November 2023
LASER-FOCUS FOODS
You could be working smarter. Snack your way to improved mental clarity and defeat the dreaded 3 PM crash.
What do scientists say about how to eat to maintain focus and energy through a demanding day? Science can be contentious, but here, experts offer tips on optimizing meals and snacks.
Get off the Blood Sugar Roller Coaster. One of the most crucial factors in maximizing mental processing is keeping blood sugar on an even keel. If you’re not well-nourished, your brain is going to work a lot harder to focus. (Fun fact: our brains consume a full 20% of the body’s total energy.) Stick with glucose-steady meals and snacks of protein, fiber, complex carbohydrates, and healthy fat. These nutrients will keep blood glucose steady while providing a variety of brain-boosting nutrients. Breakfast might be whole milk yogurt with berries and nuts or seeds, or eggs with spinach and feta. For lunch, a large salad that includes whole grains and lean protein. Skip refined carbohydrates from foods like pastries, pasta, and white rice, which send blood sugar spiking and then crashing. ** This practice will also help prevent type 2 diabetes.
Caffeine Confidently. In addition to coffee’s immediate impact on focus, a growing body of evidence shows that coffee drinkers tend to be healthier overall than non-coffee drinkers. Observational evidence even suggests that the drink protects against dementia. Coffee supports mental and physical performance, in addition to being full of brain-boosting polyphenols. Limit caffeinated beverages to before 10 AM so they don’t impact your night’s sleep. Caffeine has a half-life of 14 hours, meaning it stays in your system for 14 hours after ingestion. And if you know caffeine makes you jittery or nervous cut down or skip it altogether.
Join Club Med. (Mediterranean Diet, that is.) No single nutrient is key to focus but we do have a clear picture of foods that keeps our brains operating at peak performance over the long-term. Over the years, nutrition research has shifted from nutrient-based research to food-based and dietary pattern-based research. There is strong scientific support for the brain-boosting power of the Mediterranean diet, rich in whole grains, vegetables, nuts, seeds, fruits and fish. Among the chemicals believed to play a role in brain health are pigments called carotenoids, found in brightly colored fruits and vegetables; omega-3 fatty acids from fatty fish, ground chia seeds and walnuts; and creatine and choline from animal products.
Honorable Mention. All the experts stressed that an eating pattern that prioritizes whole, unprocessed foods is more important for peak cognition than seeking out any one nutrient. But again and again, two foods come up as standouts. Berries are loaded with a class of chemicals called anthocyanins that appear to have major cognitive benefits. Studies show a relationship between blueberries and improved memory and brain function in the short term and protection against dementia in the long term. Leafy greens are a top source of nitrates, shown to increase blood flow to the brain, improving cognitive performance, as well as carotenoids, folate and vitamin C, all considered crucial for brain health. The “gut-brain axis”, the biochemical signaling between the brain and trillions of microbes residing in the digestive tract, further supports the importance of maxing out your lettuce and kale. Leafy greens bring fiber, and fiber is a critical nutrient for the gut microbiome.
If all of this seems a long way from your current workday diet, don’t scramble to change everything at once. Focus on one shift at a time, make that shift a permanent fixture in your diet, then move on to the next challenge. This is the way to success: one step at a time.
Read Dr. Uma Naidoo’s book: “This is Your Brain on Food”. Dr. Naidoo is Director of Nutritional and Metabolic Psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital.
Five Snacks to Power You Through the Afternoon Lull
Hard-boiled egg, clementine and decaf green tea. Eggs are a good source of lutein and zeaxanthin, nutrients shown to improve visual spatial processing and neural efficiency, plus choline, which the body uses to make the neurotransmitter acetylcholine. They are also a convenient protein go-to. Add a clementine for a hint of sweet and vitamin C, and decaf green tea with brain-boosting EGCG.
Blueberries and cheese. The evidence is good that over time, the anthocyanins in blueberries improve brain function. Pair with a few cubes of cheese for enough protein and fat to stave off hunger until dinner.
Nuts and dried fruit. Combining protein and fiber-rich nuts with a bit of sugar (fructose) from dried fruit will perk you up fast, then keep you full.
Hummus with celery and red peppers. Any fresh vegetable will offer antioxidants and fiber, but celery is particularly rich in lutein and folate, and red peppers are a top source of vitamin C. Hummus brings filling protein to the mix.
Dark chocolate with nuts. Cocoa delivers flavonoids which may increase blood flow to the brain, and magnesium, required to produce ATP, the main energy source for cells. Nuts such as almonds or hazelnuts blunt a blood-sugar spike.
Elizabeth G. Dunn; reprinted with permission from The Wall Street Journal