What To Eat To Stay Sharp and Focused

In our fast paced world we have to make many decisions each day. One decision that seems to be especially important for women entering menopause menopause concerns the foods we eat each day. What should we eat to help us think better and stay focused? Brain cells need special nutrition to work optimally just like your eyes, bones or heart. Here are some ideas on what to include in your daily diet to avoid that annoying brain fog or menopausal related forgetfulness.

Water: Dehydration can make you feel tired and unfocused. If your head feels fuzzy or you feel irritable perhaps you need a glass of water, rather than that cup of coffee to get you through the afternoon.

Increase the Omega 3's and other antioxidents: There no avoiding all the talk about antioxidents. Eat more of the superfoods to get more antioxidents in your diet. My goal is to eat at least one or two superfoods at each meal. Try the following antioxident rich foods each day( or at least their relatives):
* Beans ( all types of dry beans)
* Blueberries( other berries are good too)
* Broccoli ( cabbage, kale, cauliflower )
* Oats ( any whole grain..avoid processed grains)
* Oranges ( tangerines, pink grapefruit)
* Pumpkin ( sweet potatoes, yam, winter squash, carrots)
* Salmon ( sardines, trout, tuna and other oily fish)
* Soy
* Spinach ( any dark green leafy vegetable is good)
* Tea (green or black)
* Tomatoes
* Turkey
* Walnuts ( almonds, pecans and other seeds are great too)
* Yogurt

Increase Choline:
This nutrient is helps to support our brain neurotransmitters which send messages int he brain. It is also linked to memory cell production. Eggs should be considered the super memory food. It seems that only about 10% of people receive the daily choline that you need to function optimally. You can remedy this by eating two eggs each day which will provide 250 milligrams of choline. Other sources include peanuts, soybeans and flaxseeds.

Folate Improves Alertness: Folate is found in foods like oranges, green vegetables, whole grain foods and fruits like cantaloupe. It has been proven to help with alertness in adults. Choline helps to keep homocysteine levels regulated. It seems that high homocysteine levels are associated with increased risk of dementia and Alzheimers disease.

Time to go have my breakfast of 2 whole eggs, whole wheat toast with blue berry spread and a glass of orange juice. My brain is feeling less foggy already!
Photo by: JC