Womens Health, Fitness, Weight Loss, Beauty and More

How to Eat for a Sharper Mind

Smart food for every age.

Are you getting enough of the right nutrients to support healthy cognitive function and improve memory? EatingWells quick guide to food solutions will show you how.

Prenatal
Go fish. Women who eat fatty fish, such as salmon, during their third trimester of pregnancy have babies who tend to perform better on cognitive tasks. Researchers think the omega-3 fatty acid DHA is needed during this time to build neurons and their connections.

Food solutions: Salmon and other fatty fish, DHA-fortified eggs and yogurt.

Infant/Baby
Add iron. By 5 or 6 months, babies have used up the iron stores they’re born with and need to get iron from food or supplements to support brain development.

Food solutions: Iron-fortified cereals.

Child/Teen
Morning fuel. School-aged children should start their day with low-glycemic-index breakfast foods.

Food solutions: Bran cereals, oatmeal or whole-wheat bagels.

Young Adult
Got iron? 10 percent of women are anemic, and new studies show that being even mildly iron-deficient affects learning, memory, and attention. Luckily, restoring iron levels to normal also restores cognitive function.

Food solutions: Dark leafy greens, beans, meat or soy.

Older Adult
Eat your antioxidants. People who eat more brightly colored fruits and leafy vegetables have less cognitive decline than those who don’t; antioxidants in produce may mop up free radicals and protect neurons from damage.

Food solutions: Berries and other fruits, greens and turmeric (which contains curcumin).

From www.eatingwell.com with permission.  © 2008 Eating Well Inc.

Which Fruits and Vegetables Are the Most Toxic?

The 10 smallest and greatest pesticide risks to your health.
Conventionally grown peaches, apples, and lettuce are marinated in a toxic cocktail of pesticides, which have been shown to cause everything from dizziness to cancer, as well as headaches, rashes, and liver toxicity.

But not all fruits and vegetables are affected equally (or receive the same amount of chemical treatment). Bananas, for example, are perfectly safe in their conventional (less expensive) form, thanks to a protective peel.

So which conventional fruits and vegetables are the most toxic? The Environmental Working Group, a research firm in Washington, D.C., recently tested the pesticide levels of 44 kinds of produce to find out.

10 most toxic conventionally grown fruits and vegetables (in order of pesticide toxicity levels):

Peaches

Apples

Sweet Bell Peppers (11 different pesticides found on a single pepper)

Celery

Nectarines

Strawberries

Cherries

Lettuce

Grapes

Pears (86 percent of samples tested with detectable pesticides)
10 least toxic conventionally grown fruits and vegetables (in descending order of pesticide toxicity levels):

Cabbage

Bananas

Kiwi

Asparagus (7 percent of samples tested with detectable pesticides)

Sweet Peas

Mangoes

Pineapples

Sweet Corn

Avocado

Onions (1 pesticide found on a single onion)

Source: Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce, Fifth Edition, The Environmental Working Group