Nutrition and Brain Development
Many people don’t understand how important nutrition is to their brain. And, when they don’t get the nutrition their brain needs to think intelligently, it doesn’t help them to understand this simple concept – good nutrition feeds your brain!
After all, your brain is part of your body and it’s well understood that you need certain nutrients for your body. Why wouldn’t you need certain specific nutrients for your brain too? Yet, most people are extremely casual about what they eat – as if it’s only a matter of taste that’s important.
But, if your brain is developed enough to think clearly, it will be easy to understand this question. What’s the most important factor to our intellectual and cognitive development?
Some people say it’s genetics. Other’s say it’s the environment. While still others might argue that the most important factor in a person’s brain development is their self-discipline – in other words, how the use their brain.
But, while all these factors do play an important role, the single most important factor for brain development and intellectual capacity is a person’s daily diet and the nutrition your get from it.
You’re probably familiar with the saying, “Garbage in, garbage out.” Well, if you’re eating an unhealthy diet, then that same principle applies to your brain. Eating garbage robs you of your brain’s full potential.
And it gets even worse. If you have a family and are eating a poor diet, you’re definitely dooming your children to a future of mediocre intelligence, poorly developed verbal skills, eyesight, hearing and many other physical and mental drawbacks.
But wait, it’s not too late! The good news is that at any time during a person’s lifetime they can still turn to nutrition for a better brain.
If you’re ready to improve the mental capacity and functionality of your own and your family’s brains, consider this. While all of your nutrition is important, the most important and beneficial nutritional factors for your brain are the DHA, EPA and other omega 3 essential fatty acids found in fish.
Studies show that nearly 70 percent of a baby’s brain and more than 60 percent of the adult brain is made up of essential DHA and EPA fatty acids and that an adequate dietary intake of these oils is absolutely vital for mental and emotional health.
That’s why, among other reasons, the U.S. National Institutes of Health recommends that all adults supplement with a daily intake of about 650 mg of fish oil containing balanced ratios of EPA and DHA. Pregnant and nursing mothers should take nearly 1000 mg a day.
It’s simply the smart thing to do.
You can get these special brain nutrients from eating more fatty fish and from taking pure fish oil supplements on a daily basis. Don’t you think it’s time to get started?
Michael Byrd
http://www.articlesbase.com/nutrition-articles/nutrition-and-brain-development-109689.html
February 8th, 2009 at 3:53 pm
Homework help for Child development. Please help….?
Brain development continues to be a hot topic in child development and early childhood education as the mysteries of the brain are slowly unraveled. We know that good nutrition is vital to the developing brain as is sensory input, intellectual stimulation and comfort contact. After reading the chapter, what do you feel is the best way to grow a brain?
The question is:
If it’s true that the brain reaches 90% of its adult weight by age five, what should happen at ages two, three, and four to help that brain develop optimally? Offer a few specific things you’d do to grow that brain.
February 8th, 2009 at 8:55 pm
At all those ages, good nutrition, great healthy snacks, stay off the processed food, natural foods should be given.
Limit the tv time and movie time.
Read all kinds of books to them, interact with the child when reading them.
Teach rhymes, develop hand eye coordination by playing with playdoh, using scissors, with supervision, coloring big pictures that are easy for them at the ages they are moving then into pictures with more details.
Use building blocks to build and play.
Get down and play with the children.
Get outdoors and play hopscotch and skipping and activities like that.
Play guessing games, how many are in something, then count, let them see yes, you are close, No! you were way off, close their eyes and guess what you are putting in their hands.
Teach them body parts, hands, shoulders, knees, ankles, different one that aren’t as familiar to them.
But give them time to play on their own too.
Always give lots of hugs and kisses.
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