Good news! Boffins have discovered that some foods can increase your brain power. Eating the right foods can improve your mood, help you think more clearly and sharpen your memory.
Which is great when it comes to school. The bad news is that you still have to do the work, but at least things can be a little easier. Here’s our tips how to eat yourself smarter.
Eat oily fish
Oily fish is king of brain food. As well as being a high in protein, it contains Omega-3 fatty acids, which are essential to keeping your brain working properly. If your diet lacks omega-3 fats it can lead to depression, poor memory and attention deficit disorder. The best fish to eat are salmon, sardines, trout, tuna, herring, mackerel and anchovies.
Eat breakfast every day
Yes, we’ve said it before, but we’ll say it again. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Starting your day with a piece of toast or a bowl of muesli or porridge can keep you going all morning so you won’t find yourself heading to the vending machine during your break time slump!
Eat healthy snacks
If you get hungry between meals, a healthy snack can give you the boost you need. Nuts, sunflower seeds, dried fruit or a healthy fruit and nut bar are a good option. Why not make your own fruit and nut mix – that way you’ll only have things you like. Experiment with adding different things –try a mix of sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, dried apricots, dried pineapple, dried coconut, cashew nuts, brazil nuts and walnuts for starters.
Or if you want to make your own granola mix, melt some honey (also thought to be good for your grey matter) in a saucepan over stove, turn the heat off and add a few cups of porridge oats (the jumbo oats are best for this) and a handful of your favourite seeds. Stir the mixture and lay it out thinly on a baking tray. Bake in a preheated oven at gas mark 4 (180C) until the mixture is dry and crunchy (about 10 mins). Let it cool and keep in an airtight jar. Yum!
Eat fruit
Fruit contains loads of vitamins that are good for your brain. Oranges, blackberries, bananas, kiwi fruit, strawberries, and blueberries are all particularly good.
Eat your veggies
Like fruit, veggies are rich in minerals and vitamins that will keep your brain in tip top condition. Broccoli, spinach, peppers, fennel, celery, courgettes, carrots, garlic, aubergine.
Make sure you’re getting enough iron
Iron is important to keep your blood healthy and for the development of your brain. Without it, you will feel tired easily and your immune system won’t be as strong. It’s important for when you’re having your period too! Spinach, apricots, chick peas, sesame seeds, red meat and brown bread are good sources.
A note about choccie and sweets
You don’t have to give up eating chocolate or sweets altogether – just eat them in moderation. Sweets and choccie bars are very high in refined sugar which means that when you eat them they get absorbed into the blood stream very quickly, giving you a ‘sugar rush’. The downside of this is that after the initial energy, your sugar levels come crashing down leaving you feeling more tired than you were before. So if you have a choccie bar after lunch you’re more likely to get that snoozy my-brain-doesn’t-work feeling an hour or so later.
But the good news is that choccie does have some nutritional value, it contains useful antioxidants but you'll find these more in dark than milk chocolate.
