Dawid Michalczyk wrote:
:: Dan wrote:
::: On 6/16/2005 5:46 AM, Dawid Michalczyk wrote:
:::: Dan wrote:
::::: On 6/15/2005 6:14 PM, Dawid Michalczyk wrote:
:::::: [email hidden] wrote:
::::::
::::::: Let's say I'll be participating in a competition of a mental
::::::: challange like Scrabble. This competition will be ongoing for
::::::: the whole day. I was wondering what I should eat for the period
::::::: in between, which is lunch. My understanding is that digestion
::::::: is a energy-consuming process
::::::: and will draw blood supply and oxygen from the brain to the
::::::: digestion system. That's why people can feel sleepy after lunch
::::::: but I cannot afford that if I want to do well in the
::::::: competition.
:::::::
::::::: So can anyone please tell me what I should take for lunch so
::::::: that it will not affect me mentally but instead could even help
::::::: me?
:::::::
::::::: Thank you.
:::::::
::::::: Kingsley
:::::::
:::::: These meals work great for me when I need brain power:
:::::: (Make sure you chew it well, just so it blends with the saliva.)
::::::
:::::: 1) 50-100g freshly harvested mung bean sprouts ( so the sprouted
:::::: tip is about an inch ) eaten with 2-3 freshly chopped carrots
:::::: and 15-25g raisins. I grow sprouts myself for maximum freshness.
::::::
:::::: 2) 200-300g lean chicken breast with low carb vegetables like
:::::: broccoli, a tomato and a cucumber.
::::::
:::::: 3) The following is FAR better then the two above but do it at
:::::: own risk. 300-400g of raw beef, must be at least hormone and
:::::: antibiotic free. Organic is best. Grass fed beef is especially
:::::: fantastic. Ground the beef if not already grounded, mix with
:::::: chopped leeks(25-50g) and a very small onion. You may add spices
:::::: if desired. Fantastic for long lasting mental alertness and well
:::::: being.
::::::
::::: One chicken breast filet (baked), 2 cups broccoli (steamed) , 1
::::: red pepper (steamed) always gives me a mental boost and energy.
::::: Don't know why, but it is a perfect meal for me.
::::
:::: It's because of the tyrosine amino acid found in chicken (and other
:::: meats) and the low carb meal. Tyrosine stimulates production of the
:::: neurotransmitters that spark mental performance. Additionally, the
:::: low carb content of the meal keeps another amino acid, called
:::: tryptophan, from acting in the opposite way of tyrosine.
::::
:::: Tryptophan (especially high in turkey meat) when combined with
:::: enough carbs in a meal, makes one sluggish and sleepy.
::::
:::: So basically, a low carb meal like steamed vegetables combined with
:::: lean meat cuts gives a good mental boost.
::::
:::
::: Would it make sense for me to take a tyrosine supplement pill in the
::: morning when I can't eat lean meat?
::
:: Personally I always prefer to rely on quality food rather then a
:: supplement pill. Perhaps tyrosine relies on several unknown factors
:: to make it work. Like certain nutrients that are always part of the
:: same food tyrosine is naturally part of. Human body is extremely
:: complex, so much is going on inside of us every single second.
:: Nobody knows for sure how things work and why. Which is one of the
:: reasons there is so much confusion, due to conflicting information,
:: in the nutrition today.
::
:: I would take tyrosine (or foods high in tyrosine) on occasions - when
:: you really need it. Like a school test or some other mentally
:: challenging work. If one starts taking it every day, one could become
:: addicted to it.
::
:: Foods high in tyrosine per 100g of food: (extracted from USDA
:: National Nutrient Database, not all foods are included only the ones
:: that interested me)
Yes, you forgot to mention the highest sources:
http://www.nutritiondata.com/foods-000087000000000000000-w.html
:: 1.776 Gms cheese_gruyere
:: 1.693 Gms cheese_swiss
:: 1.454 Gms cheese_gouda
:: 1.295 Gms cheese_blue
:: 1.197 Gms cheese_limburger
:: 1.188 Gms turkey_breast_meat
:: 1.182 Gms turkey_light_meat
:: 1.182 Gms cheese_monterey
:: 1.176 Gms rabbit
:: 1.129 Gms turkey_dark_meat
:: 1.123 Gms mozzarella_cheese
:: 1.123 Gms cheese_mozzarella
:: 1.115 Gms chicken_light_meat
:: 1.081 Gms elk
:: 1.077 Gms buffalo
:: 1.069 Gms deer
:: 1.049 Gms peanuts
:: 1.019 Gms pumpkin_seeds
:: 0.978 Gms chicken_breast_meat
:: 0.967 Gms beef_liver
:: 0.950 Gms chicken_dark_meat
:: 0.914 Gms bison
:: 0.878 Gms pinenuts
:: 0.859 Gms salmon
:: 0.828 Gms lamb_sirloin
:: 0.794 Gms beef_liver_raw
:: 0.771 Gms cod
:: 0.769 Gms chicken
:: 0.746 Gms eggs_raw_yolk
:: [...]
These are mostly animal foods and high insaturated fat, and they are
definitely not good for good mental performance as saturated fats make cell
membranes more stiff. Pinenuts, salmon and sesam seeds are fine. The
tyrosine content of mackerel is 869.1 mg/ 100g and mackerel is also high in
phosphatidylserine, which has been found to increase cognitive functions.
http://www.degussa-bioactives.com/bioactives/html/e/products/brands/lecips/phosphat_dietary.htm
Stress. 2004 Jun;7(2):119-26.
Effects of soy lecithin phosphatidic acid and phosphatidylserine complex
(PAS) on the endocrine and psychological responses to mental stress.
Hellhammer J, Fries E, Buss C, Engert V, Tuch A, Rutenberg D, Hellhammer D.
Neuropattern, Trier, Germany.
Phosphatidylserine, derived from cow brains, has been shown previously to
dampen the ACTH and cortisol response to physical stress. Further research
investigated the influence of soy lecithin phosphatidylserine
supplementation on mood and heart rate when faced with an acute stressor. In
this study, we investigated the effects of soy lecithin phosphatidic acid
and phosphatidylserine complex (PAS) supplementation on pituitary adrenal
reactivity (ACTH, cortisol) and on the psychological response (Spielberger
State Anxiety Inventory stress subscale) to a mental and emotional stressor.
Four groups of 20 subjects were treated for three weeks with daily dosages
of either 400 mg PAS, 600 mg PAS, 800 mg PAS, or placebo before exposure to
the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST). Treatment with 400 mg PAS resulted in a
pronounced blunting of both serum ACTH and cortisol, and salivary cortisol
responses to the TSST, but did not affect heart rate. The effect was not
seen with larger doses of PAS. With regard to the psychological response,
400 mg PAS seemed to exert a specific positive effect on emotional responses
to the TSST. While the placebo group showed the expected increase in
distress after the test, the group treated with 400 mg PAS showed decreased
distress. These data provide initial evidence for a selective stress
dampening effect of PAS on the pituitary-adrenal axis, suggesting the
potential of PAS in the treatment of stress related disorders. PMID:
15512856
Nutr Neurosci. 2001;4(3):169-78.
The influence of phosphatidylserine supplementation on mood and heart rate
when faced with an acute stressor.
Benton D, Donohoe RT, Sillance B, Nabb S.
Department of Psychology, University of Wales Swansea, United Kingdom.
There have been previous reports that supplements of phosphatidylserine (PS)
blunted the release of cortisol in response to exercise stress and that it
improved mood. The present study extended these observations by considering
whether PS supplementation influenced subjective feelings of stress and the
change in heart rate when a stressful mental arithmetic task was performed.
In young adults, with neuroticism scores above rather than below the median,
the taking of 300mg PS each day for a month was associated with feeling less
stressed and having a better mood. The study for the first time reports an
improvement in mood following PS supplementation in a sub-group of young
healthy adults. PMID: 11842886
--
Juhana
