6 Foods to Keep Your Mind Young
What is damaging to your heart is generally harmful to your brain as well. Make no mistake: While fried potato skins are bursting at the seams, a portion of them is being transported up to your arteries to your grey matter.
Saturated fats, for example, clog arteries leading to your brain, putting you at risk of stroke, but omega-3 fatty acids—the beneficial fats found in fish—help keep your arteries clear, which is good for your brain. They also change your neurotransmitters and help you feel less depressed.
These are the foods that will help you keep your brain and RealAge young:
Nuts
Nuts include monounsaturated fats, which help to keep arteries free, as well as precursors to serotonin, which help to improve mood.
Recommended Amount:
1 ounce of nuts each day is ideal. (More is good, but watch your calorie intake.) 12 walnuts or 24 almonds make up an ounce.
Fish (especially wild salmon, whitefish, tilapia, catfish, flounder, mahi mahi)
Omega-3 fatty acids, found in fish, help to keep arteries clear.
Recommended Amount:
Aim for 13.5 ounces of fish every week, or three servings, each approximately the size of your fist.
Soybeans
Soybeans are high in protein, fibre, and lipids that are good for your heart and arteries.
Recommended Amount:
Every day, eat 1 cup of soybeans.