Author: Dr. Jeda Boughton, B.A., R.Ac., Dr. TCM, FABORM – Boda Health
In honour of Women’s Brain Health Day, we want to share about some healthy foods that benefit our health as well as our brains! Undoubtedly, sleep, exercise, and meditation have an amazing impact for our health including our brains. But so does the food we eat! According to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), there is something called the “Five Element Theory”, which is applied to everything in life, including wellness and even treatments through herbs and or Acupuncture. However, the same theory is applied to the foods we eat. You see such theory introduces the aspect of color and its corresponding mood, number, emotion and even organ! We will have future posts explaining this theory further, yet for now we would like to focus on the foods that benefit our brains!
Since our brain matter is composed of fat, according to TCM, eating meat high in fat (reasonably) will contribute to a healthy brain. Other sources of healthy fats are Avocados, Chia seeds, Dark Chocolate, Eggs, Fatty Fish and last but not least, nuts and seeds which are packed with Omega-3! Walnuts are high in Omega-3 and according to TCM, it has the properties to strengthen both brain and heart functions! Not only that, but according to TCM, Walnuts (Hu Tao Ren), also known as “Barbarian Peach Pit”, benefit the Kidneys, Lungs, Large Intestine, and the Heart.
According to TCM classics, healthy circulation throughout the body nourishing the organs with rich blood is essential for optimal function of any body organ, including the brain. Since the Heart governs blood circulation, its function is always closely tied to all the organs in our body. Finally, for long-term maintenance, our brains require adequate rest, quality sleep, nutritious foods, and a stimulating head massage is always a sweet bonus!
