Food for Thought on making Thoughtful Food Choices

You probably know that there's nothing wise about french fries, but is there actually a meal that can make you smarter? I've discussed foods that can support virtually any organ in your body but what about the brain? Foods that support the brain help increase its metabolism, blood flow and functionality. Below is a list of the smart food A-listers that score an A+ when it comes to brain health.

• Chew the fat: Foods with healthy monosaturated fats support healthy blood flow, and despite popular opinion dietary cholesterol is actually good for the brain!  Foods like eggs and avacados give your body the right kinds of fat and cholesterol that support brain health and keep you body from producing blood cholesterol. Avacados containoleic acid, which helps to build the coating of insulation, known as myelin (found in white matter of the brain.) Myelin helps information travel at speeds of up to 200 miles per hour. Eggs contain DHA, an omega-3 fatty acid that helps to form connections between neurons.
• Cuckoo for Cacao: Don't get too excited, but those studies about chocolate being good for you-- there's probably some truth to them. That doesn't mean chowing down on Hershey bars will make you smarter (quite the contrary, actually); the health benefits in chocolate are only in the purest form of dark chocolate: cacao. Before all the sugar and dairy products are added, raw cacao can improve mood and cognitive function. The best way to get it is chocolate with 85% or more cacao or a 100% organic non-alkalized drinking cacao.
• Matcha? You betcha: The EGCG in Stone ground matcha green tea is up to 137 times greater than the amount of EGCG available from other commercially available green teas. This super powerful antioxidant has been found to boost the imuune system and is even being researched in treatments for HIV and Cancer. The reason matcha, a slightly sweet powdered tea added to water, is better than soaking a regular green tea bag is because you actually consume the plant, rather than just the extract from the plant.
• Super Salmon: This superfood makes our list of must-eat foods often, and with good reason. On top of being one of the best sources of essential fatty acids, wild salmon is an excellent souce of lean protein, low saturated fat, and minimally contaminated (again, if caught in the wild). Salmon can improve brain matter, mood, support healthy arteries and blood vessels, improve the look of your skin and hairm and reduce your risk of stroke and Alzheimer's. 
• Thanks a Latte: Coffee, yes coffee, has been shown to be beneficial to brain health. However, adding tons of milk, sugar, caramel, whipped cream, syrup, and sprinkles is not going to do you any good (at least as far as brain health is concerned).