When people think about the word "diet" they immediately associate it with losing weight. Your day to day diet can affect your productivity since what we eat has a big impact on our brain. Dr. Uma Naidoo, Harvard-trained psychiatrist explains, "Nutrition has a tremendous power for maximizing focus, productivity and brain power in the workplace." To help boost your performance at work she suggests embracing a healthy diet and listening to your body. Try making these improvements to your meals so you can get the best out of these brain-boosting foods.
The more colors on your plate the better! Try to fill your plate with fruits and vegetables. These foods can help improve your focus, ease fatigue and "enhance cognition for optimal performance." Fiber-filled plant foods have antioxidants, vitamins and minerals that help reduce inflammation in the brain. Dr. Naidoo recommends trying to see how many colors you can add to your meal daily or weekly.
Not only do herbs and spices add flavor to your food but they are also brain-boosters. Turmeric and black pepper have anti-inflammatory properties, support positive moods and brain functions. By adding these into your cooking routine you can help clear that brain fog.
Drink plenty of water! Staying hydrated is optimal for brain health. Just being a little dehydrated can affect your cognitive functions. By drinking water throughout the day you can be proactive about staying hydrated.
When that afternoon slump hits grab a nutrient-dense snack. You will not be functioning at your best if you are hungry but don't hit up the break room vending machine. Instead, Dr. Naidoo recommends grabbing a handful of walnuts, a square of extra-dark natural chocolate, or berries, which have fiber, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. All great things for helping increase brain-power!
Read Dr. Uma Naidoo's article for yourself at Fast Company