Healthy food isn’t just delicious and nutritious. It’s been scientifically proven to provide benefits that can improve your workday, from boosting productivity to making you more engaged and energetic, stimulating creativity, and even boosting your mood.
So, what kind of foods should you keep in your lunchbox if you want to fuel your brain and supercharge your workday?
Here are 17 brain foods for boosting your professional performance.
1. Coffee and Tea
Let’s start off with some good news. If coffee is a staple item in your morning repertoire, then you’re in luck. Its two main components–caffeine and antioxidants–help in a number of ways:
- Increased alertness: Caffeine keeps your brain alert by blocking adenosine, a chemical messenger that makes you sleepy
- Improved mood: Caffeine may also boost some of your “feel-good” neurotransmitters, such as serotonin
- Sharpened concentration: One study found that when participants drank one large coffee in the morning or smaller amounts throughout the day, they were more effective at tasks that required concentration
It’s also worth noting that teas offer similar benefits.
Tea, like the Zest Tea we serve at The Post, offers us an amino acid called L-Theanine, which passes through the blood brain barrier alongside the caffeine. Instead of energizing, however, this amino acid has a calming effect. It increases levels of GABA, serotonin, and dopamine which promote feelings of calmness, alertness, and help you regulate your mood.
If you’re looking for a cup of coffee to kickstart your day (or re-energize your afternoon), we’ve got an endless supply in our cafe!
2. Berries
Berries are jam-packed with antioxidants which help reduce inflammation and oxidative stress. Even if you’re unsure what that means, don’t worry. All you need to know is that they have a ton of positive effects on your brain, including:
- Improving communication between brain cells
- Reducing inflammation throughout the body
- Increasing plasticity, which helps brain cells form new connections, boosting learning and memory
- Reducing or delaying age-related neurodegenerative diseases and cognitive decline
So, what types of berries do the trick? You can choose from:
- Strawberries
- Blackberries
- Blueberries
- Blackcurrants
That’s just to name a few!
3. Broccoli
We’ll keep this one short and sweet.
Broccoli is an incredible food because it’s packed with antioxidants as well as vitamin K, a fat-soluble vitamin that’s essential for forming sphingolipids, a type of fat that’s densely packed into brain cells.
4. Pumpkin Seeds
Pumpkin seeds, also known as pepitas, are chalk full of zinc, which is vital for enhancing mental agility and memory.
Even a quick handful of pumpkin seeds each day is all you need to get your fix of this powerful and important vitamin.
5. Dark Chocolate
Got a sweet tooth? Good news. Dark chocolate can actually support learning and memory as well as induce positive emotions.
This is largely attributable to some brain-boosting compounds in dark chocolate, including caffeine, antioxidants, and flavonoids–antioxidant compounds linked to mental performance.
As far as the mood boosting goes? Research is still up in the air about whether it’s because of the antioxidants or just because chocolate’s delicious.
6. Nuts
Nuts are delicious, but they’re also packed with nutrients including healthy fats, antioxidants, and vitamin E, which has been shown to shield cell membranes and slow mental decline.
Some of the best nuts include:
- Almonds and hazelnuts
- Peanuts
- Hazelnuts (these are extra good because they contain omega-3 fatty acids)
A handful is all you need!
7. Chickpeas
Chickpeas are a great source of minerals like magnesium which means they’ll deliver a healthy dose of brain fuel when you need it. Magnesium also speeds up message transmission in your brain, meaning you can think and react more quickly, and allows blood vessels to relax, which in turn feeds more blood to your brain.
8. Oranges
These citrus fruits are a tasty snack, but they also contain a power punch of vitamin C, which is a key factor in preventing mental decline.
9. Eggs
Eggs are a good source of several nutrients tied to brain health, including vitamins B6 and B12, folate, and choline, an important micronutrient that your body uses to create acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter that helps regulate mood and memory.
10. Tomatoes
Studies suggest that the powerful antioxidant lycopene, which is found in tomatoes, can help protect the brain from free radical damage. This promotes optimal brain function and makes it easier for you to stay dialed in throughout your workday.
11. Carrots
Carrots are great brain food because they contain high levels of a compound called luteolin. This compound has been shown to reduce age-related memory deficits and inflammation in the brain. Reducing inflammation in the brain is important because it can cause symptoms like fatigue and feelings of depression.
12. Beans
Did you ever hear anyone say, “beans, beans, the magical fruit”?
That’s because they’re a great source of complex carbohydrates and fiber, providing the brain with a steady supply of glucose without the risks of sugar spikes associated with many other sugar sources. They’re also rich in folate and essential omega fatty acids, nutrients critical to brain function.
Pro tip: Glucose often gets a bad rap because people associate it with “bad sugars.” But the truth is that the right type of glucose, like that found in beans, is actually important for your body.
13. Seaweed
Don’t think of it as seaweed. Think of it as nori!
Seaweed is an amazing brain food because it’s filled with omega 3 fatty acids and both soluble and insoluble fiber. It also contains folic acid, which has been shown to improve verbal and memory performance and is needed to make serotonin, aka “the feel-good chemical” that boosts your mood.
Believe it or not, seaweed chips are actually pretty tasty!
14. Kale
Leafy greens are well known to be a key part of a healthy diet, in part because they support brain health.
Kale is one of the most popular and is often referred to as a superfood because it’s filled with glucosinolates as well as antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals.
15. Quinoa
Speaking of superfoods, quinoa has long been on that list because it’s a great source of complex carbohydrates and fiber that help balance blood sugar (to avoid crashes) while providing essential glucose to your brain.
It’s also filled with iron, which helps keep your blood oxygenated and in turn keeping you alert, as well as B vitamins which are known to balance out your mood and protect your blood vessels.
16. Avocado
Avocados are a great (and delicious) way to support the brain because they’re a top-tier source of healthy unsaturated fat. These unsaturated fats, also known as monounsaturated fats, help reduce high blood pressure which is linked to cognitive decline.
So, don’t hold back on the guacamole! It could actually help improve the outcome of your workday.
17. Oily Fish
From salmon to trout and sardines, fatty fish are often at the top of everyone’s list when they think of brain foods.
Why?
Because around 60% of your brain is made of fat, and half of that is omega-3 fat. Your brain uses this kind of fat to build brain and nerve cells, both of which are critical for learning and memory.
And fatty fish are absolutely loaded with omega-3 fatty acids. This means that eating these kinds of fish actually helps build a stronger and more functional brain.
Remember, on top of fueling your brain with the food you eat, it’s also important to make sure you’re properly hydrating your body. That’s why we make it a priority to make it easy for our members at The Post, serving Zest Tea and snacks like nuts, pumpkin seeds, and more throughout the day!
By incorporating the right foods into your daily diet, you can actually supercharge your workdays, which means it actually pays to eat.
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