Page 190 - Mind Games The Aging Brain and How to Keep it Healthy

174 • Chapter 6

This is because the body needs more than 40 nutrients, and
no one food supplies them all. If you just glance at the pyra-
mid, it appears impossible to accommodate all of the rec-
ommendations in a single day. It may take some practice,
but it is doable!
Use these guidelines to select food for a typical day. Sev-
eral of the tiers recommend a range of servings. If you are
slight in build, choose the lower of the number ranges. If
you are big boned, select the higher. For example, we should
eat two to four servings of fruit per day. Small people
should choose two, and large people should choose four.
Complete the chart below: (We have filled in the morn-
ing snack as an example for you.)

Meats,
Poultry,
Bread, Milk, Fish, Fats,
Cereal,Rice Yogurt, Dry Beans, Oils,
Pasta Vegetables Fruit Cheese Eggs, Nuts Sweets
Meals (6–11) (3–5) (2–4) (2–3) (2–3) (sparingly)
Breakfast

Snack 1 carrot 1 glass
of milk

Lunch
Snack

Dinner

Snack

The brain uses biochemicals to perform cognitive func-
tions. It extracts these biochemicals from the foods we eat.
Various biochemicals are used to make you feel happy, an-
gry, relaxed, stressed, energized, or calm. Certain neuro-
transmitters, such as serotonin, assist with sleep regulation
and anxiety reduction. Serotonin is manufactured from the
amino acid tryptophan, which is found in protein-rich