Nutrition - Brain Health - Supplements

[Wisp]

Hello, I am new to the forum so sorry if I am inadvertently rude in any way.

I've been doing some research on useful low impact supplements but its fairly difficult to find anything related to what I am looking for. My thought process is that those with a higher-IQ, fast thought speed or those with a radically different thinking process (I have all) will naturally have different nutritional needs to sustain good brain-health. I am not sure if I am on the spectrum (and I do not care to find out), but I figure that as this spectrum is so wildly varied that there has to be an expert on brain nutrition and common fuel that excessive thinking consumes; And so naturally I believe this forum is a great place to ask this question. I know that it is a little stereotypical to link ASD (and thus Aspergers) with a high-IQ, but the primary reason for posting here is that those on the spectrum think differently and thus likely to need supplements to fuel such thought.

So without further ado: What are some supplements that someone with a high-IQ would want to fuel their brain with? I believe that I need to either find a supplement or to change my lifestyle because of:

• Thoughts slowing down, multi-vitamins help, but not as much as I would like
- • this includes concentration, focus, perception and motivation
• Frequent headaches (I refuse not to think/ use brain even with headache)
- • Over-memorizing things has similar effect to above
• Severe over-thought has resulted in dim-vision and a blackout (once, without vitamins and have toned down over-thinking since)
• Insomnia, specifically trouble sleeping after over-taxing brain (oddly, vitamins help)
- • this leads to needing more sleep
- • said sleep being light (less impactful, typically dreamless, extremely easy to wake)
- • having a hard time functioning on previously 'normal' sleep amounts
- • a general worse performance including: Coordination, hand-eye, dexterity, Etcetera
• Caffeine losing effect, even after detoxing caffeine for months (I have a theory that caffeine simply helps draw out the specific nutrients needed, thus doing nothing when they are not present)

This is the gist of it. There is likely something I am leaving out, but this should be satisfactory to providing context to the question. Thank you in advance to any help received.

 

[kay]

I'm not sure I know exactly what you are talking about or asking but here is what I think about what I think you are saying/asking.

My brain over processes everything. At least it appears that way to me and I am convinced I need extra protein and lots of carbs combined. No science, just know that nothing helps me get through a long drive on a busy interstate better than a milkshake. Of course this just could be me justifying junk food. I tried coffee like other people and everything would still turn into a dangerous , groggy, blur. A milkshake? It's like taking a nap. Buys me at least two more hours of drive time. Maybe coffee doesn't work because the tired from driving isn't like the tired from not sleeping. Who knows, but I recommend chocolate milkshakes from Braums if you are fortunate enough to have one nearby.

B vitamins are good for one's nervous system. I have to have those.

 

[Wisp]

Protein is a good suggestion. I definitely do not eat it enough and I certainly don't snack often enough (I don't even eat breakfast!). Although I'm going to be a little irritated if it was just this simple all along~

Edit: OP is mostly asking about ways people with ASD get supplements for things like headaches or lack of focus. I wasn't sure how to go about it so I over-wrote it a little, I tend to do that

 

[Mary Anne]

Protein is a good suggestion. I definitely do not eat it enough and I certainly don't snack often enough (I don't even eat breakfast!). Although I'm going to be a little irritated if it was just this simple all along~

Edit: OP is mostly asking about ways people with ASD get supplements for things like headaches or lack of focus. I wasn't sure how to go about it so I over-wrote it a little, I tend to do that

Oh but it is...you have to fuel that fast runn8ng brain of yours with small frequent meals. I am talking micronutrient rich meals...not empty carbs, sugar, white flour foods, or any junk foods or processed foods.

You get a good juicers, or a blender (both prepare fresh foods differently so having both is a great idea.)

You eat fresh produce, like deeply colored fruits (blackberries, blueberries, cherries, strawberries), bananas and vegetables (broccoli, kale, spinach, and other dark nutrient dense greens). You eat nuts like walnuts, or almonds (I eat raw, soaked peanuts because it’s sleeping expensive), and seeds like flax, sunflower, and chia for the OMEGA good fats your brain needs. Add in carrots, garlic, onions, beets, and sweet potatoes. Limit your carbs, because they can make you sleepy and slow you down. Carbs should be brown rice, quinoa, barely type grains, steel cut oats...NOT white potatoes, or white rice. Bread is often not acceptable unless it has many multiple grains and seeds, and is from a healthy flour. Some people cannot eat anything wheat (me!) so I can not eat all those pastas, breads and crackers in stores.

You can quickly make nutritious fast tasty meals using a NutriBullet blender and combining these ingredients. You can buy healthy protein powders, and use a natural honey as sweetener.

Protein can include meat (if you eat it,) fish, poultry, beans, and there is a lot of protein in kale, and other deep rich greens. There is loads of protein in nuts and seeds.

I blenderise at least one “sweet” breakfast, and try to blenderise a savory “salad” daily. I addplain yogurt for the biological live enzymes beneficial to the gut. I also use 2% milk, though many nutritionists advise not doing any dairy at all.

All of this does not cost any more than eating the old junk food common way most people eat. You can prepare your smoothies and juices the night before work, and it’s so easy! You will feel great, more alert, and be in better health.

I still take supplements. I take valerian and melatonin at night for sleep. I take a good multivitim, a macular supplement for my eyes containing Lucien, a calcium supplement, and vitamin K to help the calcium absorb better into the body.

 

[Mary Lyn]

A nutrition dense plant based diet is the way to go, and even raw vegan. There are plenty of studies showing that this diet is optimal for health both physical and mental. A good brain require good gut bacteria and plants are the way to get them.