Your brain and body work in synergy. What affects your body plays a role in your brain functioning. Exercise, adequate hydration, sleep, and nutrition are four factors that improve your fitness and mental clarity. Nourishing your brain goes a step further by focusing on foods that boost brain health. The brain is 73 to 75% water, so adequate hydration is a must. If your brain feels fuzzy and you’re not thinking clearly, don’t reach for a cup of coffee. Instead, drink a cup of water. Often, mild dehydration makes you feel tired and mentally exhausted.
If water isn’t the solution, it’s time for coffee or green tea.
Skip the sugar and cream in both cases. Added sugar can add to the problem. All foods contain natural chemicals that may trigger bodily responses. Both green tea and coffee contain caffeine that boosts dopamine to make you feel good. Drinking a cup before exercise or before mental work can improve your performance. Drinking coffee reduces the risk of Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. Green tea has even more to offer. It contains the amino acid L-theanine. L-theanine can cross the blood-brain barrier and increase the neurotransmitter GABA to help you relax.
Feed your gut microbiome to help boost brain power.
Your gut microbiome contains viruses, fungi, bacteria, and other microbes. They break down the food to aid digestion and release nutrients to the body. They also create enzymes to aid bodily functions, including brain functions. Choosing food higher in fiber boosts the production of beneficial microbes. High-fiber foods like broccoli, blueberries, or oranges also contain other nutrients that prevent free radical damage. High levels of vitamin C from oranges and broccoli improve focus, memory, and decision-making. Foods with anthocyanins, such as blueberries, reduce inflammation and oxidative stress that negatively affects memory, cognitive functioning, and brain aging.
Snack on hard-boiled eggs or nuts for improved brain health.
You’ll get plenty of B vitamins from eggs. Eggs contain B6, B12, choline, and folate. These are vital for brain functioning. B6 helps make neurotransmitters that make your brain function better. B12 and folate improve cognitive functioning, as does choline. Nuts contain healthy fat and vitamin E that protect the brain. Eating both can help improve memory and reduce cognitive decline.
- OCD, ADD, and ADHD can affect mental clarity. Consuming a diet containing two-parts of omega-6 for every one-part omega-3 fatty acid can help. The average Western diet is closer to 16 to one. Foods high in omega-3 are fatty fish and walnuts.
- A little dark chocolate can please the palate and boost brain power. Dark chocolate containing a minimum of 70% cacao provides antioxidants and caffeine. The antioxidants protect the brain. Caffeine improves cognitive performance.
- Cinnamon can reduce the symptoms of ADHD and reduce irritability. Herbs like rosemary and sage boost mental clarity and improve cognitive functioning. Use them in teas and in cooking to enhance concentration.
- Cashews and other tree nuts, leafy green vegetables, whole grains, and fatty fish all contain magnesium. Magnesium can help reduce anxiety that can harm your mental clarity.
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