Food for thought
Do you find yourself dozing off at your desk halfway through the morning or unable to drag yourself off the sofa by mid-afternoon? Then perhaps it's what you're eating, rather than a lack of sleep, that's dragging you down.
Studies have shown that people who eat breakfast perform better mentally and verbally and concentrate better than those who don't.
The reason for this is that when you're asleep your metabolism slows down, but you still need a constant supply of energy to keep your body, and particularly your brain, ticking over. The fuel for this is stored in your liver but, because this fuel is not being replaced while you're asleep, your brain needs a new supply to kick-start it into action again when you wake up.
By eating breakfast as soon as you can after waking, you rev-up your metabolism and provide instant fuel for your brain to function throughout the day.
Why not try some of the smart breakfast choices below and see what a difference they make.
Brain-boosting breakfast ideas:
- a bowl of breakfast cereal with chopped dried fruit and semi-skimmed milk
- two slices of wholemeal toast with low-fat spread and marmite
- a bagel with low-fat cream cheese, topped with canned pineapple
- a bowl of fruit salad, topped with yoghurt and a good sprinkling of muesli
- a bowl of porridge, topped with chopped banana
- the occasional full English breakfast (Make it healthier by grilling the bacon, sausages and tomatoes instead of frying them.)
As well as making you more alert and giving you more energy, the right kind of breakfast should also keep you feeling fuller for longer. Wholemeal or whole-wheat bread, for example, is better than white bread, because it takes longer to break down and stays in the stomach longer, keeping you feeling full. This means that you avoid mid-morning hunger pangs, so you're less likely to be tempted to snack on fatty and sugary snacks.
Lunch munch
With a plethora of cafes and take-away shops selling everything from soups, sandwiches and salads to fish, chips and burgers, it's little wonder people find it hard to make healthy choices at lunchtime.
Many of us need to reduce the amount of fat and calories in our diet and increase our intake of fruit and vegetables. Lunchtime is a great opportunity to do this as well as refuel for the afternoon.
Energy-enhancing lunch ideas
- a mayonnaise-free sandwich (Good options are wholemeal bread, filled with a small portion of meat, cheese or canned tuna and a good serving of salad.)
- a jacket potato with no butter, topped with baked beans or cheese
- cream-free soup with a salad roll
- pasta with a tomato-based sauce
- Chinese chicken and pepper stir-fry with boiled rice
Regardless of what you eat at lunch, try to include a portion of vegetables with it and finish it off with a piece of fruit.
Dinner winners
After a long day at work, often all you want to do is collapse on the settee. That's fine if you haven't got anything planned, but if you've got to sparkle and shine in the evening you may need a little help.
These three delicious evening meals will not only boost your brainpower. They will also help you avoid 'snack attacks' before bedtime, because they are based in whole grains and carbohydrates.
- chickpea and vegetable stew, served with bulgur wheat
- carrot and cashew nut curry, served with chapattis
- buckwheat noodles served with tofu and mixed vegetables, flavoured with sesame and soy dressing
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