I might have mentioned before that I’d taken up French lessons, partly to distract myself from my increasingly empty nester status and partly because I have a not so secret desire to escape all this and live in Provence.  I’m also thinking that taking up a language must be good for the brain – particularly as I seem to have some scarily senior moments at times.  Perhaps surprisingly for one who’s been in to all things healthy,  I’ve not given my brain much consideration in the past – it’s the one organ I’ve very much taken for granted – it works, not as brilliantly as I would have liked, but here I am and not done too badly, thank you very much.  But I’m thinking that now I must focus a little – what are the nutrients that are good for the brain and what measures am I best adopting now to ensure good health in the future?

So, omega 3 essential fat is very important – found in oily fish and soybeans but also nuts and seeds. Green leafy vegetables, particularly spinach, cabbage, pak choi, celery, broccoli.  Also important, and here’s the link, is breakfast.  Low blood sugar can trigger brain fog so please don’t skip breakfast, for all sorts of reasons, but particularly for your brain.  Red and purple fruits are rich in antioxidants which help to slow memory decline so load this yognut with blackberries, blueberries, strawberries and raspberries. B vitamins are essential too and these are found in whole grains and nuts and seeds – and included in this recipe, walnuts which have the added benefit of a high omega 3 content.

So, whilst I’m disappointed not to be as fluent as I’d anticipated and I still can’t do the Times crossword or Sudoku, I can recall my children’s names and where I put my purse.  Most of the time.

Soak the nuts and dates in water overnight.  They will swell and expand and become softer.  Rinse well in fresh water.  Add to a blender – a high speed mixer works well for this as it gets rid of any graininess but others are fine if you don’t mind a slightly less smooth texture.

Add the water to the blender and blend until the mixture is as smooth as you can get it.  Add the lemon juice and blend again.

You’ll find that it’s a pretty shade of purple which, I think, is due to the walnuts.  It’s great for breakfast with berries and granola.  Will keep in the fridge for a few days.