March 28, 2024

Boost your Child’s Brain Power with Nutrition by Maggie Ayre

Consuming a full range of vitamins, minerals and nutrients is key to improving everyone’s learning capabilities, including children. Through the evolutionary process our bodies have been designed to consume fresh fruit and vegetables and these should form the majority of food we consume every day. We evolved as foragers, eating whatever was ripe and in season at any particular time and we should therefore aim to eat as wide a range of different fruit and vegetables as we possibly can.

Every different fruit and vegetable has a different ratio of vitamins, minerals and water and together they form the diet that enables our bodies and minds to operate at their best.

When trying to eat a range of fruit and vegetables aim to eat as many different colours and textures as you can – they all benefit us in different ways. Include crunchy orange carrot, squidgy yellow mango, leafy green kale and so on.

5 brain boosting foods to have available for your child during exam-prep:

Oily Fish - Oily fish like trout, salmon and mackerel contain omega 3 fatty acids which are essential for good brain health.  In the absence of omega 3 fatty acids our brains will make use of omega 6 fatty acids from vegetable fats but this imbalance between omega 3 and omega 6 has been linked to ADHD, depression and dementia.

Eggs - Eggs are a fantastic source of protein. Whilst our brains aren’t made of protein they need this macronutrient to enable neurons in the brain to communicate with each other.

Avocados - Rich in monounsaturated fats avocados are packed full of brain goodness and also contain and good range of vitamins and carotenoid lutein for excellent eye health.

Blueberries - Not only do blueberries help with memory but they also enable us to recall facts just when we need them.  They are packed with antioxidants and vitamin C.

Dark Chocolate - Eating dark chocolate could boost brain power for several hours. The flavanols in dark chocolate boost blood flow to the brain leading to better performance and a boost in general alertness.

Maggie Ayre is the UKs leading Fitness Coach for Young People.  She has just released her latest book; “Nutrition for Exam Success – A Parent’s Guide” which is available on Kindle from Amazon or can be downloaded as an ebook (along with several of Maggie’s free reports) from www.maggieayre.com/maggies-books.html.