What brain foods do you consume? A healthy mix of learning and entertainment, consumed at regular intervals to allow for digestion? or bingeing to satisfy a craving? The guidelines for a nutritious diet are very similar for those for your psychological nutrition. Here are a few I've spotted.
Balance & the (mind) food pyramid
Just as you are encouraged to balance greens, grains, fruits proteins and oils. How are you balancing the ideas that come into your mind? What is the blend of news, soaps, TV and movies, novels and non fiction, podcasts and TED talks?
There's nothing wrong with a diet that's mixed. But a diet of only cat videos? So what is the perfect mix? And at what time of day?
Intermittent Fasting
Some regimens encourage you to fast for 16 hours a day or one day a week or month... And that's a practice that can help too. When was the last time you had 24 hours totally off- line? No email, no screen time, just you time? Another simple practice is no screen time an hour before bed, or even no screen time until you have showered and shined in the morning.
Elimination Diet
Some foods are allergens but we don't know what they are (often because we have ingested them for so long we're used to the symptoms!). Reducing your food consumption over a few days or a couple of weeks and then from a basic diet reintroducing foods one at a time helps you spot the allergen. Try the same for brain food if you can. First limit or drop the news shows, the soap operas, then movies, documentaries, podcasts, and finally books (this is my list you can try your own mix). Then slowly introduce them back. How does each affect your mood? Your curiosity? Your intelligence? Your stamina?
Support Community
Many dieters join a club to get support, insight and ideas. People to celebrate the wins and help navigate through setbacks or challenges. That gave me the idea that people are also part of your brain food diet. So take a look around you. Who do you spend the most time with? What do they talk about. How do they influence you?
What you put in your body impacts your physical health. What you put in your brain impacts your mental health. If you haven't spotted it yet - it's another truism - diet's don't work long term, only lifestyle changes work. That begs the question, what's your plan?
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