If you work from home, like me, “focus” takes on a whole new meaning. The ability to actually focus on the tasks at hand becomes a literal superpower. Even if you don’t work from home, developing the skill of focusing will take you far in both your business and personal life.
So, if you are like most people, anything that might help you avoid unnecessary distractions and remain more focused throughout the day is certainly welcomed. Regardless of what you do for a living or the hobbies and pastimes you enjoy, improving your ability to concentrate on the task at hand is a significant advantage. I think we all can agree on that.
For whatever reason, we don’t commonly associate food choices with the ability to gain more focus. But we should. Given the fact that a healthy diet is a solid way to improve most aspects of life in general, it shouldn’t come as much surprise that there are a plethora of healthy dietary choices that can improve cognitive functions such as focus and concentration.
In this article, we will highlight just a few of the many dietary options that are strongly suggested to help you focus on whatever it is that is important to you.
Salmon and other fatty fish:
Hopefully, we can all agree that in order to improve focus, your brain needs to be functioning properly. This is why foods that contain high amounts of Omega-3 fatty acids, such as salmon and other fatty fish, are a really good option. This fatty acid is beneficial to the overall health of your brain. Not only does Omega-3 actually improve the amount of oxygen available to the brain, but it is also involved in increasing your ability to learn and retain new information. If you’re not a fan of salmon, there’s always mackerel, tuna, sardines, and herring. If you subscribe to a plant-based diet that doesn’t include fish, then try to include flax seeds, avocado, and walnuts to give your brain the Omega-3 boost that it hungers for.
Foods Rich In Vitamin D
The research about the importance of vitamin D for cognitive functioning most often concludes that a LACK of this essential vitamin is associated with greater levels of impairment, especially in older folks.
Although the exact mechanism by which optimal levels of vitamin D improve cognitive functioning is not completely established, a recent study published in the journal, Trends in Neuroscience, may have pinpointed this relationship.
Healthy neurons in the brain are surrounded by what are known as perineuronal nets. These nets act as supportive structures that help maintain the connections between various neurons so that they may continue to relay information via synaptic pathways.
The researchers involved in this study speculated that in the event of a vitamin D deficiency, these nets become far more vulnerable to being degraded by certain enzymes, resulting in various cognitive deficiencies such as focus and concentration.
Here’s a list of some of the foods rich in Vitamin D:
- Can tuna
- Cod liver oil
- Salmon
- Mushrooms
- Egg yolks
- Almond milk
Ginkgo Biloba
Ginkgo Biloba is an ancient herb that has been utilized for its various medicinal purposes for thousands of years. Due to the increased popularity of what is known as nootropics, which are dietary supplements thought to improve brain function; this herb has seen a resurgence in popularity.
Although there are many hypotheses as to exactly how this herb improves an individual’s ability to focus and retain information, its ability to increase the flow of blood and oxygen to the brain is commonly cited. This logic is commonly applied to other areas of the body, such as skeletal muscles.
When you want to prime a particular area of your body for performance, you probably include some form of warm-up routine to loosen up and get the blood pumping. Using certain foods and dietary items such as Ginkgo Biloba may help accomplish the same goal for your thinking muscle.
Coffee
We all know how coffee is commonly known to boost awareness, however, a recent study cited coffee’s potential for increasing the brain’s capacity for processing information. This resonates with me personally, because I literally feel smarter when I drink coffee. Aside from the caffeine, coffee contains an enormous amount of antioxidants, which have been shown to help fight against some common brain disorders, such as, Alzheimer’s and general cognitive decline, especially as we age.
Green Tea
Okay, so we are all aware that caffeine is a widely popular go-to when it comes to focusing and being able to concentrate. But, sometimes the high volume of caffeine found in coffee might be too much for some people. No worries, green tea has similar effects with a lot less caffeine. Interestingly enough, while green tea does in fact contain caffeine, it possesses another chemical that is great at mitigating a typical caffeine crash, l-theanine.
L-theanine, found in most forms of green tea, causes caffeine to be released more slowly into the bloodstream. This results in a sustained sense of focus and concentration without the unwanted comedown.
Dark Chocolate
Believe it or not, this special treat has been shown to have brain-boosting benefits to help you focus. Cacao is the flavanoid that’s found in dark chocolate that is actually a type of antioxidant. As you know, antioxidants are great for brain health.
According to a 2013 review, they may encourage neuron and blood vessel growth in parts of the brain involved in memory and learning. They may also stimulate blood flow in the brain. Pretty cool. Huh?
While there are many other foods, that have the ability to boost brain focus, these 6 are very common and easy to add to your healthy eating lifestyle. Be strategic and start adding these foods to your brain-boosting regimen today!
Be well + prosper,
Elaine xx