Dear friend,

Do you find it hard sometimes to think clearly?

Do you ever lose focus?

Find it difficult to concentrate?

You’re not alone. But there are 11 super foods you can eat to kick-start your brain into overdrive.

Berries are a great brain food. And the good news is the frozen and, therefore cheaper, ones actually contain more antioxidants. Researchers at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University found that animals given blueberries showed virtually no evidence in the brain of the cell-damaging effects of free radicals. They also performed better on cognitive tests. Blueberries are particularly good, as are raspberries, strawberries and acai berries.

Foods rich in folate are also important as low levels of this nutrient can cause decreased brain power and depression. Foods that contain good levels of folate include whole wheat, asparagus, dark leafy green vegetables, oranges, beans and sunflower seeds.

Pumpkin seeds are great for the brain too – as well as SO MUCH else (I always have a big bag in my desk drawer for snacking on and sprinkling on cereal.) The zinc in them is crucial for memory and cognition.

Even better, my favourite vice, Chocolate, is been tagged as an extremely important brain food too. It helps improve both your brain performance and your mood, thanks to the Theobromine, antioxidants, flavonoids, catechins and many other brain and body-enhancing elements it contains. Go for high quality and 75% cacao content or higher to get the best brain boosting results.

Now I know this isn’t a food exactly but – while chewing gum won’t make you look smarter – apparently it can make your brain work brighter. Researchers at Northwestern University found that people displayed an increase in cognitive performance thanks to the increased flow of blood to the brain. Chewing gum can also be an effective of reducing stress.

Can’t exercise? Won’t exercise? Try homeopathic exercise!

We all know exercise is incredibly good for us. It boosts your immunity, your general health and relieves all kinds of physical and emotional conditions.

But what if you aren’t able to exercise... Don’t enjoy it... Or simply don’t have time?

The good news is it doesn’t need to take long and you don’t actually have to move to do it!

The thing to aim at is the building of muscular strength. The stronger your muscles, the stronger your health. But you only need to spend a couple of minutes here and there to make a big improvement to muscles that may have atrophied as you age.

When you’re sitting down - watching TV or stuck in a traffic jam – try pushing your hands gently against each other in a prayer position to build up muscle strength in your arms and chest. This is also a good time to gently exercise and flex the muscles in your neck, legs and buttocks. Just a simple bit of clenching can go a long way!

If you’re relatively fit and flexible, with a straight back, bend your knees and lower yourself down until your hands reach the floor and come back up again. Alternatively, try staying in a skiing position for as long as you can.

Holding any kind of balancing position is a great way to exercise muscles. Try doing chores like washing the dishes while standing on one leg!

Can’t get down to the floor? Then do push-ups off the wall.

Try Googling “isometric exercises” for more ideas and fuller instructions.

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In the name of happiness,

Your Insider

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