Nutrition for the Brain
What are the best foods for your brain?
We can reframe this question to include for the fact that it’s not just what we eat but how we eat. The way nutrients interact during digestion, the speed at which we eat, and our mental state all influence our nutritional health. Overall, it’s more important what we avoid than what we put into our bodies—just as with our minds.
The following tips are taken from both modern science and ancient medical systems like Ayurveda, Tibetan Medicine, and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). These older systems can help guide our decisions because nutrition is a tricky subject for scientific study. There are so many factors involved in our complex bodies, so it’s difficult to isolate variables, and to even know which molecules should be tracked. For instance, we’ve identified certain key vitamins in a healthy diet, but there are many more micronutrients that can fly under the radar.
Therefore, we should respect cultural evolution (effective tools handed down over generations of trial-and-error) and contemplative introspection (the ability for skilled individuals to observe their own mind-body systems in detail). These two mechanisms are less well understood, but they produce some remarkable technologies for well-being, like Ayurveda.
Eat most watery food first to prevent a “food traffic jam.” Fruits > Greens (Raw > Cooked) > Egg > Starches > Grains > Legumes > Seeds & Nuts > Dairy > Meat
Eat fewer varieties in a single meal. Eg, only 1-2 vegetables.
Fruit 30-60min before (or 3 hours after). Eat fruits alone, especially melons.
Proteins with non-starchy veg. A single protein last.
Eat slowly or use chopsticks. Put cutlery down and chew well—5 bites or until mush. (Kills bacteria, decreases gas, and makes digestion easier in part by signaling which enzymes are needed.) Consider the taste and texture.
Eat with loving-kindness and gratitude (without negative thoughts).
Avoid cold food and drinks, and drink a while after.
Leave 1/4 of the stomach empty.
15-min post meal walk at least.
Eat without distraction.
Maintain a regular meal schedule.
Drink when thirsty, but also “eat water” like broccoli and cucumber.
Eat whole fruits and many colors.
Eat foods in their natural state, when possible (unprocessed, uncooked).
Table salt is inorganic. Go with pink salt or spinach, carrots, strawberries.
Properly clean raw foods.
Eat the skins of fruits and vegetables. (3 part water 1 part vinegar spray on fruits to reduce pesticides.)
Eat seasonal, local food.
Eat foods at body temp and suitable to the seasons.
Eat the 5 flavors/6 rasas (tastes). Sour: lemon, fermented foods, yoghurt. Bitter: root veges, herbs, cacao, apple cider vinegar. Sweet: grain malts, maple syrup, agave syrup, honey. Spicy/Pungent: onion, garlic, ginger, chives, curry. Salty: sea salt, marine algae. (Astringent: legumes, raw fruits and veges.)
Eat only when hungry. Could do 2x daily with a light brunch.
Don’t clean the dishes with soap. Natural disinfectants like vinegar? Or Ayurvedic soap.
Eat for hunger, not appetite.
Stop eating when 80% full, i.e., slight stomach pressure.
Avoid all seed oils? (Callan)
Optimal vitamin levels, not overboard with supplements.
—
Overall, eat to nourish, not to satisfy or lose weight.
Learn more about traditional Chinese medicine, Ayurveda, and Tibetan medicine.
Lamas agree with food combination: https://t5t.com/anti-aging-diet-of-the-five-tibetan-rites
Primary Source: A book called Eating Right that I can’t seem to find online.