Our food choices affect our brain abilities in one way or another. Where should you go to optimize your focus? Answers of a dietitian doctor.
Getting enough and proper sleep the night before is not enough to optimize your concentration times during the day. The contents of our plates can help us just as much as they can drag us down. A diet is needed to stimulate brain function from morning to night. Aline Corsell, nutritionist and neurocognitive practitioner, advises on preferred foods.
Respect the meal schedule
Before going into the details of the menus, the doctor reminds us of the importance of eating in “chronological biological order”. Obviously, we choose foods according to our needs, which change throughout the day. In the morning, the brain needs protein. “They allow the production of dopamine, a neurotransmitter that stimulates concentration, memory and motivation,” explains Dr. Aline Corsell. And even if its synthesis takes place throughout the day, then it is more important in the morning.
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We eat ham, cheese or eggs for breakfast and avoid, for example, a bowl of fruit without accompaniment, because we do not find a trace of protein there, warns the doctor. This menu also represents an excessive intake of sugar, which will suddenly raise blood sugar levels. Falling off this peak to get back to normal will be just as brutal and will especially cause fatigue and the urge to eat more afterwards. At lunch, we continue this momentum and include animal proteins (chicken, eggs, red meat) or vegetable proteins (lentils, peas, etc.) on our plate. Good sources of carbohydrates can then be included in the snack, especially with fruit.
Maintain good bacteria
To optimize concentration time, it’s also important to take care of your gut microbiota—the collection of bacteria, viruses, parasites, and fungi that live in our gut. “With a deficiency or even absence of these microorganisms, we are more vulnerable to stress and can face digestive problems that affect our ability to concentrate,” explains the nutritionist. The brain will not function optimally.’
We use prebiotics to feed the good bacteria in our flora. They are found in “fiber-rich foods such as plants (fruits, vegetables, garlic, onions, herbs) and whole grains such as oat bran or buckwheat. We can also provide good microbiota bacteria with kefir, kombucha, sauerkraut, unpasteurized miso (otherwise the interesting live bacteria are no longer there), or even yogurts that respect the original recipe.
Vitamins and minerals
The brain also needs vitamins and minerals, particularly “magnesium, iron, zinc and B vitamins,” reports Aline Corcelle. Where to find these micronutrients? “B vitamins are found in green vegetables and zinc in animal proteins. Iron from red meat is also well absorbed by the body. Whole grains are also generously provided, strictly processed,” comments the doctor.
Omega 3 fatty acids
Omega 3 is important for improving our concentration abilities. “Among the three types that exist, the most interesting for optimizing your brain’s abilities is the DHA type.” They are found in fatty fish such as sardines, mackerel and even herring. “A person who never eats fish and wants to improve their concentration and memory skills should supplement with DHA capsules. For people who exclude all animal proteins from their diet, there are DHA capsules from algae,” explains the doctor.
Finally, we take care to avoid the consumption of so-called “ultra-processed” foods, which do not provide the micronutrients of interest to the brain, but on the contrary, harm it.
Source: Le Figaro
