global IQ would go up 13 points if everyone ate adequate amounts of iron. Seriously, we'd get that much smarter?!!?
The brain is also HUNGRY. It's 2% of your body weight and consumes 20% of your calories. And more importantly if we feed it correctly it actually grows. As in generates more functioning cells. But it truly does need the right foods for this. Nutrient dense, minimally processed whole foods. It's picky and the wrong foods just don't fertilise it properly. In fact it doesn't function well at all.
And as if being smarter is not enough, the figures show that those eating traditional diets like the Japanese, Mediterranean etc. are 30-40% less likely to be depressed.
OK that's me off the soapbox for the day, but I will leave you with a parting thought.
Brainpower is in your hands.
Has this given you food for thought?
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