Nourish your Brain🧠: The Essential Guide to Food and Mind Wellbeing

"The way to a man's heart is through his stomach." We often hear this saying but the truth is food has a direct link to everyone's Happiness and Wellbeing. Dear parents of new born, toddlers, or even teenagers—this article is for you, for your child, and for your family's well-being.

As a psychologist and nutritionist, I’ve always emphasized the powerful connection between food 🌰🥕🥑and brain 🧠health.

Let’s dive into how food impacts the brain, our mood, and overall health.

The Food-Mind Connection

Food plays a critical role in activating the brain’s dopamine pathways—the circuits that give us pleasure and enjoyment. This is why certain foods, particularly junk foods, can become addictive. Processed foods contain additives that trigger a dopamine rush similar to mobile phone addiction, making it nearly impossible to stop at just one bite " NO ONE CAN EAT JUST ONCE "😊. This can lead to Binge eating, a pathological condition where individuals compulsively eat, turning food into an addiction that may require intervention.

On the flip side, conditions like Anorexia make it difficult for a person to feel the desire to eat.

The key question is, how does our body decide when to eat and when to stop❓❓

The answer lies in two hormones: ghrelin and leptin.

Ghrelin, produced in the stomach, rises when the stomach is empty and signals the brain's hypothalamus that it’s time to eat.

Leptin is released when we're full, telling the brain to slow down on eating.

When we eat mindfully—without distractions—we allow these hormones to do their job properly, giving us a natural sense of satiety, which means we’ll know when we’ve had enough. That’s why I encourage parents to have their children eat in a quiet environment, without distractions like TV or smartphones, so the body and brain can function optimally.

The Brain: A Non-Replaceable Organ

The brain is the most crucial part of the human body, as it controls all bodily functions and cannot be replaced. Understanding how to nourish the brain through food is key to maintaining mental well-being for both children and adults.

Foods That Improve Brain Health

Omega-3 Fatty Acids: The brain needs omega-3s, and in India, one of the best sources are walnuts, spinach, Kidney beans, flex and chia seed, and fresh water fishes are easily available. For Fun fact—walnuts even resemble the shape of the brain! Just one soaked walnut a day is beneficial for children and adults alike. Omega-3s, especially DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), make up 30% of the neuronal membranes in brain cells, but our bodies can’t produce it. A lack of DHA has been linked to depression, ADHD, dementia, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia.

Antioxidant-rich foods:

Dietary polyphenols, found in foods like turmeric (curcumin), are excellent for brain health. Turmeric milk is an age-old remedy with anti-inflammatory properties. Fresh fruits and vegetables should also be part of your daily diet, as they protect the brain from oxidative stress.

Herbal Teas:

Mint and ginger tea can offer stress relief and is excellent for anti-aging, particularly for menopausal women, you can get many recipes in my book as well.

Foods to Avoid for Better Brain Health

Not all foods are good for the brain. The following should be minimized or avoided:

Packet foods: These are often filled with refined sugars and trans-saturated fats, which can impair brain function.

Frozen, sodium-rich foods: These increase oxidative stress in the brain and lower levels of BDNF (Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor), a key protein that supports cognitive function, memory, and overall brain health. Children are very fond of KFC that does more harm in the name of protein intake as it is rich in sodium and trans fat.

Developing Taste Buds

For parents with young children, it's important to know that a child’s taste buds are not fully developed at an early age. Interestingly, bitter taste buds develop first, as the brain evolved to protect children from potentially harmful plants. This is why introducing sweets too early can be harmful. One of the worst foods you can give a baby is pre-packaged infant foods like Cerelac, which contain high amounts of sugar and are difficult to digest.

Final Thoughts

As you can see, what we feed our children has a direct impact on their brain health and emotional well-being. If you're interested in learning more, feel free to leave comments with any questions or topics you'd like to see covered in future articles. Let’s work together to make healthy, mindful eating a priority for our families!