8 Ways to Nurture Your Child's Brain for Peak Performance

When we consider the importance of brain health on a growing child, and how fast his brain is developing, making sure he gets a healthy diet is critical to his brain's health. 

Not only that but when a child studies, he has to concentrate well so he can keep a train of thought going and retain what he's learned in his memory. 

You should pray for a healthy mind in a healthy body.
— Roman poet, Juvenal

Since his brain uses 20% of his body's energy, you can see why a child who does not get enough sleep or eats a lot of sugar might not do so well during the day.

Especially when he is expected to sit quietly and work out a grammar or a math problem! 

Knowing what foods are vital to a growing brain will optimize your child's brain power, keep him healthier, and make learning easier.

1. Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Omega-3 fatty acids build brain cells and as your child's brain is developing, omega-3 fatty acids are critical to good brain development.  

A 2017 study shows that people who have more omega-3 fatty acids in their body also have more oxygen in their brains. Oxygen helps to increase our energy levels as well as improve thinking skills. 

For foods that are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, you want to make sure your children have oily fish in their diet, such as tuna, sardines, and salmon; nuts, such as walnuts, pecans, pistachio, and macadamia; seeds such as flax and chia. 

2. Dark Chocolate

Most children prefer milk chocolate because it's sweeter. But on the occasion when you let your children have sweets, developing a taste for dark chocolate would be better for their brains. 

Chocolate contains flavonoids which appear to be good for the brain in relation to memory and learning. There is evidence that chocolate edibles with at least 70% chocolate supports brain plasticity. With each new thing a child learns, a neural connection is made in the brain allowing the brain to grow and develop. 

A fun fact for your child is that some research suggests that dark chocolate may reverse memory problems in snails!

3. Berries 

Berries are another important food which contain flavonoids and help to nourish the brain. Berries that are particularly helpful are strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, mulberries, and elderberries.

(Check out the recipe for immune-enhancing elderberry syrup here.)

It is health that is real wealth and not pieces of gold and silver.
— Mahatma Ghandi

4. Nuts and Seeds

Nuts and seeds, in addition to containing Omega-3 fatty acids, also contain vitamin E which is known to protect the brain and keep it healthy. 

Nuts and seeds high in vitamin E include sunflower, almonds, and hazelnuts, and peanuts (technically speaking,  peanuts are a legume).

5. Whole Grains

Whole grains contain high amounts of vitamin E. Some grains with higher amounts include brown rice, barley, oatmeal, bulgur, and quinoa.

6. Dark Green Leafy Vegetables

Dark green leafy vegetables contain amino acids, which are the building blocks of protein, plus they contain lots of vitamins and minerals which are all critical for a healthy brain. 

7. Protein

In part, the brain is made up of protein which makes adequate protein an important factor in maintaining brain health, especially for growing children,

Some good sources of protein are eggs, almonds, chicken breast, cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, milk, lentils, fish, quinoa, and pumpkin seeds. 

8. Supplements for the Brain

If you provide a healthy, balanced diet for your children, you should be able to avoid giving them supplements, but one supplement that is helpful to brain health is Cod Liver oil. 

Cod liver oil is rich in omega-3 fatty acids as well as vitamin A and D. It may support stronger bones as well as brain health and is an overall tonic to the body. 

It has been used for health purposes since the 18th century, so it is a well-tested supplemental food for the body too!

In conclusion, if you include these foods in your children's diet on a regular basis, you will raise a child who is healthy, has better focus, and is able to maximize the power of his brain. 

Upcoming FREE Webinar! How to Raise a Reader with Liz Hanson

Don’t miss our free download, Ten Books Every Well-Educated Child Should Read.

When you join the Smart Homeschooler Academy online course for parents, Liz will share her 6-step framework to raise children of higher intelligence, critical thinking, and of better character.

As a homeschooler, you will never have to worry about failing your children, because working with Liz, you will feel confident, calm, and motivated. She also provides you with the tools and support you need to homeschool successfully.

Teach your child to read before sending him to school! Learn more about Elizabeth's unique course, How to Teach Your Child to Read and Raise a Child Who Loves to Read.

For parents of children under age seven who would like to prepare their child for social and academic success, please begin with Elizabeth’s singular online course, Raise Your Child to Thrive in Life and Excel in Learning.

Elizabeth Y. Hanson is a homeschooling thought-leader and the founder of Smart Homeschooler.

As an Educator, Homeschool Emerita, Writer, and Love and Leadership Certified Parenting Coach, she has 21+ years of experience working in education.

Developing a comprehensive understanding of how to raise and educate a child, based on tradition and modern research, and she devotes her time to helping parents to get it right.

Elizabeth is available for one-on-one consultations as needed.

"I know Elizabeth Y. Hanson as a remarkably intelligent, highly sensitive woman with a moral nature and deep insight into differences between schooling and education. Elizabeth's mastery of current educational difficulties is a testimony to her comprehensive understanding of the competing worlds of schooling and education. She has a good heart and a good head. What more can I say?”

John Taylor Gatto Distinguished educator, public speaker, and best-selling author of Dumbing Us Down: The Hidden Curriculum of Compulsory Schooling

How Important Is Having a Strong Vocabulary?

The Loss of Vocabulary

John Holt, who was an educator and prominent voice in the criticisms of modern education, pointed out that a first-grader's reading book in the 20th century contained 75% less vocabulary than a first-grade reader's book did in the 19th century.

Naturally, we wonder why this is so. But we also have to ask ourselves, "What  effect does a reduced vocabulary have on our minds and the quality of our lives?"

Does it even matter?

You bet it does!

Language Development

Language skills include building a large vocabulary. If you've ever lived in a foreign country and needed to speak a second language, you know how much easier it is to communicate with each new word you learn. 

The sooner children begin to develop their vocabularies, the better positioned they will be to do well academically as well as enjoying the fruits of reading good literature as well as strengthening their minds, which, in turn,  contributes to increasing their intelligence.

The limits of my language are the limits of my universe.
— Goethe

Literature

Many people cannot read difficult literature because they don't have the vocabulary that's required to comprehend what is being read.

If they can't comprehend what is being read, then they need to rely on third-hand parties to tell them what opinions and beliefs to hold. Without this skill, they will not be able to think independently. 

As far as school is concerned, children without good vocabularies will be challenged by school assignments that require competent reading skills.

They will also find it difficult to score high on college entrance exams, preventing them from entry into an upper-tiered college which equates with less promising  job opportunities and lower wages. 

Communication

A problem we face today is the inability for people to express themselves clearly and effectively because their language skills are so poor.

While poor language skills are a direct effect of a sub-standard educational system and dumbed-down environments, children need parents who can supplement their learning at home, so they do develop the necessary skills to communicate effectively.

Poor communication skills lead to all sorts of problems in relationships whether they be with parents, siblings, spouses, friends, employers, or employees.

Problems arise from misunderstandings that can lead to disastrous results including divorce, poor job performance, difficult family relationships, etc. 

The more effective communication skills your child can develop, the more successful his interpersonal relationships will be. 

He was telling an interesting anecdote full of exciting words like “encyclopedia” and “rhododendron”.
— A.A. Milne

Thinking

Words are the means by which we think. The larger our vocabulary, the deeper our ability to think.

People who have larger vocabularies will read more, and they will think at deeper levels. By thinking at deeper levels, I mean that they will be able to enter into the world of ideas, of original thought, of understanding human nature and the world we live in. 

Warning: Vocabulary workbooks are boring and not the way we help our children build strong vocabularies!

Upcoming FREE Webinar! How to Raise a Reader with Liz Hanson

Don’t miss our free download, Ten Books Every Well-Educated Child Should Read.

When you join the Smart Homeschooler Academy online course for parents, Liz will share her 6-step framework to raise children of higher intelligence, critical thinking, and of better character.

As a homeschooler, you will never have to worry about failing your children, because working with Liz, you will feel confident, calm, and motivated. She also provides you with the tools and support you need to homeschool successfully.

Teach your child to read before sending him to school! Learn more about Elizabeth's unique course, How to Teach Your Child to Read and Raise a Child Who Loves to Read.

For parents of children under age seven who would like to prepare their child for social and academic success, please begin with Elizabeth’s singular online course, Raise Your Child to Thrive in Life and Excel in Learning.

Elizabeth Y. Hanson is a homeschooling thought-leader and the founder of Smart Homeschooler.

As an Educator, Homeschool Emerita, Writer, and Love and Leadership Certified Parenting Coach, she has 21+ years of experience working in education.

Developing a comprehensive understanding of how to raise and educate a child, based on tradition and modern research, and she devotes her time to helping parents to get it right.

Elizabeth is available for one-on-one consultations as needed.

"I know Elizabeth Y. Hanson as a remarkably intelligent, highly sensitive woman with a moral nature and deep insight into differences between schooling and education. Elizabeth's mastery of current educational difficulties is a testimony to her comprehensive understanding of the competing worlds of schooling and education. She has a good heart and a good head. What more can I say?”

John Taylor Gatto Distinguished educator, public speaker, and best-selling author of Dumbing Us Down: The Hidden Curriculum of Compulsory Schooling