Turns out, the foods that are healthiest for your brain are the same ones that help your heart — and best of all, they can be used to create dishes that are as good for your taste buds as they are for your health.
Salmon
Salmon is rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which is a bonanza for the brain. Why? Omega-3s are known to reduce beta amyloids in the body, which is a substance that clumps together in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s disease.
Aaron Benator, a certified health coach and wellness specialist at PartnerMD in Greenville, says it’s important to choose wild salmon when available because it contains far more omega-3 than farmed salmon.
Splashing that salmon with citrus not only gives it a delicious zing but boosts the meal’s dose of vitamin C, a known factor in the reduction of cognitive disease.
“The lemon not only offers vitamin C, a powerful antioxidant, but it’s lower in sugar than another citrus,” like oranges, he says. “Sugar is definitely not a superfood.”
In addition, the acids from the lemon help your body digest the salmon, he adds, so the two superfoods are combining efforts.
Pomegranate
A sprinkle of pomegranate seeds adds color, crunch and a powerful infusion of vitamin K, vitamin C and fiber. Also called arils, these jewel-like seeds have three times the antioxidant power of red wine or green tea.
Studies have shown pomegranate juice to have anti-inflammatory properties and to improve verbal and visual memory — likely due, at least in part, to its polyphenols, which help with the dilation of blood vessels, including those in the brain.
Serve with a side of steamed broccoli or a spinach salad for a serving of folate and other essential vitamins and minerals, and you’ll have a meal that optimizes your health and leaves you feeling nourished in more ways than one.
Wild salmon with lemon and pomegranate
Serves 4
Ingredients
4 wild salmon fillets
1 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
1 tsp. thyme
½ cup pomegranate arils (from one pomegranate, or buy them in the produce section)
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. pomegranate molasses (store-bought, or make it by simmering 1 cup pomegranate juice, ⅛ cup sugar and 1 tsp. Lemon juice for about an hour)
Directions
Squeeze lemon juice over salmon fillets, and then season with thyme, salt and pepper.
Heat olive oil over medium heat. Add salmon and cook for about 5 minutes. Top with pomegranate molasses and continue cooking for about five more minutes. Top with arils.
Recipe adapted from Paleoleap.com
