Brain Gut Connection

Mar 7, 2023Coaching, Food, Health Connection

Brain Gut Connection

I remember in middle school before state testing, one of my teachers always put a banana on our desk right away in the morning to eat before starting. Food has always been suggested to support your thinking, brain health or even performance. According to a Harvard article, there are actually 5 foods that are linked to better brain power!

Green Leafy Vegetables

Research suggests the nutrients rich in green leafy vegetables may slow cognitive decline. Some of these nutrients are: folate, vitamin K, lutein, beta carotene.

Kale
Spinach
Collard
Broccoli

Fatty Fish

Rich in unsaturated healthy Omega-3 fatty acids have been linked to lowering the protein that creates damaging clumps in the brain for people with Alzheimers. If you don’t care for fish, you can find omega-3 supplements, enjoy avocados, walnuts and flaxseeds.

Salmon
Cod
Canned light tuna
pollack

Berries

The rich color of berries are full of flavonoids that can help improve memory. Research has shown that women who have two or three servings of strawberries and blueberries weekly delayed memory decline up to 2.5 years!

Strawberries
Blueberries
Raspberries
Cranberry
Blackberry

Tea and Coffee (Caffeine)

Studies have shown a little bit of caffeine in the morning can offer more than just a short term boost, but have had studies that participants scored better during testing. Additional research has shown the capacity to recall images the following day after a trial with caffeine performed better than those without.

Walnuts

While nuts are high in omega-3 fatty acids and a good source of protein, walnuts have shown in research studies that they perform higher on cognitive testing. It has also shown to lower blood pressure and clean arteries. [2]

Tapping into Brain Gut Connection

When we look at just this one aspect of how what we eat can affect the way our brain works, how else is the brain affected by what we eat. In this article, we focused on the good things that go into our gut that can promote good health; but what about the unhealthy things we eat? Research with ADHD kids has shown the elimination diet called Feingold Diet which removes artificial coloring, flavors, fragrances, and sweeteners because it has shown to trigger the symptoms of those with ADHD. This is just one more example of how the brain gut connection is a real relationship we need to consider. [1]

FCM Coaching

Within FCM Coaching we support this brain gut connection through a scientifically proven program called Metabolic Balance. This program is based on all the latest research to provide individuals with a unique plan full of various whole foods that are best (and needed) for the body. Within the plan, you are provided with brain powering foods and we cut out all the artificial naturally! Find out more about Metabolic Balance with the links below. Ready to sign up and start your own program, book a Discovery Call!