I have a collection devoted to brain health, which is a summary of my notes from reading The End of Mental Illness by Dr. Daniel Amen. In Chapter 18, Dr. Amen discusses his recommendations for the best foods for optimum brain health.

Bright Minds Rule #1 - Only love foods that love you back.

This rule is more about what to stay away from, which he calls the REAL weapons of mass destruction:

• highly processed
• pesticide sprayed
• high-glycemic (spikes blood sugar)
• low-fiber
• food-like substances
• artificially colored and sweetened
• laden with hormones
• tainted with antibiotics
• stored in plastic containers

Bright Minds Rule #2 - Go for the highest-quality calories you can find and not too many if you need to lose weight.

Bright Minds Rule #3 - Hydrate, but do not drink your calories.

Your brain is comprised of 80 percent water, and being even mildly dehydrated can negatively impact your moods–making you feel more anxious, tense, depressed, or angry–in addition to sapping your energy levels and lowering your ability to concentrate.  Being dehydrated by just 2 percent impairs performance in tasks that require attention, immediate memory skills, and physical performance. 

Drink water, plain sparkling water, water flavored with slices of fruits, water with flavored stevia, coconut water, herbal tea, green tea, and black tea.

Bright Minds Rule #4 - Eat high-quality protein at every meal to balance blood sugar and keep cravings away.

Recommended proteins:

fish

lamb

turkey

chicken

beef

pork

beans/legumes

raw nuts

high-protein veggies such as broccoli and spinach

Bright Minds Rule #5 - Eat and cook with high-quality fat.

Of the solid weight of your brain, 60 percent is fat. Low-fat diets are not good for your brain.

Healthiest fats:

avocados

cocoa butter

coconut

grass-fed beef, bison, and lamb

nuts (walnuts are associated with less depression)

olives

organic free-range poultry

seafood - anchovies, arctic char, catfish, herring, king crab, mackerel, wild salmon, sardines, sea bass, snapper, sole, trout, tuna, clams, mussels, oysters, and scallops

Seeds

Healthiest oils:

avocado oil

coconut oil

flax oil

macadamia nut oil

olive oil

sesame oil

walnut oil

To be continued…