“I do not know what to do. His exam scores are appalling. But, I can’t blame him. My poor child… he puts his heart and soul into his studies. But, he finds it difficult to concentrate and recall all that he had studied. He was not like this before. Is it a behavioral problem?” Catherine (name changed for this article) could not stop worrying as John’s (name changed for this article) exam dates were approaching.
Catherine was relieved when she came to know that there could be reasons other than psychological issues for John’s problems.
John was the typical ‘king of junk food’ guy. He always had a love for french fries, cola, and donuts. In the past, Catherine used to control his intake of junk food. But, for the past few months, Catherine had been a bit relaxed on these. But, it had taken a toll on John’s health. In fact, that was the cause for the memory issues he was facing.
Catherine made a conscious effort to enrich John’s diet with some of the ‘Brain Foods’ I had incorporated in his diet plan. The positive result of it undoubtedly reflected in John’s better academic performance, and increased energy levels and brainpower.
It is well established that nutrition and learning go hand in hand. If you include the following food items which I like to call ‘Brain Foods’ in your child’s diet, it could result in a positive effect on their brain development and memory functioning.
1. Avocados
Monounsaturated fatty acids in this fruit help proper brain functioning. Have it in the form of a shake or as a dip mixed with vegetables.
2. Blueberries
Diets rich in blueberries help improve learning capacity and motor skills. If your child does not like the taste, give it to them fresh with yoghurt, as frozen pops or as candies by freeze-drying.
3. Lentils and Beans
Folate in lentils and beans help to increase brainpower. You can give about 100gms of cooked beans a day to your child.
4. Oatmeal
Oatmeal is not just a healthy morning cereal; this also helps in improving memory power. Have it as a breakfast cereal with hot or cold milk.
5. Nuts and Seeds
Nuts and seeds are tasty and at the same time they help in brain development. Add an ounce of walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds, cashews, peanuts, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds or flaxseeds to your child’s everyday diet.
Catherine made small changes in John’s consciously. Gradually he changed from a ‘king of junk foods’ to a ‘king of brain foods’. His grades started improving and he became more confident of himself and his abilities. Is your child a ’emperor of junk foods’ or an ’emperor of brain foods’?
(A version of this article first appeared in The Kidz Parade Edutainment Magazine)
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© 2015 – 2018, Ujjwala Baxi. All rights reserved.
About Ujjwala Baxi
Ujjwala Baxi is a Registered Dietitian, Certified Diabetes Educator and a Medical Nutrition Therapist with an experience of 10 years. She provides diet consultations, helping her clients to attain their health goal in the most practical and affordable ways to create lasting results. She is actively involved in creating health awareness through her various workshops for children as well as adults. She is a Health Promotion Board Ambassador and founder of Poshan - Cure thru Diet. In the past, she has worked as a Research Dietitian at B.Y.L Nair hospital and as Chief Dietitian at K.J. Somaiya hospital, Mumbai.
