in the kitchen
in the kitchen
by BRANDI GIVENS
RD, CPT
MASTER THE MENTAL GAME WITH FOOD THAT FEEDS YOUR BRAIN
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Perhaps you’ ve noticed this pattern. You drill and rec-play systematically each week, yet your talents on the court from day to day are wildly unpredictable. Last Tuesday you were queen of the court, but today you can’ t seem to get a ball over the net. What is going on?
It should be no surprise that the barrier may be nutrition-related. Just like steady practice can improve your skills over time, consistently eating foods that feed your brain may make a difference in your speed, coordination, cognition and maybe even your ability to remember whose turn it is to serve the ball.
Start at the Baseline with Healthy Fats
Every single cell in the human body requires fat molecules to exist and function. When it comes to neurological health, consider that the brain itself is nearly 60 % fat. There’ s no doubt that we need fat in our diet, but the trouble is that we’ re not always choosing the right kind of fats to optimize health. Our brains need fat to:
• Provide strong but flexible cell structure, allowing neurons to fire quickly for the fastest possible hands.
• Support neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin, to balance mood and keep our cool when opponents call our“ in” ball out.
• Protect against inflammation, which can harm brain cells.
• Promote healthy aging. Higher omega-3 intake is associated with better cognitive function and memory so you can keep score through the years.
Best shots: Foods high in omega-3 fatty acids including anchovies, salmon, sardines, shrimp, trout, chia seeds, ground flaxseed and walnuts. Other healthy monounsaturated fats come from foods like avocados, olive oil, nuts and seeds.
Play Defense with Antioxidants
Just as we have to defend against that out-ofcontrol banger causing chaos on the court, we need
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