The brain is the central hub of the human body, accounting for 20% of the body's total energy consumption. Therefore, protecting brain health is crucial for the body's vital functions. Cultivating the following healthy eating habits can help you nourish a "healthy brain".
1. Eat a good breakfast. While you sleep, your brain continues to consume energy. When you wake up in the morning, your brain is at its lowest energy level. A hearty breakfast is essential for your brain to become alert. Consistently eating breakfast every day is one of the keys to a long life. Skipping breakfast can easily lead to low blood sugar, listlessness, confusion, slow reactions, and an increased risk of gallstones. The nutritional value of breakfast should account for more than one-third of the day's total. It is best to focus on unrefined grains like whole wheat and brown rice, while also ensuring adequate intake of protein and fat.
2. Chew your food slowly. The ancient Chinese medical text "Lingshu Shichuan Pian" contains the sayings, "Food should be chewed finely so that the essence of the rice enters the abdomen," and "Food should be chewed slowly, not hastily and coarsely." Chewing slowly aids digestion, can prevent gastrointestinal, heart, and oral diseases, and enhances brain power to prevent dementia. When you chew, the stimulation is transmitted to the brainstem, cerebellum, and cerebral cortex, which can improve memory and learning abilities. It also promotes the metabolic activity of facial muscle cells, which can be beautifying and reduce wrinkles. Each bite of food should be chewed about 30 times, and each meal should last at least half an hour. Maintaining a pleasant mood during meals is even more beneficial to your health.
3. Mediterranean diet. The Mediterranean diet is based on a large amount of fruits, fresh vegetables, potatoes, whole grains, and nuts. It uses vegetable oil for cooking, with a special emphasis on olive oil. It includes moderate consumption of low-fat dairy products like cheese and yogurt. Fish or poultry should be eaten twice a week, and one egg per day. It is also recommended to drink a moderate amount of red wine with meals. This dietary pattern is moderate and balanced, with fat accounting for no more than 35% of the total energy intake, and saturated fat for less than 7%-8%. Regularly following the Mediterranean diet can reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease by 40%.