If you need extra brain power to get you through your day, read on to learn three easy additions that will make a huge difference to your day…and will go a long way to ending your anxiety and improving your overall mood!
Number 1: Breakfast.
First of all, if you don’t eat breakfast, start now and don’t ever skip it! Secondly, eating a breakfast that contains a good source of protein and complex carbohydrates will keep your blood sugar steady, provide energy, brain power, and set you up for the rest of the day. Stable blood sugar is crucial for good mood too! Some great examples are a veggie omelet, poached eggs on wholegrain toast (if you can tolerate wheat), beef or chicken sausages or fish with veggies or even “dinner-for-breakfast”.
A great easy and delicious option is a “Brain-Power-Good-Mood Smoothie” for breakfast? Use ½ cup blueberries or raspberries, 1 banana, ¼ cup full fat coconut milk and water to make up a cup and a scoop of whey protein powder (at least 20g protein). Blend and enjoy! Optional additions are almond butter, plain yogurt (if you are ok with dairy), greens or ground flax seed
Skip the processed “whites” like bagels, muffins and donuts. Are you a just-coffee morning person? Try this and let me know how much better your day goes!
Number 2: Blueberries
They are phytonutrient superstars! Researchers have found that blueberries help protect the brain from oxidative stress and significantly improve learning capacity. Raspberries, blackberries and strawberries are great too. And go for organic since berries tend to be heavily sprayed with pesticides.
Number 3: Baked salmon.
Actually, any form of salmon or other wild cold-water oily fish (like sardines or mackerel) that has a high concentration of omega-3 fats, is needed for optimal performance of the human brain – both physically and mentally.
Great reminder to eat breakfast – I can’t get going at all without a good brekkie – this morning I had a whey protein shake with blueberries so am feeling a little pleased that I ticked those boxes!!
Heidi Alexandra
Good stuff Heidi! It really does make a big difference! Love your Ozzie slang for breakfast – I’m South African and grew up saying brekkie or brekkies (and we may need to translate for our American readers…)
Trudy
I was just about to eat some Coco Crispies, but you’ve convinced me that going for the fresh blueberries in my fridge are a much better option! 🙂 Very interesting info, Trudy. Thanks for inspiring me to eat better!
Wonderful Carmen! Fresh blueberries are so amazingly delic and then out of season, keeping frozen berries on hand makes snacking and smoothies so easy.
Trudy,
Great information! I got soooo hungry for some healthy foods reading it.
Kiyla Fenell
http://www.dreamteamhire.com
Enjoy your healthy choices Kiyla!
Good suggestions although I’m not a big “oily fish” person, LOL. But I love the ideas for the breakfast smoothies, I am a big fan of those, have one when I’m home every day! Thanks for sharing your expertise, Trudy.
Sue – yes smoothies are great and so easy too. Have you tried smoked salmon or salmon pate? these are other tasty ways to enjoy salmon
Trudy
Thanks for the fun and nutritious recipes. Sometimes we get stuck on what to eat and this really really helps.
Write on!~
Lisa
Yummy! I’m ready to go bake some salmon and eat it with a bowl of blueberries on the side. 🙂 XO, Katherine.
Trudy ~ This is lovely. You have given so much great information here. Trudy is truly an expert. If you follow her advice your life will be fabulous!
Love you,
Robin
Thanks Robin – and likewise for you and your luscious living and “to grow young” advice. And we all deserve to feel and look fabulous don’t we!
Trudy,
Great article, thanks. Have to go I am so hungry now.
Mitch
Excellent tips Trudy!
I have a question about the salmon…there has been a lot of talk around farmed salmon being quite toxic. What do you suggest with regards to the kind of salmon to eat?
Laura – excellent question – go for wild salmon for sure. Farmed salmon is nasty – other than the pink color they add to their feed, they have been found to be high in mercury (also from the feed) and a recent study found a link between this and increased risk for metabolic syndrome (and thereby diabetes). Farmed salmon are also given antibiotics which exposes you to them too.
Trudy
These are great tips, thanks for the info!
Glad you enjoyed them – thanks for stopping by
Trudy, thanks for introducing me to breakfast smoothies back in November. Hardly a day goes by anymore without one, unless I have time for a veggie scramble or omelette.
thankfully, I love salmon, too! 🙂
See you soon!
Grace
Grace – you’re doing so great with your smoothies, scrambles and salmon! See you soon.