My good friend, Dr. Jeff Fortuna, has written a remarkable book about brain healthy eating that I highly recommend. It is called Nutrition for the Focused Brain, and I think it should be required reading for everybody.
Before I tell you about his new book and how it can help you achieve peak brain performance throughout the day, let me tell you a little about Dr. Jeff and his background so you will understand why I trust what he has to say. A Doctor of Public Health, he also has advanced post-doctoral training in neurochemistry, pharmacology, and nutrition. Dr. Jeff is on the faculty in the Department of Health Science at California State University, Fullerton, and he is the Clinical Nutritionist for Newport Academy, a drug and alcohol treatment center for teens.
In his latest book, Dr. Jeff reveals the effects of food on your brain. Here are just a few of the tips you will learn in Nutrition for the Focused Brain.
Foods rich in protein, but low in carbohydrates tend to increase attention. This is why kids with ADD should eat a protein-rich breakfast every morning rather than high-carb fare like cereal, donuts, or pancakes.
Carbohydrate-rich, low-protein meals tend to be calming for men and produce drowsiness in women. They also impair specific behavioral tasks and reaction time, so you don’t want to eat a carb-loaded meal right before you take a big test or are going to take a long drive.
The best types of meals to eat during the day for peak performance?
Breakfast:
Eat high-quality protein at breakfast and lunch since these increase attention and focus when you need it most.
Lunch:
What you eat for lunch is critical to your afternoon performance. In fact, your lunchtime meal may be the most important meal of the day as catecholamine (the fight-or-flight hormones, including epinephrine, norepinehprine, and dopamine) levels peak in the morning at about 6 a.m. and fall dramatically by noon. This naturally puts your body at a more relaxed state at this time, and eating primarily carbs at lunch increases this effect and impairs your afternoon performance. Instead, make sure to include lean protein at lunch.
Dinner:
For dinner, choose meals that are rich in complex carbohydrates and relatively low in protein to promote relaxation.
Americans have it backwards! Instead of starting the day with pancakes for breakfast and having a steak for dinner, we should do just the opposite.
These are only a few of the many amazing findings in Dr. Jeff’s book. You will also discover:
- Simple ways to curb cravings for sugary snacks
- Why the foods you eat affect your brain and body more intensely if you are over the age of 40
- Why you should be eating more foods rich in tyrosine, tryptophan, and omega-3 fatty acids
- Lists of high-performance snacks and calming snacks
- Menu options for breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Pick up a copy of Dr. Jeff Fortuna’s Nutrition for the Focused Brain today. You can find it here.
