To give your brain the healthiest fuel boost to start any day, envision a rainbow of vibrant food colors. Think a healthy bowl of red raspberries, green sliced kiwis and yellow chunks of sweet pineapple, with a big dab of plain nonfat yogurt on top, sprinkled with toasted walnuts and flax seeds.
For an effective breakfast, include slow-release carbohydrates, like whole rolled porridge oats, whole grain bread, or low-sugar muesli, as they provide slow-release energy. Add a protein food, such as milk, yogurt, or eggs to keep you feeling full. These protein-rich foods can lead to greater mental alertness.
Breakfast Boosts Brain Power
Several studies suggest that eating breakfast may help children do better in school by improving memory, alertness, concentration, problem-solving ability, test scores, school attendance, and mood.
What are the foods that fight memory loss? Berries, fish, and leafy green vegetables are 3 of the best foods that fight memory loss. There's a mountain of evidence showing they support and protect brain health.
Oatmeal fuels the brain, satisfies hunger, and is also quite tasty, keeping your body and mind in full-force throughout the day. Oats also contain something called choline, which the body needs in order to produce a neurotransmitter called acetylcholine. Acetylcholine helps with both learning and memory.
Eggs are loaded with choline, a type of B-vitamin that can enhance memory and cognition. It's a component of phosphatidylcholine, a critical part of cell membranes, especially brain cells. To incorporate eggs into your meals, try deviled eggs, but mash the yolks with avocado instead of mayonnaise.
Research shows that the best brain foods are the same ones that protect your heart and blood vessels, including the following: Green, leafy vegetables. Leafy greens such as kale, spinach, collards, and broccoli are rich in brain-healthy nutrients like vitamin K, lutein, folate, and beta carotene.
Like vitamin D, vitamin B12 has so many mental benefits. Getting enough vitamin B12 may give you more energy, improve memory, and make learning new things easier.
Whole Grain Cereal with Milk: Whole grains are generally low in glycemic index (GI), which helps provide steady energy to the brain. In fact, one study reported that test takers who ate a lower GI oatmeal breakfast scored better on memory and cognition tests than when they ate a high glycemic matched meal.
White Bread and White Rice. Refined carbohydrates, even ones that don't taste super sweet, can spike your blood sugar. That's often followed by a crash, which can make you feel mentally foggy.
Studies show exercise temporarily boosts alertness, in part because of the accompanying rise in body temperature and the boost of blood to the brain. One study found that a mix of caffeine, bright light and face washing with cold water helped jump-start alertness after a short nap.
5- Almonds, Cashews, Pecans, Macadamia Nuts,and Walnuts
For example, walnuts are good for the brain because they have higher levels of DHA, which is important for brain health.
Opt for steel cut oatmeal, as this is far less processed than other oats, and top with other brain-boosting foods such as blueberries to further enhance mental function.
Yup, popcorn is a whole grain and, therefore, a top snack for keeping your brain sharp. In one study that followed nearly 140,000 adults for six years, those above 80 who ate the fewest whole grains had the highest risk of memory loss.