We are what we eat.
Even though you might not become what you eat, your nutritional decisions impact your general health and productivity levels.
The brain consumes about 20% of the body’s calories, so it requires a lot of healthy sustenance to maintain focus and productivity throughout the day.
Having said that, brain health can be improved or maintained with quality brain food, increasing productivity.
Brain food supports brain health and helps your brain’s short- and long-term functions.
The question is: which brain food can help give you the fuel you need? In essence, the best nutrients for the brain include fruits, vegetables, and even chocolate (yes, chocolate!). Everyone can find something they enjoy! But first, let’s talk a little more about brain food.
What is brain food?
Brain food contains antioxidants, healthy fats, vitamins, and minerals. They give your brain power and vitality and support brain cells, which prevent the emergence of brain diseases.
But there is more – in addition to boosting brain power, brain food provides a foundation for optimal cognitive health. The human brain is constantly working, even at rest, and requires certain nutrients to stay sharp, adaptable and healthy. A lack of these nutrients can affect how well your brain processes information and its ability to store and retrieve it
Brain food also helps support your gut, producing essential hormones and neurotransmitters. These play a critical role in your brain’s cognitive functions, such as comprehending and processing new information, memory, concentration, and productivity.
Recent studies have shown that the gut and the brain are interconnected in what is known as the gut-brain axis. This would essentially mean that to have a healthy brain, it needs chemical signals from the gut. Foods containing probiotics, such as yoghurt, and prebiotics, such as bananas or garlic, help to nourish the gut and in turn support a sharper and more productive mind.
In essence, brain food doesn’t just fuel your thoughts – it’s a building block for your overall mental performance and long-term brain health.
Why brain food is so important for daily productivity?
Think of your brain as a high performance engine – it runs on fuel and the quality of that fuel is important. The brain needs a steady supply of glucose to stay energised, and brain food keeps your glucose levels stable throughout the day. Without it, you’re more likely to experience those dreaded energy crashes, brain fog or difficulty concentrating.
But brain food doesn’t just affect your concentration; it also affects your mood and the way you think. Ever notice how difficult it can be to remain composed under pressure or sharp during an important meeting when you haven’t been eating right? That’s because your brain is super sensitive to nutrient deficiencies, and when it’s running low, so are your mood, memory, and decision-making.
Interesting insight: the brain constantly repairs and builds pathways between cells. Nutrients like antioxidants and healthy fats make that process happen, which means that brain food isn’t just about energy-it’s about keeping your brain physically healthy. As we get older, good brain health today helps lower the risk of cognitive decline later on.
And last but not least, brain food works in a positive circle: The intake of nutrients keeps the energy up, which keeps productivity and focus possible. A good day translates into the feelings of accomplishment, which makes a person go on making good choices. Small, willful changes, such as passing up the processed snacks and going for the whole, brain-friendly options, can make room for great success over the long run.
To get you started, we’ve put together a Productivity Diet Plan full of some of the best brain-boosting foods. Let’s take a look at what you can put on your plate to get the most out of your concentration, memory and productivity.
Productivity diet plan by Chanty
Proper sleep and regular exercise are essential for a productive daytime routine, but eating a healthy diet is also important. Simply being mindful of what you eat and knowing what slows you down can help increase efficiency.
What we eat has a substantial impact on our performance!
Here’s an exclusive productivity diet plan by Chanty:
Best brain food to boost work productivity
What nutrients are best for brain power? To prevent cognitive decline and boost productivity, here are some of our top picks for your brain power:
Fatty fish
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Fatty fish is usually at the top of the list regarding brain food.
Fish like salmon, trout, albacore tuna, herring, and sardines are excellent sources of omega-3 fatty acids.
These fatty acids are necessary for learning and memory because our brain needs them to create brain and nerve cells.
Our brain is about 60% fat, and omega-3 fatty acids make up 50% of that fat.
Regular fish eaters have brains with more significant amounts of gray matter. The gray matter contains the majority of the nerve cells responsible for decision-making, memory, and feeling.
Overall, fatty fish is an excellent source of brain food.
Dark chocolate
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Cacao, also known as cocoa, is a component of dark chocolate.
Flavonoids are a type of antioxidant found in cacao and the brain appears to benefit from them a lot.
According to a review, they encourage neuron and blood vessel growth in parts of the brain involved in memory and learning. They could increase blood flow to the brain as well.
A study confirms that dark chocolate has positive effects on the brain. After participants consumed chocolate with at least 70% cacao, the researchers examined brain activity using imaging techniques.
The researchers concluded that eating this kind of dark chocolate could enhance brain plasticity, essential for learning, and have other positive effects on the brain.
Coffee
nbcnews.com
If drinking coffee helps you get out of bed in the morning, you’ll be happy to know that it is healthy.
Caffeine and antioxidants, two of coffee’s main ingredients, can support brain health.
It also helps with a heightened sense of awareness. Caffeine blocks the chemical messenger adenosine, making you sleepy and alerting your brain.
Additionally, some of your “feel-good” neurotransmitters, like dopamine, may be increased by caffeine.
Blueberries + other berries
culinarydietetics.com
Blueberries and other berries (such as strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, etc.) are fruits that experts advise consuming daily, proving that great things can come in small packages.
That’s because they taste like an all-natural candy with many tremendous advantages!
Firstly, blueberries are among the foods with the highest levels of antioxidants. They also contain fiber, vitamin C, and vitamin K.
Due to their high gallic acid content, blueberries are particularly effective at preventing brain aging, cognitive decline, and stress.
Turmeric
bicycling.com
Recently, there has been a lot of buzz about turmeric.
This dark yellow spice, a main component of curry powder, has many advantages for the brain.
The active component of turmeric, curcumin, has been demonstrated to cross the blood-brain barrier, allowing it to enter the brain and benefit its cells directly.
It is a potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant substance that has been connected to reducing depression. Serotonin and dopamine are increased by curcumin, both mood enhancers.
Curcumin increases brain-derived neurotrophic factor, a kind of growth hormone that promotes the development of brain cells.
The active ingredient in turmeric, curcumin, has potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties that benefit brain health.
Broccoli + other calciferous veggies
eatright.com
When your mother asked you to eat your broccoli, she was right.
In addition to closely related vegetables like cauliflower, kale, and Brussels sprouts, broccoli is one of the best sources of choline and vitamin K, which can help maintain memory function.
Just one cup of it gives you 150 percent of the recommended amount of vitamin C.
It also has a variety of phytonutrients that guard brain cells from oxidative stress.
Broccoli also contains a lot of fiber, so you’ll feel full quickly.
Pumpkin seeds
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Potent antioxidants in pumpkin seeds guard the body and brain against damage from free radicals.
Additionally, they are a great source of magnesium, iron, zinc, and copper.
The following food types are crucial for the health of the brain:
- Zinc plays a key role in nerve signaling. Numerous neurological conditions, such as Alzheimer’s disease, depression, and Parkinson’s disease, have been linked to zinc deficiency.
- Magnesium is necessary for memory and learning. Numerous neurological disorders, such as migraine, depression, and epilepsy, are associated with low magnesium levels.
- Your brain uses copper to help regulate nerve signals.
- The symptoms of iron deficiency frequently include brain fog and diminished brain function.
Copper, iron, magnesium, and zinc are just a few of the micronutrients that pumpkin seeds are exceptionally high in.
Nuts
healthline.com
Research shows that eating nuts can improve heart health indicators. A healthy heart is associated with a healthy brain.
Nuts’ benefits for brain health may be explained by several nutrients, including healthy fats, antioxidants, and vitamin E.
To help slow down mental decline, vitamin E shields cells from free-radical damage.
All nuts benefit your brain, but walnuts may have an edge because they contain anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids.
Vitamin E, good fats, and plant compounds are just a few of the nutrients found in nuts that can help your brain function better.
Oranges
pittmandavis.com
Eating one medium orange will provide nearly all the vitamin C required for the day.
This is crucial for maintaining brain health because vitamin C is vital in delaying mental decline.
According to one study, higher blood levels of vitamin C were linked to enhancements in focus, memory, attention, and decision-making tasks.
Strong antioxidants like vitamin C aid in the battle against free radicals that can harm brain cells. Plus, vitamin C supports brain health as you age.
Other brain food sources that contain significant amounts of vitamin C include bell peppers, guava, kiwi, tomatoes, and strawberries.
Oranges and other vitamin C-rich foods can help protect your brain from oxidative stress caused by free radicals.
Leafy greens
healthwire.com
Leafy greens are rich in nutrients that fend off burnout and cognitive decline, such as vitamin E, carotenoids, and flavonoids.
A further advantage is that they are a fantastic source of folate, a natural form of vitamin B9 crucial for producing red blood cells.
Increasing folate status has positive effects on cognitive function and is a crucial cofactor in the production of neurotransmitters, whereas folate deficiency may cause some neurological conditions.
Greens like spinach, Swiss chard, and dandelion greens are also high in folate.
What is your favorite brain food?
Numerous brain foods can support brain power.
Antioxidants are compounds found in some foods, including the fruits and vegetables on this list, tea, and coffee, that help shield the brain from harm.
Others, like nuts and eggs, have nutrients that help with memory and brain growth.
By thoughtfully including these types of brain food in your diet, you can enhance brain power and improve your productivity, alertness, memory, and mood.
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