Get Mental

It's a good time of the year to be smart. Lots of you college kids are going through finals. I'll tell you, I don't miss them! Having a clear and focused mind can be crucial in sport. There's no doubt that sport requires a ton of physical labor, but if you have the brawn and the brains, no one dares stand a chance.  Whatever your reason to increase that brain function of yours, here are some foods and tips in order to think...hard...

Eat breakfast. I mean, you should always eat breakfast, but the fact is, breakfast plays an important role in "waking up" your body. Simply by eating early, you get you metabolism churning and your blood flow rolling. What's interesting is your brain runs solely on glucose, or the carbohydrates and sugars. This is true because of the way energy travels to the brain, through the blood. What I am trying to say is, having a healthy carbohydrate source in the morning will supply your brain with food. This could be fruit, oatmeal, toast and jam, or orange juice. All great options.

Here's an obvious one for you guys. Caffeine. It's a given fact that this chemical compound can jack you up and increase your alertness easily. Sometimes that is all we need in order to really focus on something. But did you know you can find caffeine and things other then coffee, tea, energy drinks, and soda? How about chocolate? Yup. And on top of that, dark chocolate also provides some awesome antioxidants that are said to fight and decrease toxins. Sometimes toxins can be what causes our mind to slow down (can you say hangover?). Simple rule with this one, don't overdo it! This will leave you sick, jittery, and cause you to crash.

Omega-3 fatty acids are always talked about. But what are they? They are types of oils found in fish that are beneficial to your health. Omega-3's are associated with brain development and concentration. I'm not saying that eating a fishy lunch or dinner will help you out on today's test, but I will tell you that incorporating fish into your diet on a regular basis (maybe 2-3 times per week) can be incredibly healthy for you brain as well as the rest of your body. Try the lean stuff like tuna and tilapia. Salmon is always a good choice too. My favorite, yum.

Vitamin E will help you out! You can find a ton of this stuff in nuts like walnuts, cashews, almonds, peanuts, and pecans. Buying a mixed nut container and just having it out to munch on is one of my favorite things to do. This way while you are watching TV you can just pop open the nuts and grab a handful instead of possibly eating something worse. Literally one handful of this stuff will help you fight off memory loss as you age. You can get creative and find some nutty dark chocolate to get a real nice combination of goodness.

Here are some more foods that want to help you keep your mind: blueberries, avocados, popcorn, bagels, orange juice, smoothies, yogurt, cereal, broccoli, and peppers. Notice that most of these are carbohydrate foods! Just to add, not only food helps you concentrate. Good sleep, exercising regularly, and staying hydrated also helps you keep a straight mind.

Now go soon-to-be geniuses and destroy all challenges in your path!