Feed your head. Remember that. Certain foods help memory and help us stay clever, insightful and quick through the ages.
Here's a recipe for remembering. You might recall having heard it before: Eat blueberries, or other fruits and vegetables that contain antioxidants; according to the experts at Harvard University they "neutralize those nasty free radicals." Put blue or purple memory enhancers (plums, prunes, raisins) on cereal or in a smoothie. Snack on them instead of chips.
Another memory-encouraging approach involves munching on broccoli and cauliflower (the cruciferous vegetables). There are quite impressive results from the large and long nurse's study. It demonstrated that the nurses in the study who ate those veggies on a regular basis warded off memory loss far better as they aged.
Yet another "feed your head" message is from the American Journal of Medicine.
Researchers found drinking fruit or vegetable juice three times a week reduced the likelihood of Alzheimer's disease by a remarkable 76 percent. (One to two glass a week resulted in 16 percent less likelihood).
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If you're averse to seafood for some reason (that I will never understand) you always have options.
They might even include a Belgian chocolate candy soon to be on the market (Choc-Omega).
But I've saved the best for last. If you want cognitive clarity and a memory that serves you through the ages, eat leafy green vegetables, the leafier the better.
Kale is top of the vitamin-packed, high-antioxidant, high-fiber leafies.
Rich and dark green kale deserves more than our passing glance.
Kale. How can I say this in a way that will snag your attention?
Perhaps if I share an easy-to-do, no-nonsense, specific recipe. I was given it some time ago by a lovely, memory-conscious woman. Let's call her Janet. This is what she does:
Wash one or more large leaves; dry very thoroughly. Remove ribs. Cut with kitchen shears into 1"x 1" pieces and place in a food processor (or blender). Pulse constantly until the pieces are the size of the grains of pepper. Scrape into a zip lock baggie; press out air, seal and refrigerate. Sprinkle a generous amount on every tossed salad you make. (Or you can also use it in cooked vegetables and soups). Janet told me, "You'll hardly know it's there." She's right.
The newest evidence on memory function and its relationship to the food we eat comes from Scottish and French researchers, as published in the journal "Neurology." People with lifelong fitness (eating the right-for-you foods and getting daily physical activity) are "more likely to have better cognitive function into old age." Related studies are summarized in detail in the February 2007 Tufts University Health and Nutrition newsletter.
Think of this as food news you can use. It's worth remembering, and it's at least worth a shot of orange juice and a sprinkling of kale.
Sharon Johnson is an associate professor in the College of Health and Human Sciences at Oregon State University and on the faculty of the OSU Extension Service. She can be reached at s.johnson@oregonstate.edu
