Nourishing the Brain

The purpose of food and drink is to supply the body with the raw materials it needs to function. As with any production facility the outcome or end product that we desire depends upon the raw materials that we use.

One of the major raw materials the body needs is in the form of amino acids. Different amino acids are available in different foods. Amino acids are important for learning because they stimulate neurotransmitters in the brain. Different amino acids stimulate different neurotransmitters, hence in order to optimise brain functioning, we need to know which neurotransmitters are triggered by which amino acids.

Foods to encourage learning

These include:

• nuts
• beans and peas and lentils
• cottage cheese
• soy products
• fish and seafood
• poultry and meat
• eggs
• fruit
• fresh vegetables

It is preferable if foods are organic to avoid toxicity from chemicals, which may have an adverse effect on the brain, and this is especially important for meat and poultry.

It is also important to stimulate the neurotransmitter acetylcholine for memory. For acetylcholine to be produced we need oxygen (exercise and abdominal breathing - another good reason to get your participants moving) and glucose.

Fruit and vegetables are a great way to provide a quick conversion to glucose; they are also an important source of anti-oxidants, which work to destroy harmful substances in the body.

Water

It is very important to keep the brain hydrated if you want to feel alert. The brain is around 80% water and is one of the first parts of the body to be affected by dehydration resulting in loss of concentration, fatigue, slow reactions and stress. Under normal circumstances our bodies need two litres of water per day to maintain a properly hydrated state. This increases when we are in situations that cause perspiration, for example, in a warm environment and during exercise.

In order to hydrate the body water should be sipped slowly and frequently. Drinking quickly is like throwing a whole bucket of water on a patch of dry earth – some gets absorbed but the majority just runs off and is wasted. Be guided by your thirst as well as quantity. If you are thirsty you are already dehydrating and thirst should never be ignored.

If you get a headache try sipping 2 large glasses of water before reaching for tablets, often this is just another warning bell that the brain is dehydrated.

Foods to avoid

It's best to avoid foods that stimulate serotonin whilst learning. These are pasta, potatoes, bread, milk, and bananas. These are great foods for after your learning session when you want to relax and unwind but should be avoided if you are skipping the afternoon siesta!

It is also important to avoid stimulants, depressants, highly refined sugars and food additives. Although drinks such as coffee and tea may initially make you feel more alert they act as a diuretic and will leave you dehydrated and cause stress when the effect starts to wear off. If you are a high consumer of these drinks start to reduce your intake slowly. Caffeine is a powerful drug and stopping it instantly will result in withdrawal symptoms.

Caffeine, alcohol and sugar also have the affect of reducing dopamine levels in the brain.

Last but not least – avoid overeating. Digestion uses a considerable amount of energy and processing power. Once food is inside the body, the body must use resources in order to process it. If there is a large amount of food to digest the body will divert energy from other functions in order to complete this task. This is why some religions use fasting as a means of encouraging spiritual enlightenment – it encourages clear thinking.

Activity

What can you do to influence the way your learners' brains are being nourished?

The typical fare provided by hotels and conference centres sometimes seems like the very opposite of brain-friendly food. Danish pastries, the endless strong coffee, sausage rolls, sandwiches - in other words stodge!

Sometimes catering firms need educating too! Our clients have proved it - it's no more expensive providing a simple brain-friendly buffet such as:

• Snacks: Crudities and dips, fresh fruit. Instead of having sweets or chocolates on the table use a variety of nuts and dried fruit
• Salmon parcels (poached salmon in bite sized pieces wrapped in a lettuce leaf)
• Instead of biscuits or pastries try: oat cakes or rice cakes spread with tahini, hummus, guacamole or cottage cheese
• Chicken skewers (thread alternate pieces of chicken and vegetables on a wooden skewer)
• Salads: green leaf salad, pepper salad. tomato, cucumber and black olive salad
• Baked apples, grilled fruit with natural yoghurt, fruit salad
• Rye pancakes filled with assorted berry fruits topped with crème fraiche

SPECIAL THANKS to Sandra Leyland-Williams, the co-ordinator at Kaizen Training, who is a trained nutritionist and put this material together. Contact her on 01923 291618 for more detailed information, or to set up a personal consultation.