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Blueberries Blueberries are bursting with antioxidants. “The small berry may boost your ability to learn and improve your memory skills due to the high levels of flavonoids,” says Cassandra Barns, nutritionist at The Nutri Centre nutricentre.com. “In particular, these are thought to protect against oxidative stress in your brain and help you concentrate and retain information.”
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Blueberries are great added to smoothies and sprinkled on porridge or granola, or just simply a punnet to snack on during the day.
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Spinach Spinach is a wonderful, slowrelease energy food. “The leafy green is a good source of folic acid and essential vitamin C, both of which are needed for the production of neurotransmitters in your brain,” says Cassandra. “Like other green vegetables, it’s also a source of chlorophyll which helps your absorption of iron and promotes red blood cell growth, improving the oxygen flow around your body and to your brain.”
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Use raw spinach as a basis for any salad, steam it with fish or add to smoothies or vegetable juices.
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Beetroot Beetroot can boost your energy levels ahead of a tough session. “The purple veg contains nitrates, which convert to nitric oxide in your body,” explains Cassandra. “Nitric oxide relaxes and opens up the blood vessels, improving circulation and delivery of oxygen to your brain, so as to prevent any damage.”
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“Nitrate is lost if you boil beetroot. Roast it and retain the juice. The nitrates are in the juice,” says top nutritionist Lawrence Mallinson.
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Asparagus Asparagus can help with any water retention or bloatedness. “Like spinach, asparagus contains good levels of folic acid,” Cassandra tells us. “This is needed for production of neurotransmitters and also for building healthy red blood cells to transport oxygen to your brain. The green veg also contains flavonoids and carotenoids, which can act as antioxidants protecting you against brain damage.”
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Asparagus is excellent grilled or roasted with fish or vegetables, or made into soup.
Walnuts Walnuts are the ideal post-workout snack. “The nuts are rich in polyunsaturated omega six and omega three fatty acids,” explains Cassandra. “Polyunsaturated fatty acids are components of your cell membranes, which keeps your brain functioning normally. Plus, they’re also a good source of magnesium, which has an important role in the healthy functioning of your brain’s nervous system.”
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Use walnuts in salads, add to cereals, or get some raw walnut butter (pure milled walnuts) to spread on crackers or toast.
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