Cognition nutrition is a food trend popular amongst men. It aims to preserve brain function and prevent its deterioration with age.
What are the rules of this food trend? Is it really helpful?
What exactly is Cognition nutrition?
Cognition nutrition is a type of food trend that aims to overcome the brain deterioration that comes with age, commonly in men.
It is a diet plan that is a low carbs version of the Mediterranean diet with added foods for the brain. There are claims that it delays onset and progress of dementia, Parkinson’s disease, and Alzheimer’s disease.
Walnuts are best for brain (Source: Amazon)Farren Morgan, who is an army section commander follows this diet to remain fit and increase mind alertness. He has six small meals in a day. This is high in protein and includes fish and chicken.
He adds green leafy vegetables to these meals. Additionally, he adds brain-empowering foods such as salmon, walnuts, and sardines. Farren explains on his diet:
“I tend to incorporate walnuts into the salads and cereal that I eat, and switch between cooking the fish separately to serve on the side of my meals or I add them into my sauces,”
“By transforming my diet and being conscious of the food I ingest, my mind and body have thoroughly sharpened to help me knock out daily tasks and reach the goals that I’ve set for myself.”
Benefits of this diet
Farren is 36 and fit and sharp. He attributes all this to his diet. He states:
“I’ve found that it’s contributed to my positive mindset and mental health, enhanced my focus and ability to concentrate, and improved my athletic performance during my daily workouts, marathon runs, and military drills,”
“And because of my diet, the quality of my sleep has improved significantly. I’m able to sleep for a full seven hours.”
This diet is set to become more popular in the next 10 years. People are increasingly looking at foods not just as sources of energy but to help in functions of the body as well. Cognition nutrition is one such functional foods diet for the brain health.
Salmon oily fish (Source: The fabulous fish company)Steps of this diet
The first thing is to limit sugars that increase blood sugar and lead to inflammation. Dietitian Penny Weston states:
“Many studies have shown that a poor diet, including those high in sugar, can lead to poor mental health. The food you eat can affect your mood, memory and behaviour,”
“It can make us feel wired, irritable and tired. Ready meals and processed foods, such as baked beans, sauces and pizzas, are all high in sugar and salt and can have a negative effect on the brain.”
Foods for the brain (Source: Regional neurological associates)Limit also fizzy drinks and alcohol. And introduce blueberries, rocket, broccoli, kale, spinach, and fatty fish. Penny adds:
“It’s also great to add in lots of pumpkin and sunflower seeds to your diet, as these are full of minerals such as magnesium, zinc, iron and copper, which help with nerve signalling. Sunflower seeds are very high in B1, which is important for memory and cognition,”
Turmeric is good for the brain. The diet also recommends finishing the last meal of the day by 6 pm. This increases blood ketones. She explains:
“Having baseline levels of ketones is indicative of fat burning and those ketones are really beneficial for neurodegenerative conditions like Alzheimer’s.”
Read more: Foods for brain health: which is the best?
Psychologist Josephine Perry feels that a little glucose or caffeine before an important event improves brain clarity. Under-fueling the brain decreases performance. A ketogenic diet and MCT oil are also good for cognition enhancement.