Heads down, thumbs up, Fitfriends! We’ve got the inside word on how to keep your brain busy and buzzing through the entire day.
Take care of the biggest tasks when you’re most alert
Most of us have certain points in the day when we’re at our most productive – maybe it’s first thing in the morning after you’ve had your cup of coffee, mid morning once you’ve settled in to your work or maybe straight after lunch when you come back refreshed. Whatever your sweet spot is, identify it and try to get your biggest tasks done during those times.
Do some physical activity
It’s important to keep the body moving to keep the brain moving. Exercise improves concentration, increases energy and blood flow to the brain, and even gentle exercise like stretching or a short walk can make you feel much more awake and alert.
Avoid the mid-afternoon slump
Hands up if you’ve ever experienced that 3-4pm moment where everything suddenly feels like climbing a rather large hill – especially trying to use your brain. Eating a lot of heavy food at lunch often slows you down and makes you feel sleepy – because all of your energy is going into digesting! And sugary foods and drinks can lead to a sugar crash, leaving you feeling vague, distracted and tired. Eating foods with sustainable energy will keep you feeling productive all afternoon. Fitfood’s meals are packed with low glycemic carbs such as veggies, whole grains, proteins and healthy fats that will give your brain a steady supply of energy.
Stay hydrated
Did you know that when you’re dehydrated, your body borrows water from wherever it can, including your brain? Those dehydration headaches are actually caused by your brain shrinking in volume! Even mild dehydration can alter your cognitive function, decreasing mental performance and affecting your mood. So keep a glass of water or drink bottle handy and sip from it often – you’ll definitely notice the difference.
Eat well
Nourishing our bodies has a flow-on effect to all aspects of our health, even the mental and emotional kind. The food we eat is converted into glucose, which enters our blood stream as energy to keep us going, and too much or too little can leave us with low energy and low brain performance. Regularly eating nutritious meals increases alertness and helps us sleep better, which gives us greater powers of concentration throughout the day. Try Fitfood’s Smoked Fish Pie for a super brain-powered lunch, or our Bacon, Mushroom and Spinach Frittatta, which is full of brain-boosting spinach and eggs.
