7 Brain Foods that Will Increase Your Productivity

Do you ever feel sluggish at work? Do you find your mind wandering with an inability to focus? If so, you may need to give your diet a quick tune up. Research has shown that the right foods can enhance your productivity, increase your learning power, magnify your memory, speed up reaction times, and enhance your mental capabilities.

Here are some of the best brain foods to recharge your brain and boost your productivity in the workplace, around the house, or anywhere else you happen to be.

Fresh Berries: Berries are one of the top superfoods for sustaining energy all day long. Because they are low in calories, you can eat them as a snack throughout the day to keep your energy levels high and prevent cravings.

Berries are some of the best fruits you can eat because their packed with powerful antioxidants that fight disease. They also provide your body with plenty of fiber and Vitamin C. A number of studies have shown berries to help fight heart disease, cancer, and lower LDL cholesterol.

Recent research has also shown blueberries to boost brain power.

The next time you’re looking for a healthy snack for long-lasting energy, reach for some blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, strawberries, cranberries, elderberry, black currant or chokeberry ; all of them pack a powerful punch.

If you’re a person on the go, you can pack all of the powerful nutrients found in berries into one delicious smoothie that you can drink on the go. Here’s a quick recipe that’s filled with disease-fighting antioxidants, Vitamin A, Vitmamin C, and muscle-building protein.

Ingredients:

• 1 nectarine, pitted
• 3/4 cup strawberries, hulled
• 3/4 cup blueberries, rinsed and drained
• 1/3 cup nonfat dry milk powder
• 1 cup crushed ice

Simply combine all of the ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth.

Green Vegetables:

You’ve got to eat your greens. You’ve heard it time and time again. However, you may not know just how important vegetables are to keeping you energized throughout the day.

Spinach in particular provides nearly a full day’s worth of Vitamin A and half of your Vitamin C in a single serving. It’s also packed with folate, which protects against heart disease, stroke, and colon cancer.

Another powerful vegetable is brocolli. This superfood is more densely packed with vitamins and minerals than almost any other food.

If you’re looking to boost your brain power, try some mustard greens. These spicy greens are packed with a brain boosting ingredient called tyrosine.

Overall, vegetable consumption has been shown to keep brains sharp well into old age.

You can eat plenty of green vegetables by making tasty salads, vegetable egg omelets, and vegetarian chili.

If you thought vegetables were good for you, then you’re going to love the next brain foods on our list. They’re called green foods. These are like vegetables on steroids. Two of the most powerful green foods are spirulina and chlorella.

Spirulina is a microscopic blue-green vegetable algae and one of nature’s finest source of nutrients. It is packed with Vitamin A, D, E, K, B1, B2, B3, B6, Calcium, Iron, Phosphorus, Magnesium, Zinc, Selenium, Copper, Manganese, Chromium, Potassium, and Beta Carotene.

However, even that is just the tip of the iceberg. Spirulina is also full of amino acids, phytonutrients, and carotenoids. AARP magazine rates Spirulina as the #1 “food that can add years yo your life”.

Research has shown that Spirulina improves memory and learning, fights against cancer, naturally cleanses the body, boosts the immune system, and increases energy levels.

To energize your day and your life, eat this superfood on a daily basis. The best source of spirulina comes from a company called Cyanotech, which harvests their spirulina from the waters of Kona, Hawaii.

Chlorella is another powerful superfood that is highly underrated in today’s society. In fact, most people have never even heard of it, despite the fact that it is one of the most scientifically researched foods in history.

Chlorella is one of nature’s finest foods, containing a rich variety of amino acids (protein), enzymes, vitamins, minerals and carbohydrates. In fact, chlorella is thought to contain every nutrient required by the human body.

Chlorella increases energy as well as mental focus. Research has also shown chlorella to be a powerful detoxifier and blood cleanser. It helps fight against cancer, strengthens the immune system, relieves arthritis pain, and balances your body’s pH.

Start your day with Chlorella and Spirulina in the moring and you will soon find yourself with plenty of energy throughout the day.

Our next brain food is also one that you may not have heard of. It’s called quinoa, an incredible source of complex carbs and complete protein.

Quinoa is unique in that it contains more protein than any other grain. In fact, quinoa is the only vegetable source recognized by the UN Food Association as a complete protein.

This powerful grain comes from the Andes Mountains of South America, where the ancient Incas once praised it for increasing the stamina of their warriors.

Besides it’s energy-boosting benefits, quinoa also provides plenty of fiber, minerals and vitamins. It’s also packed with phosphorus, magnesium, and iron.

Best of all, quinoa only takes 15 minutes to cook, half the time of rice.

Quinoa can be served as a high-protein breakfast food mixed with honey, almonds or berries. You can even make quinoa chile. Simply toss in some beans and some tomato sauce.

You can find a long list of quinoa recipes at
http://www.incaorganics.com/recipes1.htm.

Almonds are the next brain food on our list. These crunchy nuts will boost your energy and satisfy your cravings at any time of the day.

Almonds help build muscle and fight cravings. They also help fight against heart disease, wrinkles, cancer, and high blood pressure.

These tasty treats can be eaten plain or thrown on top of your cereal, yogurt, or breakfast omelet.

We have now come to the last and final brain booster: Water!

Ok, so it’s not a food. However, drinking water is one of the quickest ways to recharge your brain and boost your productivity.

Our bodies are 60% water, while the brain is almost 75 percent water. This water is responsible for delivering nutrients to the brain and eliminating toxins.

To work at your peak potential, you must be properly hydrated. A decrease of just 4 to 5 percent in body water causes a 20 to 30 percent decrease in performance.

So, if you want to keep your brain and your body charged, drink up! (water, that is…)

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