Brain Foods - Blues and Purples

So you’ve read our last post on Beauty Foods and you’re looking stunning, right? Now let’s look at the delicious array of fruit and vegetables that boost your brain power and give you that inner shine.

Blue and purple plant matter contains a host of antioxidants that help regulate hormones and keep your brain and nervous system ticking along perfectly. Anthocyanins, the group of antioxidants that help give these foods their purply hue, are particularly useful for memory function and quick thinking capabilities. 

On top of that, if you mix these foods with a source of omega-3 fatty acids you have a natural way to stave off cognitive decline later in life, including dementia and alzheimers. Vegetables high in omega-3s include avocado, walnuts and linseeds. 

The Blue Hue

Blueberries and blackberries provide a killer cocktail of immune boosting function, and at the same time can really boost your memory power. Team these with some walnuts as a pre-exam snack for a quick wit and active memory. 

Black beans, despite the name, are also in the blues family. These little gems taste amazing, are high in low GI carbs, fibre and phytoproteins. They keep your nervous system healthy, your brain alert and provide slow release energy for hours after your delicious meal. 

Purple Rain 

Aside from the fact that they look super pretty (I’m loving fairy eggplants for their fun stripes and colours!), purple fruit and vegetables can boost brain function just like blues, but can also help with liver and kidney detoxification. 

Add red grapes and plums for a delicious sweet brain boost, and test your culinary skills with eggplants and purple cabbage. Eggplants, once cooked, have a wonderful creamy texture and can be used in place of pasta sheets to make lasagne. Purple cabbage makes a phenomenal sauerkraut with all the benefits of its purple power and probiotics to boot. 

The Smart Start 

We’ll talk about gorgeous greens next time, but for now the take home message should be this: a rainbow of fruit and vegetables in your diet is one of the best ways to fight the ageing process, feel great and ensure every meal is fun and exciting. It’s win win!