How can you boost your IQ?

The brain, just like any other organ, needs nourishing substances to function properly. And so it is obvious that our diet affects our brain. Thus foods containing antioxidants, Omega-3 fats and fibers should be included in our daily meals.

 

Besides, some herbs are especially good for our brain. These herbs include Gingko biloba, Bacopa and Gotu Kola. They act as memory and concentration enhancer,  For example, according to some studies, ginkgo can significantly improve attention in healthy individuals These herbs are also good for improving cognition in dementia patients.

 

On the other hand, our brain cannot function properly in the presence of harmful chemicals. Some chemicals are ingested from air and cannot be avoided. But there are a lot of these harmful chemical substances coming from our foods, such as chips, fast-food and drinks like sodas or those containing chemical colorants. These ingredients not only stop the improving of our IQ, but also they have
a significant contribution in lowering our intellectual capacities.

 

So, if you are thinking about increasing your IQ, you should consider adopting a healthy diet, with lots of fruits, fresh vegetables and fat-free products. Herbal supplements can be taken as your choice.

How can we add more fruits and vegetables into our diet?

There are some quick and easy ways to add more fruits and vegetables into our diet.

 When you snack...

• Vegetables and fruits are not only food choices for our main meals but they can also be healthy choices for snacks. For example:
           
• Replace chips with raw vegetables such as cucumbers, celeries, carrots and baby tomatoes. They all give good and crunchy texture and can be dipped into a small amount of plain low-fat yogurt or low-fat salad dressing for a richer taste.
               
• Replace candies and chocolate with dried fruits which are good alternatives of sweets without having as much sugar and calories. What's more important is the fact that they contain far more dietary fibre and vitamins than candies and chocolate do. 

When you eat out...

• Look through the menu carefully before you place an order for your favourite food or those typical dishes that you eat. You may realize there are more healthy choices with vegetables on the menu than you think.
• Try to include at least two kinds of vegetables as main dishes. Keep this in mind especially when eating out with friends since many people have a tendency to order too much meat.
• When you visit a buffet restaurant, start with the salad bar first.       

• Instead of a full plate of fried rice with over-portioned meat, choose plain rice with less meat and more vegetables or a bowl of noodle with a small plate of vegetables.
           
• If you like Western set menus:
           
  • Choose vegetable soups instead of creamy soups.
                 
  • Pick the one which comes with fruit or vegetable salads.
                 
• Sandwiches with vegetables as ingredients are better choices for breakfast than conventional sweetened buns or toast with butter and jam. You can try tomato sandwich with grilled chicken, tuna sandwich with lettuce or egg salad sandwich with sweet corn.

When you go to school or go to work...

• Try to bring your own lunch box instead of eating out. This would usually help increase your vegetable intake.


• When you pack your own lunch, make sure at least one-third of your lunch box is filled with vegetables. To achieve optimal nutrition, grains should contribute to half of the lunch box and the rest should be filled with meat or high-protein food such as bean products.  
• Bring along some fruits that require the least effort to be peeled or eaten, e.g. bananas, plums, grapes and pears, so that you can easily snack on fruits throughout the day.    
• When choosing from the school lunch menus, pick the menu that is cooked with more vegetables.

 When you prepare your food...

• Start with fruits and vegetables when you do your grocery shopping.
           
• Do a head count of the number of people you cook for. Buy at least 3 to 4 taels (1 tael is equivalent to about 38 grams) of vegetables for each person for lunch or dinner.
           
• Try to add vegetables to the majority of your dishes. For example, if you are going to prepare three dishes, cook at least two of them with vegetables.
           
• Use less meat and more beans when cooking soups. Beans are rich in fibre, vitamins and minerals as well as protein.
           
• Be creative and try to vary the kinds of vegetables. Onions, green and red bell peppers, dried day lily flowers and mushrooms are all great ingredients for soups or dishes.
           
• Tomato goes well with many dishes. Add it to your dishes such as pork chop, shredded beef, fried eggs or shrimps.

 Other smart tips...

• Be sure to take a wide variety of fruits and vegetables with different colours since they offer different nutrients.
• Choose fresh fruits and vegetables whenever possible.
• Always keep a good stock of fresh fruits and vegetables in your refrigerator so that you are always prepared to eat healthily.
• Develop a habit of eating a serving of fruits after (not immediately after) lunch and dinner.
• Do not overcook fruits or vegetables or the nutrients may be damaged or lost.
• Replace carbonated beverages, coffee or other sweetened drinks with fresh fruit juices between meal times.
• Add fresh or dried fruits (without added sugar) to breakfast cereal, yogurt or salad.     
• Not all the nutrients of vegetables or beans can be dissolved in water. Therefore, do not leave out the vegetable or bean ingredients when drinking soups.

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