Advertisement
Preparing food isn't just about filling your stomach
If you feel at home in the kitchen, planning and preparing nutritious meals, congratulations. You’re not only refueling your body. You’re stimulating your brain with the type of workout it needs to remain healthy.
Advertisement
Cleveland Clinic is a non-profit academic medical center. Advertising on our site helps support our mission. We do not endorse non-Cleveland Clinic products or services. Policy
“A nourishing, home-cooked meal, shared with friends or family, is a familiar activity that exercises the brain,” says Marwan Sabbagh, MD, Director of Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health. “It provides the nutrition our bodies crave and encourages social interaction, all of which are critical to preserving cognitive fitness.”
Many brain processes involved in getting dinner on the table are classified as executive functions, Dr. Sabbah says. That means they help us plan and control goal-directed thoughts and actions.
“Executive functions test our ability to organize, prioritize, sustain focus, solve problems, retrieve memories and multitask,” he explains. They are located principally in the prefrontal regions of the brain’s frontal lobe, with connections to other brain regions.
Hosting an intricate dinner party will surely tax your executive functioning, but smaller-scale meals demand equivalent skills:
Executive function also applies to another dimension: managing frustration and controlling emotions.
You may have to draw on these cognitive resources if your meal preparation goes awry or your dinner falls flat, despite your best efforts.
“Don’t despair,” Dr. Sabbah reassures. “Grace under pressure is just one more sign of a healthy brain!”
Advertisement
Learn more about our editorial process.
Advertisement
The benefits of iron span your whole body, from your blood and your brain to your immune system and more
The essential nutrient can benefit your immune system, eyes and skin while lowering disease risk
Packed with fiber and other nutrients, zucchini can boost your immune system and help you cut calories
Retroactive jealousy is often rooted in anxiety and insecurity — but there are steps you can take to help tame this green-eyed monster
Fostering romantic and/or sexual feelings for other people outside of your relationship can lead to long-term consequences
Reiki is an energy-healing practice that many people describe as deeply calming and therapeutic — but it shouldn’t be used in place of conventional treatments
Sourdough can be healthier than some other bread choices — but that doesn’t give it ‘health food’ status
A well-balanced diet of whole grains, salmon, leafy greens and more can help maintain energy and increase milk supply
Focus on your body’s metabolic set point by eating healthy foods, making exercise a part of your routine and reducing stress
PFAS chemicals may make life easier — but they aren’t always so easy on the human body
While there’s little risk in trying this hair care treatment, there isn’t much science to back up the claims