Foods to boost your brain health and improve memory retention
Add these foods to your shopping list; You can remember what’s inside next time.
Some of our most precious memories are intertwined with food. I remember exactly where I was and who I was with when I had smoked oysters for the first time at the age of six. The shock and horror of my first chili crab at a hawker stall in Singapore; red faced and panting for beer. The bitter feeling of resentment I felt when I tried my first hot, salty meat sandwich at Carrolls on London’s Great Windmill Street, because no one had ever told me about it until then.
Sometimes it’s more of a silent acceptance of the memory – yes, the pasta carbonara at Roscioli in Rome is the best thing I’ve ever eaten – and sometimes it’s childish pleasure on the playground, like trying to eat live shrimp in Denmark while they do their best to escape my grasp.
These are tastes and feelings I will never forget. Or will I? Sometimes I go into the next room and stop, not knowing what I’m going in to get. I run into people I’ve known for years and I have to find a clue to their names. If I don’t write down a list of things needed at the supermarket, I’ll have to call home to get a reminder when I get there; Unless I forgot to take my phone with me.
Luckily, there is a lot of information out there about the types of foods that can boost cognitive function and improve memory. From leafy greens to olive oil and whole grains to poultry, tuna, salmon and sardines, most of them are already on my shopping list. Ditto blueberries, nuts and seeds, eggs, avocado, sourdough bread and dark chocolate. There’s no doubt that all those omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants, proteins, and complex carbohydrates will keep me running, but there’s more to this story.
What we do before and after eating is also vital for our brain. Shopping and chopping keeps us going and helps us stay physically active. Talking about food improves memory and (if we’re not too boring) maintains social bonds. Once we do the dishes and put everything away, we will have a great sleep.
But I think it challenges the mind and offers new ideas in its quest to find something interesting that is most valuable for dinner. Because we don’t just need to remember: we also need food worth remembering.
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Terry Durack has been reviewing restaurants and searching for new dining experiences for thirty years. The author of six books and a former reviewer for London’s Independent on Sunday and the Sydney Morning Herald, Terry has twice been named the UK’s Glenfiddich Restaurant Reviewer of the Year and World Food Media’s Best Restaurant Reviewer. Australian-born and based in Sydney, he brings a unique perspective on the global food scene to his travel writing.
