.st0{fill:#FFFFFF;}

Food for thought 

By  Lysette Offley

Food for thought. DOg licking ice cream from child's faceHere’s food for thought, for you…

Did you know, that eating oily fish is good for you? Yes, of course you did! But, did you know that eating oily fish just once a week can lower your risk of Alzheimer’s by up to 60%?

Bet you didn’t know that!

Well, actually, if you dig deep into the research, it turns out that the whole fish/Omega 3 thing is inconclusive. Probably, maybe fish is good and Omega 3 ineffectual, but really, who knows at this stage?

One 5 year study of 2233 older people, found that eating fish twice a week reduced risk of dementia by 41%.

Other (smaller) studies found no benefit at all, but 2233 people’s a lot of evidence and now I’m listening! Remember, we’re talking salmon and salad, for example, not fish ‘n’ chips from the chippy!

It gets better

In a seven-year study, the Chicago health and ageing project, followed 815 people over the age of 65. 4 years later 131 of them had developed Alzheimer’s. But those who ate fish once a week had a 60% lower risk of developing it than those who never or rarely ate fish. They also found that those who got their omega 3 fatty acids from other sources such as dark green leafy vegetables, nuts, seeds and flaxseed oil also benefited by having 60% lower risk.

(This was, of coarse, after adjusting the results for age, sex, ethnicity and medical conditions such as heart disease.)

In another study of 1674 older people, it was discovered that those who ate fish or seafood at least once a week had a 34% lower risk of developing age-related senile dementia than those who never ate fish.

Superfoods

Let’s have a look at some superfoods. Super that is, when it comes to supporting brain function, i,e food for thought. I reckon most of us could do with a little of that! You’ll notice that all these foods are freely available and easy to incorporate into our diet. So if you want to give yourself the best chance of revising efficiently for IT exams, or indeed any other professional exams, and being able to think straight when it counts, then eating more oily fish is worth considering.

You know what’s meant by oily fish don’t you? We’re talking salmon, mackerel, tuna, herring and sardines. They contain a lot of omega 3 fatty acids, which are important for the regeneration of nerve cells and brain development. They also contain amino acids, which increase your focus and motivation.

(But as you now know, eating whole fish containing Omega 3, is better than supplementing with it.)

Food for thought

I bet you didn’t know that 60% of the grey matter of the brain is fat! It gives new meaning to the expression, ‘fathead’! That insult really ought to be received as a compliment! Anyway, I digress. If 60% of our grey matter is fat, that makes it the highest concentration of fat of all the organs in the body.

So, do you still want to lose weight?

Makes you think doesn’t it!

Lysette Offley

About the author

With 40 years of experience, Lysette Offley is a Memory and Mindset Coach to women and men at the top of their game in the Financial Services Industry who recognise the value of continual personal and professional development and support to achieve a healthy work-life balance, along with satisfaction and fulfilment.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

{"email":"Email address invalid","url":"Website address invalid","required":"Required field missing"}

Subscribe to my Memory & Mindset Newsletter Now!

By continuing to use the site, you agree to the use of cookies. more information

The cookie settings on this website are set to "allow cookies" to give you the best browsing experience possible. If you continue to use this website without changing your cookie settings or you click "Accept" below then you are consenting to this.

Close