Timing Is Everything – Why When We Eat Is Just As Important As What We Eat

Timing Is Everything – Why When We Eat Is Just As Important As What We Eat

We all know that nutrition is fundamental, and what we eat affects our health, but only recently have we begun to question nutrition and the impact of when we eat. Some nutritional scientists believe that when we eat can have a huge impact on our health, with research indicating that the best course of action is to sync our eating patterns with our circadian rhythm. This is our natural cycle of when to wake up, sleep, and eat which our body dictates. Recent studies show that repeated disruption of this rhythm can cause problems with your metabolism, as well as weight gain and disease.

Bexology - dry january doesn't existDr Satchin Panda is a circadian rhythms research expert at the Salk Institute in California. He claims that eating meals in a daily 8-10-hour window, where food is first consumed in the morning and the last of your food in the early evening, can go a long way in improving your metabolic health. You can read more from Dr. Satchin Panda on this in his new book ‘The Circadian Code’. This method is called early time-restricted feeding and was conceived from the logical theory that our digestive systems are primed for food intake in the morning and afternoon, not at 10 o’clock at night. According to Dr Panda’s research, the average person eats over a 15-hour period each day, therefore conflicting with this rhythm.

The hypothalamus of the human brain has a clock in control of our waking and sleeping cycles that is dictated by our exposure to bright light. Every other organ in the body also has its own internal clock that controls its daily cycle. Dr. Panda reveals his insight: “We’ve inhabited this planet for thousands of years, and while many things have changed, there has always been one constant: Every single day the sun rises and at night it falls. We’re designed to have 24-hour rhythms in our physiology and metabolism. These rhythms exist because, just like our brains need to go to sleep each night to repair, reset, and rejuvenate, every organ needs to have downtime to repair and reset as well.”

For the Love of SleepIt is widely believed that it is better for your health to consume the majority of your daily food intake earlier in the day. This is because several studies into this area have shown that control of blood sugar levels is best in the morning and gets worse throughout the day, with the evening being the time when our bodies have the least control. In addition to this, food is digested more efficiently in the morning and more calories are burnt.

Additionally, the lack of sunlight in the evening prompts the brain to release melatonin to prepare us for sleep. If we eat late in the evening, then an opposing signal is sent through the body that it is still daytime, and we should therefore be awake. If this happens repeatedly then the biological clocks of different organs become unsynchronised and everything gets disrupted with potential negative health effects.

If we disrupt the clock in our brain, then fatigue/jet lag-style symptoms kick in; disrupting the clocks of the organs involved in digestion puts an equal strain on these organs and forces them into activity during their natural resting period. This increases the chance of triggering various diseases. Nightwork is linked to heart disease, multiple cancers, obesity, and diabetes, with studies indicating a direct link between circadian disruption and ill health.

Some faculty of the Salk Institute, including Dr. Panda, carried out an experiment in 2012 involving two groups of genetically identical mice who were both given the same amount of the same high-fat, high-sugar foods. However, one group was given constant access to their food while the other was restricted to an 8-hour window each day. The result was that the mice who were unrestricted became overweight and ill, whereas the restricted mice did not, further emphasising the importance of time-restricted feeding and nutrition to good health.

It was this experiment with the mice that inspired Dr Courtney Peterson, a scientist at the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s Nutrition Obesity Research Centre, to carry out a similar study in a small group of pre-diabetic men. In stage 1, of the nutrition research, the men ate their meals within a 12-hour window each day for a 5-week period. In stage 2, the same men ate the same meals within a 6-hour window each day (starting in the morning). It is worth noting that the men were given enough food in the study to maintain their weight so that it could be assessed whether there were any health benefits to the early time-restricted feeding independent of weight loss. The outcomes suggested that early time-restricted feeding caused the men to have significantly lower blood pressure, lower insulin levels, lower oxidative stress levels, and reduced hunger at night.

Clearly, there is a body of evidence to suggest that eating earlier in the day is best for our metabolic health and we would benefit from condensing our food intake into a shorter time period where we eat the bulk of it earlier on in the day: more in the morning, less later on. If you want help and support with any aspects of your health, contact Bex here.

10 Ways to Enhance Your Emotional Intelligence and Boost Success

10 Ways to Enhance Your Emotional Intelligence and Boost Success

Emotional Intelligence and Your Success

You have probably known someone, maybe a friend or a colleague, who you regard as both intelligent and highly skilled yet for some reason isn’t that successful in life in general. At the other end of the spectrum, you might know someone who is extremely successful, yet you wouldn’t consider them to be the most intelligent or highly skilled. So, what is the reason for their success? What makes people successful in the workplace and in life in general, if it isn’t related to intelligence or skills? Well, it all comes down to something called Emotional Intelligence (EI).

We have all felt at one point or another unwilling slaves to our emotions. Where our emotional response overrules our typical thinking process, and we simply lose control. One of the reasons we react in this way to certain triggers is that we are biologically wired to respond habitually and emotionally to events. This reaction process is linked to the amygdala, the part of the brain that controls our emotional processing.

Emotional-Intelligence-Blog

While not directly linked to the decision-making processes located in the prefrontal cortex, the amygdala can take over in certain decisions with an emotional response. Road rage is a classic example of being caught up in the moment – getting angry or easily offended by other drivers, instead of thinking rationally about the situation and calming yourself down, you get wrapped up in the in the moment and start to plan your revenge on the road. This is an example of emotional hijacking, a situation where emotions overpower our rational thinking.

The amygdala’s action is an emergency override, a fight or flight or freeze survival tactic. It interprets a threat, which in turn provokes an immediate and aggressive reaction and sometimes this emotional hijacking is needed. It works very well for example if we’re being attacked or fleeing a dangerous situation, as we would have encountered often in early human history. However, the majority of the time these days this response is unnecessary. Today, the challenge is learning to manage the amygdala because if it’s out of control you’re likely going to get into trouble.

So what is emotional intelligence and how does it link to success?

The Harvard Business Review defines emotional intelligence as an individual’s ability to accurately recognise, understand and manage their own emotions as well as others. It is the key attribute that distinguishes outstanding performers, and the leading differentiator between employees whose IQ and technical skills are roughly the same.

Emotional-Intelligence-Blog by Bexology

The concept of EI was first made popular in 1995 by psychologist Dr. Daniel Goleman, in his book ‘Emotional Intelligence’. His research, along with many studies has found that EI is about twice as indicative of success as IQ. IQ once out of school does not predict career success as many might think. Self-awareness, self-regulation, empathy, and social skills all signify EI, and they are what play a vital role in an individual’s success.

EI means you don’t let your emotions rock you so much that you can’t maintain your focus, you sense what other people are feeling, and you put that all together to manage your relationships. That’s what makes people a star in the workplace. This cognitive control from a scientific point of view is the ability to know what your goal is, keep it in mind, and pursue it despite distractions or anything else that happens.

So how do you improve your emotional intelligence?

The good news is emotional intelligence isn’t hardwired into your brain, or genetically predetermined like your eye colour it can be learned and improved upon.

Here are some practical tips for improving your EI:

1. Meditate – Meditation grows the region of the brain responsible for focus and attention. It strengthens the circuitry for the prefrontal cortex and helps you handle the amygdala so you don’t lose control. Studies have shown that meditation can reduce the amygdala response in people who practice mindfulness meditation. It also cultivates your ability to have a preserver perspective and build up your resilience to getting upset.

2. Read more fiction – according to studies at York University and the University of Toronto; ‘individuals who often read fiction appear to be better able to understand other people, empathise with them, and view the world from their perspective.’

3. Play games – playing games allows you to practice cognitive control, which is training your brain to concentrate and focus more. This allows you to tune in to your emotions more.

4. Sleep smart – sleep deprivation affects your emotional intelligence severely, as the part of the brain associated with focus, decision-making, and social control becomes less active.

5. Don’t use your device before bed – laptops, computers, desktops, televisions, smartphones, tablets, etc. The light from these devices, when used at night, suppresses melatonin (sleep hormone) and produces more of the daytime hormone, cortisol, disturbing your night’s sleep.

6. Exercise – there’s a direct correlation between emotional intelligence and the amount of exercise you do.  By doing physical activity you become more aware of yourself, especially exercise that deals with your spatial awareness such as working on your balance.

7. Practice delayed gratification – balancing temporary pleasure with long-term goals, allows us to analyse the bigger picture and most importantly our emotions.

8. Practice mindful eating – becoming more aware of your hunger and fullness cues. Pay attention to the process, enjoy your food, and be more in the moment when eating.

9. Self-reflection – emotions give you feedback to help you adapt to your environment, learning to understand and control those through self-reflection creates more control.

10. Observe others – in observing other people we learn a lot about ourselves and our own behaviours, as well as building empathy. 

You can clearly see how people with high EI have increased chances of success. If you wish to build your EI to open more doors and boost your success, develop your emotional intelligence by putting these tips into action.  See more of our wellbeing blogs to help you achieve balance and harmony in your life

6 Top Tips to Optimise Your Smoothie Bowls

6 Top Tips to Optimise Your Smoothie Bowls

Are Smoothies and Smoothie Bowls Really That Healthy? 

You’ve seen smoothies looking exotic and colourful on your Instagram feed and the front of health magazines, with their swirly patterns and perfectly placed toppings, but how healthy are these beautiful smoothies and breakfasts really?

Firstly, let’s get one thing straight. A smoothie bowl is simply a smoothie… in a bowl… with the addition of a few toppings. And just the same as smoothies, they have the capacity to be really healthy or just a sugar bomb with a few added nutrients. So much so that many of these bowls contain as much sugar, calories, and carbs as several glazed doughnuts. And that’s before you add the fun toppings!

There’s no denying that the smoothies and acai bowl craze has encouraged more people to take an interest in their health and nutrition, and smoothies are an enjoyable and quick way to make sure you’re getting plenty of fruit and vegetables in your diet. Particularly for people who have little time in their schedule to prepare meals, or need to be able to eat breakfast on the go.

Smoothie Recipe_Bexology Nutritional Therapist Kent & London

The recommended daily intake of fruit and vegetables is now 10 portions. That’s 3 pieces of fruit (and not all at once) and 7 portions of vegetables. But this recommendation will still vary depending on the individual. If you are trying to lose weight for example, limiting your fruit intake further and to low-sugar varieties like berries is definitely a good idea. If you like to grab a bowl at one of the many smoothie and juice stands popping up nationwide, I wonder if you’ve ever thought about whether what is in it is actually good for you.

I did some research on some popular smoothie bowls and this is what I found. The Açaí Bowl at Crush contains 308 calories and 32 grams of sugar (that’s nearly the same as a can of coke), and the seemingly healthy Kinky Kale smoothie from Boost Juice Bars contains 318 calories and a whopping 70.2 g of sugar (nearly 3 times the WHO recommended daily amount for women!). And even though most of that sugar comes from fruit don’t be fooled, sugar is just sugar, natural or otherwise and in excess can lead to weight gain and health issues, especially when combined with a relative lack of protein, fat, and fibre to balance it out.

To ensure that the energy from any meal is released slowly, there needs to be a good balance of fats, carbs, and protein to encourage a steady breakdown of nutrients in the body. If your smoothie bowl lacks sufficient protein and fat, and they often do, it will hit your bloodstream like a bomb, making your blood sugar levels rapidly peak and then fall just as quickly leaving you feeling tired and hungry again. A steadier breakdown makes for a steadier mood, helping to avoid getting those cranky, shaky, and “hangry” feelings.

Smoothie Recipe_Bexology Nutritional Therapist Kent & London

Another point to be mindful of when you blend your food is that by doing so you bypass the job of chewing. Along with making your meal last longer, chewing your food releases certain enzymes that spur on the digestive process, as well as send behavioural signals to inform your body that you are eating. These important signals help to curb overeating, keeping your portion control in check. When you blend your fruit and veg into a smoothie, you skip this process, which can lead to you feeling less satisfied and hungrier much sooner. A 2014 study in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics showed that the more participants chewed, the less they ate. Blending foods also break down fibre, which in turn also decreases the satiety of food.

And lastly, don’t forget it’s all about balance and portion control. It’s easy to get carried away with size, especially when trying to make a big, beautiful-looking bowl and many smoothie bowls contain far more servings of fruit than you should eat in one sitting.

So how can you keep your smoothie bowl healthy?

It is of course still possible to create and enjoy a perfectly balanced, healthy, and nutritious smoothie bowl, and here are some tips on how:

Slow down

When eating your Instagram-worthy bowl of goodness, slow down to appreciate the ingredients and give your body time to register that you are eating. Chewing your smoothie, as strange as that sounds, is also a good way to get your enzymes flowing and hormones ready to signal when you are full.

Don’t skip the protein

Ensure that there is plenty of protein packed into your smoothie bowl to accompany the sugar, fat, and fibre. Pea or hemp protein powder is an awesome and simple way to do this.

Take it easy on the fruit

1 small portion of fruit is sufficient for a smoothie, don’t get carried away, and generally try to stick to a 2-to-1 veg-to-fruit ratio.

Choose unsweetened plant milk and water instead of fruit juice

By selecting unsweetened plant milk over fruit juice, you cut down on the sugar intake and add in extra minerals and protein.

Keep your toppings wholesome and sugar-free

Choose toppings such as hemp and chia seeds for heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids, minerals, and protein, and coconut chips and cacao nibs add healthy fats and antioxidants as opposed to granola which is full of sugar.

Add good fats

Good fats in foods such as coconut yoghurt, avocado, coconut oil, or nut butter will help to keep your bowl balanced and leave you feeling fuller for longer. 

Whether you are looking to lose weight, require support for certain health issues, or like so many, are trying to accomplish greater balance and well-being in your life, reach out to us and see how we can help you achieve your health goals.

Smoothie bowl recipes to try:

Smoothie Recipe_Bexology

Chocolate, Ginger, and Pear smoothie bowl

This smoothie bowl is ideal for recovery from an injury or extended-duration workout. In addition to anti-inflammatory ginger, flax, and hemp contain alpha-linolenic acid, an omega 3 that also combats inflammation.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup water
  • 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed
  • ½ tablespoon hemp seeds
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh ginger
  • ¼ cup unsweetened almond milk
  • ½ ripe pear
  • ½ avocado
  • 1 cup spinach or two frozen cubes
  • 25g Pulsin Chocolate Pea Protein

Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.

Smoothie Recipe_Bexology_Rooibus

Blueberry Rooibos Smoothie Bowl

Green rooibos tea combined with blueberries supplies a potent dose of daily antioxidant support. The caffeine-free tea has a light, woody, slightly sweet flavour that’s accented by the fruit.

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups green rooibos tea, steeped and chilled
  • 1 ½ cups frozen blueberries
  • 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed
  • 1 tablespoon hemp seeds
  • ½ small banana
  • 1 cup spinach or two frozen cubes
  • ½ avocado

Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.

For more yummy and healthy recipes visit our RECIPES page. For other tips on how to keep a healthy lifestyle try our GLOW page.

Is Saturated Fat Bad For You?

Is Saturated Fat Bad For You?

Most of us grew up being told that foods like red meat, eggs, and bacon raise cholesterol levels. This idea that saturated fat and cholesterol are bad for you and contribute to heart disease is so deeply ingrained in our cultural psyche that few people even question it. But is it really true?

It all started with Ancel Keys and his “Seven Countries” study (1958), where his research found a significant association between fat and saturated fat intake and heart disease mortality. Keys managed to implant his idea into the American Heart Association and, in 1961, the first-ever guidelines calling for Americans to cut back on saturated fats, as the best way to fight heart disease were published. The US government adopted this view in 1977 and the rest of the world followed. But the evidence backing these guidelines was weak and researchers such as Yerushalmey and Hilleboe (1957) pointed out that if 21 other countries were included in Key’s study, the association he observed was weak at best.

Our dietary guidance has followed Keys’ view for 50 years now. And yet despite half a billion pounds spent trying to prove his hypothesis, the evidence of its health benefits has never been produced. In fact, what the research conducted over the last 30 or so years does reveal is that there is no evidence to say that the consumption of saturated fats causes heart attacks or strokes. The research actually shows that low-carbohydrate diets are significantly more effective at lowering incidences of heart attacks or strokes than low-fat diets. And yet, the government’s dietary recommendations have barely changed.

So the guidelines were changed to recommend a lower fat, higher carbohydrate diet – grains, pasta, rice, and potatoes replaced meat, cheese, and eggs on our dinner plates. Breakfasts of eggs and bacon ceded to bowls of cereal and orange juice. And as a consequence, we British now eat 46 percent less saturated fat than we did in 1975 and UK authorities recommend that two-thirds of calories should come from carbohydrates. And as a consequence, we are the fattest we have ever been!

The problem with this recommendation, as researchers have suggested since the 1950s, is that carbohydrates are uniquely fattening. When eaten, the body is stimulated to release insulin, which turns out to be very efficient at storing away fat. As well we have fructose, the main sugar in fruit, causing the liver to generate triglycerides and other lipids in the blood. Excessive carbohydrates lead not only to obesity but also, over time, to Type 2 diabetes and, very likely, heart disease.

A 2010 study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (1) found that when you replace saturated fat with a higher carbohydrate intake, particularly refined carbohydrates, you exacerbate insulin resistance and obesity, increase triglycerides and small LDL particles, and reduce beneficial HDL cholesterol. The authors state that dietary efforts to improve your cardiovascular disease risk should primarily emphasise the limitation of refined carbohydrate intake and weight reduction.

The best possible science from the past decade now indicates that too many carbohydrates overall – even of the supposedly healthy, whole-grain kind – increase the risk of these diseases compared with a diet low in carbohydrates. In other words, too much whole-grain cereal for breakfast and whole-grain pasta for dinner, with fruit snacks in between, add up to a less healthy diet than one of eggs and sausage, followed by fish.

If this isn’t enough to convince you here are some more reasons you should be eating more fat.

Healthier skin

The body needs healthy fats, including saturated fats, monounsaturated fats, and Omega-3 fats, to regenerate skin tissue, and it’s these fats that are the preferred building blocks in the body.

Immune health

Saturated fats found in butter and coconut oil (myristic acid and lauric acid) play key roles in immune health. Loss of sufficient saturated fatty acids in the white blood cells hampers their ability to recognize and destroy foreign invaders, such as viruses, bacteria, and fungi.

Liver health

Adding saturated fat to the diet has been shown in medical research to encourage the liver cells to dump their fat content. Clearing fat from the liver is the critical first step to calling a halt to fat storage. Additionally, saturated fat has been shown to protect the liver from the toxic effects of alcohol and medications, including Paracetamol and other drugs commonly used for pain and even to reverse damage once it has occurred. Since the liver is the lynchpin of a healthy metabolism, anything that is good for the liver is good for getting rid of fat around the middle. Polyunsaturated vegetable oils do not offer this protection.

Fat for weight-loss

Fat does not make you fat and all calories are not created the same! The theory that all calories have the same impact on your weight and metabolism remains one of the most persistent nutrition myths out there. For example, calories from a cinnamon bun are different from calories from an avocado in how they affect your hormones, your metabolism, and even your appetite.  

Kevin Hall, from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), studies mathematical systems and biology. He found that eating more fat shuts off your brain’s hunger and craving centers and that eating healthy fats improves food intake, taste preferences, and metabolism. This has also been shown in human experiments, where those who ate high-fat diets had a much faster metabolism. Low-fat, high-carb diets spiked insulin, subsequently slowing metabolism and storing belly fat. The higher-fat diet group had a faster metabolism, even eating the same number of calories (2).

Here’s your takeaway:

  • Focus on healthy fats such as avocados, extra virgin olive oil, coconut oil, butter, ghee, nuts and seeds, eggs, grass-fed meat, wild oily fish, full fat (preferably organic dairy if you tolerate it), and dark chocolate. Yay!
  • Avoid all polyunsaturated vegetable oils such as canola oil, sunflower oil, corn oil, soybean oil, and safflower oil. All restaurants will use industrial vegetable seed oils. These cause inflammation in the body.
  • Avoid all manufactured trans fats such as margarine and processed shop-bought foods like cakes, biscuits, crackers, crisps, and all deep-fat fried foods. These fats are oxidised, cause inflammation, and are toxic to the body.
  • Limit your consumption of carbohydrates, especially refined and processed types, and focus more on vegetables, clean protein, and healthy fats!

There is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to nutrition recommendations. Everybody is different and your physical activity level and individual nutritional needs will dictate the amount of carbohydrate you need each day to function at your optimum level. If you would like help to lose weight or just want to fine-tune your diet, don’t hesitate to contact me here for a bespoke nutrition consultation.

References:

1.   Siri-Tarino, P; Sun, Q; Hu, F et al. Saturated fat, carbohydrate, and cardiovascular disease. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2010, 91 (3), pp 502–509, https://doi.org/10.3945/ajcn.2008.26285

  1. H. Sherman, Y. Genzer, R. Cohen, N. Chapnik, Z. Madar, O. Froy. A timed high-fat diet resets circadian metabolism and prevents obesity. The FASEB Journal, 2012; 26 (8): 3493 DOI: 10.1096/fj.12-208868
10 Foods to Boost Your Brainpower

10 Foods to Boost Your Brainpower

What do you do to improve your brainpower? Many of us try mental exercises, getting lots of sleep, and working out… but did you know you can boost your brainpower with the types of food you eat? Giving your brain a boost is something everyone can do with. Who doesn’t want more energy, better concentration, and reduced stress? Sign us up! Eating these 10 healthy foods can give you a massive surge in brainpower. So whether you’re feeling sluggish and want to get energised, or feeling worried and want to alleviate some tension, such healthy food could change your life!

Blueberries

There’s a reason that blueberries appear in so many of your favourite smoothie recipes. These little berries are packed full of antioxidants – called anthocyanidins – making them the ‘go-to’ for anyone looking to get clearer skin. As well as a better complexion, anthocyanidins are great for improving or delaying short-term memory loss, helping you to have a better memory.

Nuts

Have you ever heard that certain healthy food is shaped like the body parts they’re good for? Celery is good for the bones, tomatoes are good for the heart… and walnuts are good for the brain! It’s not just walnuts that can help your mind work better – almonds, cashews, pecans, and even peanuts all contain lots of vitamin E, which is key for preventing cognitive decline. Just steer clear of those peanuts that are covered in salt…

Wholegrains

Wholegrains are a fantastic source of glucose, which provides energy for the brain. By opting for low GI wholegrains (think brown rice, buckwheat, barley, whole oats, and quinoa) you will get slow-release energy, keeping you mentally alert throughout the day.

Oily Fish

We’re always hearing that oily fish can be hugely beneficial for our health – but why? Oily fish is a great source of omega-3, and it comes in the form of EPA and DHA. When it comes to our healthy food choices, this means that our bodies can use it easily, and it helps us with healthy brain function, as well as our hearts, joints, and general wellbeing. The best sources of oily fish are trout, mackerel, salmon, herring, sardines, kippers, and anchovies.

Pumpkin Seeds

We’re often told nuts and seeds are good for us, but how often do we really include them in our meals? Pumpkin seeds are crammed full of zinc, which is vital for improving memory and thinking skills. They also contain magnesium – which relieves stress – B-vitamins, and interestingly tryptophan, which helps build serotonin, our feel-good hormone, also utilised in memory and learning. Sprinkle some pumpkin seed goodness over your porridge or salad and feel the benefits.

Tomatoes

As well as being delicious and a great healthy food for the heart, tomatoes work wonders for the brain. Tomatoes are packed full of lycopene, which is thought to protect against free radical damage to cells, which occurs when someone suffers from dementia. It’s not just raw tomatoes that you can benefit from –cooking them with a little olive oil increases the lycopene content even more. Something to think about when you make your next batch of roasted Mediterranean vegetables!

Blackcurrants

A great source of Vitamin C, blackcurrants are not only tasty, but they can also improve mental well-being. Vitamin C is associated with mental agility, and studies have shown that a reduction of vitamin C has been linked to age-related brain deterioration. Vitamin C has also been thought to play a crucial role in managing stress and anxiety and it gets depleted from our adrenals when we are stressed. So, what are you waiting for? Get snacking on blackcurrants now!

Sage

Many people associate sage with something you burn to ward off bad spirits – any horror film will tell you that. As well as this, sage can improve memory and concentration. Sage is often used in cooking and can add a flavourful twist to your favourite dishes, including soup, risotto, and roasted vegetables.

Eggs

No cooked breakfast is complete without eggs. Boiled, poached, scrambled… eggs are incredibly versatile. As a source of certain B vitamins – B6, B12, and folic acid – eggs reduce levels of a compound called homocysteine, found in blood. High levels of homocysteine have been associated with cognitive impairments, Alzheimer’s disease, and increased risk of Stroke. So, reducing homocysteine in our body can only be a good thing! Other B-rich foods include fish, chicken, and leafy greens.

Broccoli

Your mother didn’t tell you to eat your greens for nothing! Broccoli contains vitamin K, which enhances cognitive function and improves overall brainpower. Researchers also believe it can slow down the breakdown of acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter we need for the central nervous system. So, if you’ve got a big meeting coming up, make sure you pack your dinner full of broccoli the night before.

Including these foods in your everyday diet can really help boost your brainpower – something we all want and need. If you have any concerns about your diet and lifestyle don’t hesitate to get in touch with us here.