The Brain Boost Diet Plan by Christine Bailey

A new book, released in the New Year, explains the foods we need to eat for optimal brain health. I cook from it and report back. 

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Remember in my predictions for 2018 I mentioned that we’d all start to think a lot more about our brain health? Well Christine Bailey has, in her new book, The Brain Boost Diet Plan. 

Our brains are highly complex, and it’s no wonder that we’ve recognised that some foods might benefit the brain and help it work efficiently, while others might not. Christine has come up with a 4-week diet plan that contains 100 recipes that are all low in sugar, gluten free and contain ingredients that are thought to help with brain function. 

In the beginning of the book, there’s a section on explaining why certain foods (for example gluten, sugar) are considered best avoided, and throughout the book and in the recipes you’ll see little snapshots of why a certain food has been included with tidbit info about its role in brain health. There are also mentions of lifestyle choices that can help, too, which I was pleased to see, as I’m a huge fan of a more holistic approach.

The Hot-Smoked Salmon, Pancetta and Dill Pesto Tart

I expected to cook a few recipes from the book, put it to one side and have it left on the bookshelf. But I didn’t. I cooked a few at first – the Feta, Herb and Olive Muffins and the Hot-Smoked Salmon, Pancetta and Dill Pesto Tart. The tart is made with a base of sliced sweet potatoes, which was both genius and easy to make. I went back to the shops to restock and we finished the week with Mediterranean Red Rice Salad with Pomegranate and Feta and a gorgeous Broccoli Pizza. Green Shakshuka followed, and I have a few more recipes marked to make, too. The great thing about this book is that the recipes are foods you would actually eat, and make again, so they’ll make it on your weekly meal plan. My kids loved the Broccoli Pizza, which surprised me, and I couldn’t get over the amount of veggies there are in one portion. Very tasty, and very do-able. 

Mediterranean Red Rice Salad

The meal plans for 4 weeks are set out for you, too, meaning you don’t have to think about what to eat on what day – you can just give your brain (and your body) a kick start for a month and follow the advice and plan given. And, once you’ve filled your body with these nourishing foods, I can tell you that you won’t want to eat any other way. 

Feta, Herb and Olive Muffins

If you’re concerned about your brain health (and, let’s face it, it applies to all of us) and your body, have a look at the book, which is available on Amazon here. Although I haven’t followed the 4-week plan (yet!) this will be a book I’ll be coming back to again and again and adding recipes to our weekly meal plan. 

Check out the book here. 
 

Have you read the book? What did you think? Which were your favourite recipes from it? Let me know in the comments below…