EAT YOUR WAY TO A PROMOTION
Eat your way up the promotion ladder! Ok, we can’t necessarily guarantee google will be begging for your time upon gobbling these super powered suggestions, but we can promise they’ll offer the brain boost needed to get you through a both productive and more energised week.
We want to make smart simple, sharing our office top tips and adding a little life to your Tupperware lunch…
MACKEREL
Mackerel is the richest fish source of omega 3, essentially making it the food equivalent of taking fish oil tablets. But what makes this fat so special? Omega 3 is a polyunsaturated fat (PUFA) which is the ‘healthiest’ form of dietary fat. Diets rich in fish containing omega 3 have been linked to improved concentration and memory. The only down side is you may have to enjoy lunch on your lonesome thanks to its obvious odour!
EGGS
Eggs-actly the kind of goodness to fuel an efficient working day! The yolk contains a fat like B vitamin called choline. This choline promotes the release of chemicals in our brain called neurotransmitters which helps improve our memory and reaction times.
BANANA
Usually we try to avoid our blood glucose levels from becoming too high as we become over stimulated which leads to a lack of concentration (AKA hyper)! However, it is essential to have glucose circulating in our bodies as not only do our muscles use it as fuel, our brain does too! The brain works at its optimum with approximately 25g of glucose in the blood stream, this just so happens to be the average amount of glucose in a banana. Coincidence or luck?
DARK CHOCOLATE
When we eat chocolate our brain releases endorphins. These endorphins have been proven to boost our mood and give us a feeling of euphoria. It is well known that happy employees tend to be more productive when compared to those stressed/sulking/tired. Dark chocolate is also bursting with flavonoids which help to improve blood circulation to the brain alongside improving memory, attention span, reaction time and our ability to solve problems. Go on, break off a square or two… (just make sure it is at least 70% cacao).
AUBERGINE/EGG PLANT
In the deep purple skin of an aubergine you will find a phytonutrient called nasunin. It is this plant based compound that contains powerful antioxidant properties, which protect the lipids (fat molecules) that make up the membrane of every cell in the brain. This, therefore reduces the risk of free radical damage to the brain cells. It is also thought that nasunin reduces inflammation in the brain, allowing more blood to reach the brain cells. This is turn can help to prevent age related mental disorders such as Alzheimer’s and also improve memory.
BLUEBERRIES
New research suggests the flavonoids (form of antioxidant) present in blueberries might aid memory, learning, decision making, numerical ability as well as many other cognitive functions. And this is not the only superpowers these super fruits hold. Ongoing research shows a negative correlation between flavonoid consumption and age related metal disorders such as Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s and dementia. The flavonoids protect the brain by fighting off free radicals which would otherwise cause oxidative stress to the brain cells.
So lets’ turn on the smart switch and begin fuelling our bodies and brains efficiently. A little extra care and attention paid to your diet can result in big change, better work ethic and a raise in positivity levels. We can’t think of a better way to begin your 2016!
http://freshfitnessfood.com/
