Fueling your mind with better nutrtion
Our mind is a very complex and delicate living computer, it needs really first quality ingredients, with the right quality and at the right moment to work at peak performance. Our brain needs glucose as its main fuel, and certain amino acids (simple molecules that make up proteins) like tryptophan to make the right neurotransmitters. If we don’t have enough glucose, we feel slow and we cannot process information, we cannot think. We cannot perform other activities as well, like many unconscious or automatic activities that keep us alive, like breathing, feeling thirst or hunger, being conscious of dangers and many others. Our brain keeps us alive.
If we don’t have enough amino acids, our brain cannot make enough neurotransmitters, which the tiny molecules that make cells to communicate between each other, and that make nervous impulses to travel through our nervous system. That means that we get depressed, slow, non-reactive, emotional, irrational and many other characteristics that define mental illnesses. The same happens when we don’t get in our diets enough vitamins, as our brains cannot make up the right molecules. An example is stress, which depletes our organism of vitamins, specially group B vitamins, which are needed to make neurotransmitters. And after a long stress period, we may feel always tired, sad and unable to think clearly (amongst other symptoms).
Good nutrition maintains your immune system ready to fight pathogens . Vitamin C is amongst the most known vitamins. One of its roles is to keep our immune system working properly. When the immune system is healthy, we don’t get ill and we don’t have pains. As simple as that. There are several other substances that we need to have in our diets to maintain our immune system. One of those is good fats like omega-3 and 6 fats. These are found in seeds, nuts and fish, mainly. These are basic to keep inflammatory processes under control or non-existent, and our hormones well balanced. When the fat balance is not adequate, hormonal systems get unbalanced as well, and chronic inflammatory processes start building up.
Good nutrition keeps you young and beautiful . Omega 3′s and 6′s also help us in maintaining youth and beauty. These fats keep the membranes of cells in good shape. When cell membranes are healthy, they are firm and supple, like a well pumped balloon. When cell membranes are not receiving the right fats to regenerate properly, they get soft and irregular, and the cells cannot keep their shape. They would be the equivalent of punched balloons.
One very important factor that damage cells membranes, are oxidants, like tobacco smoke, alcohol, some chemicals, burnt fats, and many pollutants. This substances oxidise membrane fats, and therefore the membranes become soft and irregular, and the cell cannot keep the right balance or substances inside and out. They are punched balloons. One of the substances that avoid this damage is vitamin C, because is an antioxidant. There many other antioxidants, like selenium from Brazil nuts, vitamin E from seeds oils, and flavonoids from fruits, specially berries.
Antioxidants also keep enzymes healthy. Enzymes are the molecules that drive our bodies metabolic reactions, therefore we need them to function properly. We need them to produce energy from our food, digest foods properly, produce the right amount of hormones, store nutrients and many other functions.
These are only some of the benefits of a good nutrition, and just a few examples. If you eat the perfect foods for you, you will feel full of energy, minimize illnesses, think clearly, be focused and have therefore all the tools to live to your full potential. The right nutrition for you is therefore the most easy, amazing and delicious way to maintain health and be a happy and fulfilled human being.
