The influence of adaptogens on the mind and mental abilities ranks alongside immunity and physical stamina as one of their most popular potentials. Most of them appear to offer at least some form of support for the mind, although the kind of support varies from one adaptogen to another.
Adaptogens such as ginseng, ashwagandha, dang shen, eleuthero, rhodiola, and schisandra are all believed to support overall brain function and mental clarity. In studies, it seems that some adaptogens have a positive effect on the amount and quality of mental work that subjects complete. Adaptogens like jiaogulan and cordyceps help support the central nervous system, while other adaptogens can offer more specific support when neurological problems come into play.
Adaptogens can have either a stimulating or a calming effect on the mind and mental processes. Asian ginseng and American ginseng are examples of adaptogens that stimulate the mental processes. Ashwagandha, cordyceps, and jiaogulan are known for being relaxing. Schisandra, on the other hand, is a bit of both. Other adaptogens may not have a noticeable stimulating or calming effect, but still enhance memory and learning.
A class of herbs known as nootropics seem to have a pronounced influence over cerebral function and combine beautifully with adaptogens. Well-known nootropics include bacopa, ginkgo, gotu kola, lavender, and rosemary. Although it is typically less familiar to everyday lay herbalists, white peony root (Paeonia lactiflora syn. P. albiflora) is another nootropic that supports memory, and is included in a few recipes throughout this book.
The recipes in this chapter include recipes for snacks, elixirs, and teas that make great accompaniments to work or study. Just remember not to burn the candle at both ends! Make sure you are supporting your brain with enough sleep, good food, and time for fun and relaxation instead of forcing yourself to run full steam ahead without a break in sight. Whip up a few of these snacks to have handy in the fridge or pantry when you need a mental boost.
Cinnamon Candied Walnuts with Eleuthero
So what makes good brain food? Nuts are pretty good mental fuel, thanks to selenium and other trace minerals and protein. Walnuts, in particular, have a high level of DHA, an omega fatty acid. Omega 3s are essential fatty acids that support the permeability of cell membranes in the brain and help your neurons communicate better!
Adding a little eleuthero to the spice blend brings adaptogens to the brain food party. This recipe comes together quickly once the nuts are toasted, so it’s an easy one to make even if you only have a few minutes to spare.
This recipe makes 4 servings. These candied walnuts are great on their own, or you can add them to a trail or snack mix, use them to top yogurt or a fruit salad, or even pair up with crackers and cheese.
Ingredients
Yields 4 servings
1 cup walnut halves
1 tablespoon butter
1⁄4 cup sugar
1⁄2 teaspoon powdered cinnamon
1 teaspoon powdered eleuthero
How to Make
1. Scatter the walnuts in a single layer on a baking sheet and toast in a 350°F oven for around 10 minutes, or to the level of toastiness that appeals to you. Once the walnuts are toasted to your liking, remove them from the oven and set them aside. This step enhances the flavor of the finished nuts and the texture, but if you prefer your walnuts raw you can skip this step.
2. While the walnuts toast, prepare a second baking sheet by lining it with a piece of parchment paper.
3. Place the butter and sugar into a medium-sized frying pan or saucepan over low heat. Use a spatula or wooden spoon to stir these two ingredients continuously until they have melted.
4. As soon as the ingredients have liquefied, sprinkle in the cinnamon and eleuthero while you continue to stir, so that the spices are evenly distributed into the sugar mixture.
5. Work quickly and stir the toasted walnuts into the mixture. Stir gently and continuously until they are evenly coated.
6. Spread the sugar-and-spice-coated walnuts onto the baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
7. Use a fork or spatula to make sure the walnuts are spread out and separated from one another while they cool. Otherwise they will clump together.
8. Once the walnuts have completely cooled, store them in an airtight container. Enjoy as a nibble during work or study time, or toss them into a trail mix for a brain boost on the go!
Sunpower Powder and Spread
Sunflower seeds are a good source of choline, a micronutrient that is important during brain development and also appears to play a role in healthy memory and brain function as you age.
To make Sunpower Spread, you’ll first need to make a batch of Sunpower Powder blend. You’ll want to keep a batch of this Sunpower Powder on hand to easily add it to sunflower seed or nut butters whenever you want an extra dose of adaptogens to enhance your mental prowess. For this powder, mild-flavored ginkgo and rhodiola pair up with spicy rosemary for an adaptogen plus nootropic combination that’s subtle and plays well with seed and nut butter.
For each cup of Sunpower Spread that you want to mix up, you will need 4 teaspoons of this blend. Those ratios will yield about 1⁄4 teaspoon of herbal blend (1 serving) per tablespoon of Sunpower Spread.
Sunpower Powder
Ingredients
Yields 1 cup powder (enough for 12 cups Sunpower Spread)
6 tablespoons powdered ginkgo leaves
4 tablespoons powdered rhodiola root
6 tablespoons powdered rosemary leaves
How to Make
1. Place the powdered ginkgo, rhodiola, and rosemary into a medium mixing bowl and stir them gently until they are evenly combined.
2. When the herbs are blended together, transfer the powder to an airtight container, label the container, and store in a cool, dark place until you are ready to use.
Sunpower Spread
Stir in 4 teaspoons of powder per cup of sunflower seed butter until well blended, or add 1⁄4–1⁄2 teaspoon of powder per serving in other recipes.
DIY Sunflower Seed Butter
A plain old PB and J (or peanut butter and banana!) sandwich is one of my favorite brainiac snacks, and this sunflower seed butter is a treat on a sandwich. Pair it up with your favorite whole-grain or gluten-free bread. It’s great on apple slices, too, and if you leave out the sugar I think it also pairs up nicely as a veggie dip with carrot sticks or celery.
Making sunflower seed butter at home is really easy, and the finished product tastes amazing. It’s nice to switch things up in place of peanut butter for a change of pace, and if you can buy sunflower seeds in bulk from your local co-op or health food store it’s also a really inexpensive option to make it yourself.
You can always use a store-bought seed or nut butter to make Sunpower Spread (see recipe in this chapter) if you are pressed for time, but you might enjoy making your own from scratch. All you need are some shelled sunflower seeds and a few minutes to work with a food processor.
Toasted seeds seem to work best for this, because the toasting process helps the oils release from the seeds so they can blend better in your average food processor. Toasting also adds a nice roasty flavor to the finished sunflower butter that I really enjoy, and I think you will, too!
Ingredients
Yields approximately 2 cups
3 cups sunflower seeds
1⁄4 cup sugar (or to taste) of your choice (optional)
Salt, to taste (optional)
2 tablespoons virgin coconut oil (optional)
How to Make
1. Spread the sunflower seeds onto a baking sheet with a rim and place them into a 350°F oven. It can take up to 20 minutes for them to toast properly, so keep an eye on them and stir every 10 minutes or so to get a feel for how they are doing. You want them to be golden brown and have a nutty smell.
2. Once the seeds are toasted, let them cool for 5–10 minutes, then transfer them to the bowl of a food processor. You will want the S-blade attachment on your food processor to make your seed butter.
3. Put the lid on the food processor and start grinding the seeds. It will take a little while before the butter starts to come together, perhaps as long as 5 minutes, so just be patient and go with it. I usually pulse for a few minutes and then turn it on while I work on other things. First, the seeds will grind down into a meal, and then the meal will start to become sticky and clump together. Keep processing, and after that the seeds will get to the butter stage.
4. Once the seeds have attained the perfect creamy, spreadable consistency, add sugar, salt, or coconut oil (if desired) and process another 1–2 minutes so that all the ingredients come together. If you are making Sunpower Spread, now is also the time to add 8 teaspoons (roughly 21⁄2 tablespoons) of Sunpower Powder.
5. Store the sunflower butter in an airtight container in the refrigerator until you are ready to use it. A serving of Sunpower Spread is 1–2 tablespoons. Enjoy as a spread on bread or crackers, or as a fruit or veggie dip.
Food for Thought Chia Puddings
Chia seeds are a great source of protein and omega 3s, both of which are excellent ingredients for brain health. Plus, when you add liquid and allow them to gel they have a fun texture that makes a great, no-fuss pudding. Similar to flaxseed, chia seeds will “gel” with soluble fiber when exposed to liquids. Unlike flax, the seeds are barely noticeable in the finished gel, which makes chia a great option for breakfasts and snacks.
Three tablespoons of chia seeds usually sets up as a nice thick pudding in each of the following recipes, but if you find that your pudding is still a little thin, stir in another 1⁄2 tablespoon and wait for 15 minutes to see how it sets up. If you add more chia seeds to these recipes, be sure not to skip that 15-minute rest. Eating chia before it gels can be uncomfortable—they can start to expand when mixed with your saliva or the other liquids and be difficult to swallow as they keep expanding on the way down.
Chia pudding is the ultimate snack, dessert, or breakfast for busy people because it doesn’t mind being thrown together in a hurry and then being left unsupervised overnight. Seriously—mix the ingredients together, let them sit in the refrigerator overnight so the chia seeds have a chance to gel, and you have a nutritious food ready when you wake up. Here are three super-easy chia pudding recipes that include adaptogens.
All of these recipes make a single serving, but you can easily double or quadruple the recipe if you want to share or want to make ahead. You can even experiment with using different flavoring ingredients or other adaptogens besides the ones listed. My standard recipe formula for these is 3 tablespoons of chia seeds per 1 cup of liquid. If you already have a favorite chia pudding recipe, why not try adding your favorite adaptogen to the mix?
Raspberry and Rhodiola Chia Yogurt
Rhodiola is supportive for depressed mental states and helps you feel alert. It’s been studied for its ability to enhance learning and improve memory, so that’s what I chose it as the main ingredient for this recipe. I also just happen to like the taste of rhodiola and raspberries together!
Then again, I really like the taste of rhodiola even by itself. It’s a little bit floral and is especially reminiscent of roses (hence its other name, roseroot). On its own, it’s a little bitter, but not unpleasantly so. The taste of rhodiola isn’t actually very noticeable in this particular recipe because the raspberries take center stage, but it is still there if you pay attention: just a hint of roses. And face it, raspberries are sassy and classy, and it’s pretty hard to stay in a funk with something this fun in your mouth. So perk up and enjoy your raspberry and rhodiola chia pudding!
Ingredients
Yields 1 serving
1⁄2 cup milk or vanilla-flavored plant milk
1⁄2 cup vanilla Greek yogurt
1⁄4 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
1⁄4 teaspoon rhodiola root powder
1 tablespoon sweetening syrup of your choice: honey, agave, or maple syrup
3 tablespoons chia seeds
Raspberries (fresh if possible, but frozen berries also work)
Pistachios, for garnish (optional)
How to Make
1. Whisk together the milk or plant milk, Greek yogurt, vanilla extract, rhodiola root powder, and sweetening syrup of your choice. Feel free to do this in a serving vessel if you are making a single serving. There’s really no need to dirty an extra dish.
2. Whisk in the chia seeds.
3. Cover the bowl and put it in the refrigerator overnight.
4. In the morning, toss in a handful of fresh or frozen raspberries, top with some pistachios for crunch and extra protein, and enjoy!
Matcha and Peach Chia Seed Pudding with Gynostemma
I’m a Southern girl, so I love peaches, and I also love tea. My taste in tea has extended well beyond the regional fixation on sweet tea, though, so for this recipe you will find that matcha green tea pairs up delightfully well with fresh or frozen peaches and pecans for this chia bowl. Jiaogulan is mild, like nettles or green tea, so it won’t compete with the matcha and peaches. Yum! You can also leave the fruit out for a more purely green tea experience. If you aren’t feeling the Southern theme, try topping this bowl with shredded coconut, toasted buckwheat, or almond slivers instead of pecans.
Ingredients
Yields 1 serving
1 cup milk or plant milk
2 teaspoons honey
1⁄2 teaspoon matcha powder
1⁄4 teaspoon jiaogulan powder
3 tablespoons chia seeds
Toppings: fresh or frozen peaches and pecan pieces
How to Make
1. In a cereal-sized bowl, whisk together the milk, honey, matcha powder, and jiaogulan powder. Add in the chia seeds and whisk until everything is combined.
2. Cover the bowl and allow it to rest in the refrigerator overnight.
3. Before serving this pudding, top it with peach slices and pecans, or other nutritional crunchies such as coconut, toasted buckwheat, or almond slivers.
Ultimate Choco Chia Dessert Pudding
This chia pudding recipe is my excuse to eat chocolate for breakfast. Not that I really need an excuse (being an adult is pretty awesome), but it does make a nice incentive for eating breakfast on days when I’d really rather not. That’s when the optional granola in the ingredient list comes in handy. Chia seeds are a good breakfast food, but granola definitely puts this on the list of valid and acceptable breakfast options. Usually, I’m only tempted to skip breakfast when I’m in a rush, so I make this the night before a busy day and grab it on my way out the door.
When I’m feeling more like an adult and less like I need to bribe myself to eat breakfast, this recipe makes a nice less-guilt dessert option, sans granola.
The rich chocolatey flavor hides some of the less palatable adaptogens surprisingly well, so feel free to experiment with the adaptogens you prefer to support your mental prowess. Use 1⁄4 teaspoon of powdered adaptogens total per serving.
Ingredients
Yields 1 serving
1 cup milk or plant milk
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
2 tablespoons organic chocolate syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Dash sea salt (optional)
3 tablespoons chia seeds
1⁄4 teaspoon shatavari powder
Cacao nibs and granola (optional)
How to Make
1. Whisk together the milk, cocoa powder, organic chocolate syrup, vanilla extract, salt, chia seeds, and shatavari powder in a serving bowl.
2. Place the pudding into the refrigerator overnight.
3. In the morning (or later in the day as a snack or dessert), add a handful of cacao nibs and granola to your pudding and enjoy!
Chili Lime Pistachios with Dang Shen (aka Dang Good Pistachios)
Dang shen, or codonopsis, is often described as being a milder alternative to ginseng. It has an overall mild and pleasant taste (I’ve heard that the fresh roots taste even better), and is ideal for gentle cognitive support. This recipe helps keep your brain food repertoire interesting with a zesty, spicy chili lime seasoning. These pistachios are good on their own or in trail mix, but they would also be really wonderful as a topping on a Southwestern theme salad.
Dang shen also has digestive system benefits and helps to improve digestion and the absorption of nutrients.
Ingredients
Yields 4 servings
1 cup shelled pistachios
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1⁄8 teaspoon cayenne pepper powder (optional)
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon powdered dang shen
1⁄8 teaspoon sea salt
How to Make
1. Place the pistachios in a medium mixing bowl and set them aside. Preheat your oven to 350°F. You will also want to line a baking sheet with parchment paper and keep it handy while you work.
2. Next, prepare the seasonings for the pistachios: Combine the sesame oil, honey, lime juice, garlic powder, cayenne powder, sugar, dang shen, and sea salt in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir gently until all of the ingredients have melted together.
3. Drizzle the mixture over the pistachios. Toss them gently to make sure they are evenly coated.
4. Spread the pistachios onto the lined baking tray, and bake them for around 20 minutes. Be sure to stir them at the 10-minute mark so they don’t burn.
5. Remove the baking tray from the oven and allow the pistachios to cool. Store them in an airtight container.
Brain Goo
When your brain feels like it’s turning to mush from too much mental work or study, try some Brain Goo to get back in the groove. Rhodiola appears to support memorization and the ability to concentrate, and schisandra has your back with a simultaneous calming and focusing action. Add nootropics like gotu kola and ginkgo and you will be back to your books or projects with ease.
The technique for making a glycerite is very similar to making a vodka extract, but the end result is alcohol free, sweetish, and a bit gooey. Instead of using alcohol to extract the herbs, though, you will use a clear, viscous syrup called glycerin. Most of the time, you will need to add a little water to pre-moisten dried herbs when you make a glycerite so that the glycerin can do a better job as an extract. Otherwise the herbs will be too dry to extract well.
But what exactly is glycerin, besides a thick, clear syrup you can buy at the health food store? To understand glycerin, you need to know that most fats are triglycerides, which use glycerol and three fatty acids as their building blocks. Glycerin can be obtained by breaking down plant or animal fats. It’s actually a byproduct of soap making, and commercial soap companies separate and distill the glycerin for resale.
Glycerin is sometimes used in foods and baked goods as a sweetener or to help keep foods moist because it is hygroscopic (meaning it attracts and holds moisture to the finished product to improve the texture and so that it doesn’t dry out). Even though glycerin tastes sweet it doesn’t raise blood sugar levels. In cosmetics, it’s sometimes used as a humectant. You should make sure your glycerin is food grade if you are making an herbal glycerite.
The final product will be green and have a novel, slimy appeal . . . just kidding! It’s actually only a little thicker than you might expect. A serving size is 60 drops, or about a 1⁄2 teaspoon.
Ingredients
Yields approximately 31⁄2 ounces (40 servings)
3 ounces veggie glycerin
1 ounce water
2 teaspoons powdered rhodiola root
2 teaspoons powdered schisandra berry
2 teaspoons gotu kola
How to Make
1. Pour the glycerin and water into a 16-ounce jar and fasten the lid securely. Shake the jar until the glycerin and water are completely combined.
2. Add the powdered rhodiola root, schisandra berry, and gotu kola to the glycerin and water mixture.
3. Place the lid on the jar and shake it to combine the herbs and the liquid.
4. Let the glycerin and herbs macerate for 4 weeks. Give the jar a gentle shake every day.
5. At the end of 4 weeks, strain the herbs through a mesh sieve lined with a coffee filter or a jelly-making bag.
6. Bottle and label for use. Your glycerite should be shelf stable for 1–2 years.
Thinking Cup
Personally, I like a little caffeine when I’m working on a project that requires my thinking cap, and thus was Thinking Cup created.
I find that coffee will make me jittery but green tea has the perfect amount to help me focus and get the creative juices flowing. For reference, a cup of green tea can contain up to 70mg of caffeine, while a cup of coffee can have as much as 250mg of caffeine. Some people are more sensitive to the effects of caffeine. If you would prefer to go sans caffeine, you can leave out the green tea and use green rooibos instead. It tastes great with either.
If you like, quadruple the batch and keep it in a pitcher in the refrigerator to serve cold in the summer. Gotu kola and jiaogulan have mild flavors that go nicely with green tea, and make for a pleasant sip warm or cold.
Ingredients
Yields 1 cup dried blend (48 servings)
1⁄3 cup jiaogulan
1⁄3 cup gotu kola
1⁄3 cup loose-leaf green tea or green rooibos
How to Make
1. Blend together the jiaogulan, gotu kola, and green tea or green rooibos, and store mixture in an airtight container in the pantry. Be sure to label it.
2. To make a tea, add 1 teaspoon of blend to a tea ball and place it in your favorite mug. Bring 1 cup of water to a boil, and pour the hot water into your cup.
3. Allow your tea to steep for 5–10 minutes, then remove the tea ball and sweeten your tea to taste.
Growing Jiaogulan
Jiaogulan makes a great houseplant or outdoor container plant. A curcurbit (related to the garden-variety cucumber, no less), this vine does best in part shade and is hardy down to about 20°F. It goes dormant in the winter, but you can expect a heavy harvest from a happy plant in the summer—it will send out plenty of tendrils in every direction! I have mine in a hanging basket and give it a home outside in the summer, but bring it indoors for winter. It doesn’t like to dry out and needs a weekly meal of compost tea as a fertilizer to do best. To make a simple compost tea, add enough compost (preferably from your own compost pile, but a bag of store-bought compost will do in a pinch) to fill a 1 gallon bucket 1⁄3 full. Add enough unchlorinated water to fill the bucket. Once a day for a week, stir the water and compost mixture. At the end of the week, your compost tea is ready and you can use it to water your jiaogulan! Your other container plants might appreciate it if you shared it with them, too.
Lavender and Schisandra Syrup and Soda
With a little seltzer this easy syrup recipe makes an unusual lemony soda that’s great when you are feeling too frazzled to concentrate. Lavender is a calming nervine, and schisandra is also calming to the nervous system. Schisandra supports focus and concentration, though, and with a bit of lemony zip to it, this soda won’t put you to sleep.
I’ve fondly started calling this one my “study soda” and it’s also been a hit when I have friends over and offer them some because I notice that they’re feeling a bit stressed. It’s refreshing and calming at the same time.
Ingredients
Yields 11⁄2 cups syrup (12–24 servings)
16 ounces water
4 tablespoons schisandra berries
1 teaspoon lavender buds
1 cup sugar
Juice from 1 medium lemon (2–3 tablespoons)
How to Make
1. Bring the water to a boil in a medium saucepan.
2. Add the schisandra berries to the boiling water and simmer over low heat for 20 minutes with the lid on. Turn off the heat and let the decoction steep for another 10 minutes.
3. Return the saucepan with the schisandra berries to the stovetop, and bring it to boil once more. Turn off the heat once more and add the lavender buds. Let the herbs steep for an additional 3–5 minutes before straining.
4. Measure the liquid in a heat-safe measuring cup, and add more water if needed to bring it back to 1 cup of liquid.
5. Return the tea to the saucepan and add the sugar.
6. Stir gently over low heat until the sugar has completely dissolved, and add the lemon juice.
7. Allow the syrup to cool, and store it in a glass canning jar in the refrigerator. It should be good for several weeks.
8. Stir 1–2 tablespoons of the Lavender and Schisandra Syrup into a glass of seltzer to create your schisandra soda.
Blackberry Brilliance Cordial
A cordial is made to be enjoyed in larger quantities than your typical elixir, so the herbal ingredient ratio is much lower but still enough to be potent per serving size. This one is formulated so you can enjoy it either alone or as a mixed drink, so the serving size is 1.5 fluid ounces, rather than the usual drop measurements of an elixir or extract.
Impress your guests at your next dinner party, salon, or creative gathering, or share with a friend before you settle in for your next take-over-the-world brainstorming session. A toast to your brilliance!
Ingredients
Yields 21 servings
2 tablespoons eleuthero powder
2 tablespoons rhodiola root powder
1 tablespoon white peony root powder
1 tablespoon dried rose petals
3 tablespoons chopped dried cherries
4 cups blackberry brandy
1 cup honey or agave nectar
How to Make
1. Combine the powdered eleuthero, rhodiola, and white peony, rose petals, and chopped dried cherries with the brandy in a jar. Cap the jar with a lid.
2. Leave the cordial for 2–6 weeks to infuse. Give the jar a shake every day to help extract all of the goodness.
3. When the time is up, filter the herbs and fruit from the brandy. Add the honey or agave syrup, bottle it, and label the bottle. Enjoy your cordial the way you would any brandy, either neat or as a base for an inventive mixed drink.
Combining Adaptogens
Most herbs play really well with other herbs, and adaptogens are no exception. Learning how to formulate herbs can include when and how to use herbs to make customized formulas for a certain individual based on his or her unique needs, as well as learning how to devise new formulas (or recipes!) meant to be used and enjoyed by many different people. Adaptogens combine very well with many other types of herbs and even with each other. Many of the recipes in this book contain adaptogens plus other types of herbs such as nervines or alteratives, or more than one kind of adaptogen. Even if you regularly take a certain adaptogen or have a particular favorite, it’s fine to add other adaptogens or herbs to your routine.
Brainiac Oxymel
Oxymels have an unusual sweet-and-sour taste that comes from blending apple cider vinegar with honey. I often enjoy my oxymels as a flavoring for water by adding a few teaspoons to a glass of water and sipping on it. It’s a fun way to add a little flavor and healthful benefits while you stay hydrated.
Ingredients
Yields 1⁄2 cup of oxymel (24 servings)
1⁄4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon powdered gotu kola
1⁄2 tablespoon powdered ashwagandha
1⁄4 teaspoon orange peel
1⁄4 cup honey
How to Make
1. Pour the vinegar into a glass jar and add the herbs and orange peel. Stir or shake everything (make sure to add the lid if you shake!) to combine all of the ingredients.
2. Pour the honey into the jar with the vinegar and herbs. Put the cap onto the jar, and give everything another good shake to dissolve the honey.
3. Label and date your oxymel. Store it in a dark place for 2–4 weeks, and give it a shake every day.
4. When the time is up and your oxymel is ready to use, you can either use it as is or strain the oxymel through a coffee filter to remove the powdered herbs.
5. To serve, add 1 teaspoon of the oxymel to 8 ounces of water. If you prefer, you can also dilute it into a 16-ounce glass of water. I prefer mine in cool water, but it’s also good over ice.
Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Rosemary
Your brain uses glucose—sugar—for energy. Too much sugar can make you feel sleepy, but adding enough complex carbohydrates to your diet keeps your brain happy. Some good sources of complex carbs are corn, peas, lentils, and (as in this recipe) sweet potatoes. The complex carbs in sweet potatoes make for good brain food. This recipe doesn’t call for many ingredients, but sometimes simple is better. These potatoes make a hearty, savory side dish or a snack. Add rosemary for flavor and brain health!
Ingredients
Yields 4 servings
4 medium sweet potatoes
2 tablespoons olive oil
Powdered rosemary, to taste
Salt and pepper, to taste
How to Make
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Peel the sweet potatoes and cut them into bite-sized pieces.
3. Spread the sweet potato pieces onto a baking tray and drizzle them with olive oil.
4. Sprinkle rosemary onto the sweet potatoes and put them in the oven for 30 minutes. Check the sweet potato pieces with a fork—if they are soft all the way through they are ready.
5. Remove the pan from the oven and season the sweet potatoes with a little salt and pepper to taste.
Colorful Foods
Serving fruits and veggies in a variety of colors makes mealtime more interesting, and is also important for brain health. All of those colors are the results of flavonoids. Flavonoids help the ability of neurons to create and re-form connections with one another, a trait called synaptic plasticity. They also may help fight inflammation and give blood flow a healthy boost.