Sad to say, summer vacation is ending across the country and the kids are headed back to school. With the beginning of the scholarly season, how sweet would it be to be able to buckle-down and study while getting the most out of it? If you are tired of watching your daughter twist her hair and daydream while she is supposed to be hitting the books, or your son playing table football, why not help them concentrate by serving foods that actually enhance their ability to focus on the task at hand? Here are seven foods that will help them do that.
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Berries: What kid doesn’t like berries? Try serving a bowl of chilled blueberries to your child as they sit down to study. These antioxidant-rich, sweet morsels are a memory booster, according to a 2010 report in the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry, which said regular consumption of blueberries or drinks with blueberry in them improved memory performance.
Green Tea Great for Braining: Studies are showing that green tea shows promise for enhancing mental alertness and helping the brain to focus on a topic. While it may not be suitable for young children, older adolescents may benefit from it, and adults certainly will.
Oatmeal Puts Hair on Your Chest: Okay, not really, but eating oatmeal for breakfast will give you a boost of energy and lower cholesterol. Regular oatmeal eaters are less likely to be obese and fewer suffer from hypertension and diabetes than those folks that skip this meal. Want to make it sweeter? Toss in some blueberries and you have a recipe for super productive day.
Nuts Help You Concentrate: Nuts are a great source of antioxidants and vitamin E – which is associated with cognitive health. With just an ounce a day they will bring you the amino acids that you need to focus. Imagine... include these with your oatmeal and berries and you have a sweet, crunchy brain food first thing in the morning.
Yes Chocolate is Good For You: Okay, mom, let’s get junior to go off to school full of energy and focus. Building on previous slides here, try serving cocoa made from dark chocolate sweetened with palm sugar instead of white sugar, or agave. Dark chocolate is associated with better concentration abilities, and it has antioxidants, vitamins and minerals such as copper, magnesium and potassium. Drinking it regularly promotes memory by increasing blood flow to the brain. Now, combine hot cocoa with the oatmeal, nuts and blueberries? Your child will be making the grade!
Bananas Have a Peel: One great way to boost energy and improve memory and focus are those long, slender yellow treats: bananas. There actually have been studies that showed that those who ate a banana prior to an exam actually did better. These golden treats are high in potassium, which is a mineral that keeps your brain, nerves and heart in really good shape.
Can’t Beat a Beet: Want to focus a bit better and are tired of the same ol' thing? Try shredding sugar beets into a salad, lightly boil them and mash with a pinch of seasoning, make juice or roast them like a potato. It’s all good, and it will improve memory and help you concentrate. The nitrates in beets dilate blood vessels and increase blood flow to the brain, which improves mental cognition.
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