Omega 3 Rich Sources
Essential Fatty acids are omega 3 rich sources and essential to brain health. so many evidence based studies confirm this : Flax, pumpkin, chia, oily fish e.g salmon, sardines, mackerel and trout, nuts and seeds.
Seeding is good for optimising women for fertility and wellbeing needs- I do a lot of work around this area. Get in touch if this is something that you wish to know more about.
Include a healthy amount of protein in your diet every day is really essential for optimising outcomes in health and wellbeing
Protein contains the essential amino acid tryptophan, which our body uses to make serotonin. Protein does not need to be sourced from meat. It can also be found in other foods.
Tryptophan helps increase serotonin levels and is naturally found in well sourced chicken, turkey, walnuts, pork, beef, crab, kidney beans, black beans, spinach, halibut, some cheeses, milk and bananas. The most important benefit from more serotonin include: healthier and better quality sleep, and better moods, essential for every one during a stressful period.
Low serotonin levels have been strongly correlated to impaired cognitive performance – leading to brain fog, Anxiety, mood swings and linked to depression .
The ‘Sunshine’ Vitamin
Vitamin D, is commonly known the sunshine vitamin. This is produced in the skin on exposure to sunlight and vital for maintaining healthy bones, teeth, and muscles.
Vitamin D3 receptors found in the brain help to absorb this on a DNA level. Vitamin D is found naturally in egg yolks, oily fish (salmon, mackerel, herring and sardines), dairy products and and meat (liver and kidney). People of South Asian like me are mostly deficient and need to take a supplement. I think nutri advanced has a great liquid version which I take daily.
It’s important to care for your gut – emotionally stress is felt in our stomach
Your brain, gut and stomach ( which is your earth) are all connected . Fermented foods such as yogurt, keffir, miso and sauerkraut, Indian homemade pickles are packed with good bacteria. A quality supplement supportive to the natural balance of bacteria in the gut.
Foods can bring you down
- Cut back on caffeine and alcohol: these stimulants affect serotonin pathways to the brain and can lead to disruptive sleep and leave you feeling anxious and depressed.
- Eat less processed foods and denatured sugar as these have limited nutritional value and it is now evidenced well in studies to who how processed foods made with refined grains, fatty meat, fried foods and sweets, increase the risk of many known diseases including depression and rob our bodies of any minerals.
- Most people do not eat properly and it’s never a surprise when people come to see me and think there diet is good – they leave understanding how it was not and the importance of making adaptations for long term health and wellbeing.
Supplement suggestions : are classified as adaptogens, meaning that they can help your body manage stress and support us at a cellular level to optimise wellbeing.
NB: These following section is not offered as a prescription but to show you that with professional guidance what can be achieved. I take each person case on an individual basis and therefore the following is not directive.
The good news is that there are many supplements and complementary therapies that can support your emotional and mental wellbeing. These too are now well evidenced. include:
Here are a few examples and I’ll leave you to read about them and why you might want to think about taking any.
Ginko Biloba – can be supportive to cognitive function. One study, published by Physiology & Behaviour, found it improved concentration and mood.
Lecithin may be beneficial to brain functions including memory as it is fat soluble and brains need fat.
B Vitamin rich food support a healthy nervous system and can improve tiredness and adrenal fatigue.
Ashwagandha – Spirilina- Chlorella: Rich in B12 – Moringa- Berberis- Sea Vegetables- Magnesium-Iodine- Omega 3 -Vitamin C – Folic Acid- Astragala : are just some of the adaptogens which may be suggested once a case is understood.
Essential oils and many other complementary therapies can be helpful the pathways receptors for the Central Nervous System and neurotransmitters- but this would need to be another blog!!
