5 Foods to Fuel Your Brain for Study or Work
- Kay Ovcharenko
- Jun 2, 2022
- 3 min read
If you feel like you’ve exhausted all your attempts to suppress the distractions of your surroundings, it's time to focus on what happens internally: your diet. Whether you’re a parent working and taking care of three kids or a student juggling six classes, it’s no secret that doing all that from a home office (or simply a desk) is difficult. How is anyone to focus with a TV playing loudly and a lawnmower right outside the window? You might feel completely hopeless, but luckily there are still a variety of tactics to better your work habits;
Many scientific studies have proved that certain foods you consume can actually promote your brain activity and drastically improve your focus.
#1 Berries
These delicious fruits are jam-packed with a variety of compounds that help to improve cognitive performance and the overall health of your brain. Berries such as blueberries, strawberries, and blackberries are especially high in flavonoid compounds called anthocyanins. These antioxidant rich substances increase blood flow to your brain, promoting learning and memory skills.
Eat berries straight, in a smoothie, or even frozen for a refreshing treat!
#2 Dark chocolate
Yup, chocolate. Cocoa products have an extremely high flavonoid content which has a major effect on your brain function. Eating dark chocolate can also help reduce any mental fatigue, improve blood flow to your brain, and boost memory and reaction time to different tasks. I don't know about you, but I’ll take any excuse to eat more chocolate!
There are so many ways you can enjoy this treat, from using it in your baked goods, to grating it over your morning oatmeal, or just taking a bite of a chocolate bar.
#3 Nuts
Nuts can basically be categorized as an extremely nutrient-dense snack that contains many vitamins and minerals vital to maintaining your brain’s health, like vitamin E and Zinc. They are great sources of healthy fat, protein, and fiber, and they help keep your energy up for those long work-day hours.
Chomp on some filling trail mix (maybe with dark chocolate and dried berries too) or even make your own nut butter, it’s easier than you think! Check out this amazing recipe if you're interested —> https://cookieandkate.com/homemade-almond-butter-recipe/
#4 Avocados
Avocados are a great versatile snack to keep you full, but they are also great at absorbing carotenoids which help to improve mental performance. One study found evidence suggesting that those who ate meals containing avocados for 12 weeks had increased blood levels of lutein (a carotenoid that positively influences brain function) and showed great improvements in accuracy on many mental examinations.
Avocado toast, guacamole, toss one in a smoothie, or even make Kourtney Kardashian’s 3 ingredient avocado pudding at the following link —> https://www.today.com/recipes/kourtney-kardashian-s-3-ingredient-avocado-pudding-t85836
#5 Eggs
Eggs help to boost your brain health, as they are filled with many nutrients like vitamin B12, choline, and selenium. They are known to improve visual and mental function, memory storage, and muscle function. Just make sure you’re eating the whole egg, yolk and all, and you’ll surely benefit from this food.
Scrambled, over-easy, hard boiled, poaches, sunny side up, must I go on?
The effect that diet has on mental fitness is often overlooked in lieu of the physical benefits of nutritious cuisine. Many people go through their whole lives unaware of the impact that their simple, everyday meals have on their cognition. Give the above foods a try to improve cognitive function. It's also to important to note that many mental ailments can be linked to diet—consult your doctor if need be!
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