Diet and learning

 

You do not have to go crazy with this but in my own experience these are the things that make me perform better mentally. I am not a doctor and recommending these but they work for me. How I test this objectively? I play chess online. My rating will fluctuate by over 100 points either way depending on various factors including diet and supplements. Except for a multi vitamin which has a lot of anti oxidants I try not to go over board with pill popping. I think anti-oxidants do help prevent long run deterioration and help in healing. As mentioned in a previous post I had bleeding in my brain, and this affected the parts of my brain where there was bleeding; consequently, my cognitive function that corresponded to those parts that were affected. I tried various supplements to help, however, most just “jazzed up” cognitive function temporary. I think taking these supplements have little value. However, things that I think could have a long-term effect on healing the brain and improving mental function even after you stop taking them are as follows:

1) Fish (lots of the right protein, DHA essential fatty acids, nucleic acids etc. Fish is brain food) and avoiding too many carbohydrate (unless you are fairly active)

 2) High powered multi vitamin with 50mg of the b complex and an array of minerals and anti oxidants like grape seed extract or even co-q10 etc. This is the base.

What cheap things worked to help heal my brain? I have tried very expensive exotic sounding named supplements with great promises but they just jazzed up my brain while I took these. If you have hundreds of dollars and do not mind swallowing handfuls of pills, by all means. But the following best for me.

1) Pomegranate juice (The real stuff, not the sugar water reconstructed juice they sell in many stores). I make my own with a blender, its hard core like ‘Johnny Walker Black’ but I mix it with some grape or apples. I am an American living in Krakow, Poland and Pomegranates are quite plentiful and popular here. When I am in Lviv, Ukraine and bring back a suitcase full. What is in Pomegranates? I could explain it in technical terms but who cares, it works. I think it’s some specific anti oxidants. Pomegranate for me had a long term healing affect.

 2) Flax seed oil (cold pressed) Its a source of DHA. DHA really does work. Children’s brains get DHA from breast milk to nourish their brains.

 3) Lion’s mane mushrooms- it is suppose to have a nerve growth factor effect, and perhaps it does. I live in Poland, the land of rain and clouds and consequently mushrooms, so I just grow them here along with basil and rosemary etc. Why should I pay 50 dollars a bottle for the pills when I just grow these? Again this seems to have helped my cognitive function. Now how does this relate to language learning? I think these things help support learning and brain growth in general. You do not have to get ritualistic about it, just if you like Pomegranate juice drink it etc. My experience is that it really helped my chess ranking and language learning.

At one point in your life neuro genesis occurred, and another point in your life there was a pruning of cells which consequently limited your ability to speak a language as a native. Neuro science is now looking for some alchemistic elixir that would reproduce neuro genesis to help those with strokes and paralysis, and I hope they find this, it would have implications for language learning as well. But until that time, the best way to learn a language is with your own blood, sweat and tears and maybe a little pomegranate on the side.

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