Brain Warriors know that getting what you want out of life requires focus. To get into college, you’ve got to concentrate in high school to get good grades. To get that promotion at work, you’ve got to keep your mind on your projects rather than getting distracted by your social media feed. To have a healthy relationship, you’ve got to pay attention when your spouse is talking to you. If you can’t focus, you’ll have trouble at school, at work, and in your love life.
What you eat plays a major role in your minute-by-minute ability to stay focused, so it’s important to eat a brain healthy diet and avoid the following 3 foods that rob your focus.
Soy Sauce Steals Your Attention
What’s the harm in soaking your food in soy sauce? A single tablespoon of the stuff accounts for 38 percent of the daily total recommendation for sodium. Foods like soy sauce that are packed with sodium restrict blood flow to the brain and can impair focus.
Focus tip: Skip salty fare and flavor food with brain healthy spices instead.
Diet Sodas Drain Your Focus
If you want to be a Brain Warrior, there is no place in your diet for diet sodas. Aspartame, the artificial sweetener found in many diet drinks, contains amino acids that stimulate neurotransmitters associated with memory and learning. Sounds good, but it isn’t. They are potent excitotoxins, which means they are toxic to brain cells. This can negatively affect memory and your ability to concentrate on the task at hand.
Focus tip: Swap out the sodas for sparkling water sweetened with stevia, or iced green tea.
Cured Meats Crush Your Concentration
Prosciutto, pancetta, pepperoni—cured meats like these may be popular on pizza and deli platters, but they can give you some serious brain fog. Protein-rich foods that are also cured with salt are high in nitrogen, and your body has to use more fluids to eliminate this substance. This can leave you dehydrated, and even mild dehydration can decrease your ability to focus and increase fuzzy thinking.
Focus tip: Stick to proteins that are organic, antibiotic-free, and hormone-free and always stay hydrated by drinking at least 8-10 glasses of water a day.
Healthy Ways To Boost Focus
Increase focus with green tea, as well as the nutrient choline (found in salmon, eggs, and broccoli), and the adaptogen rhodiola, all of which are found in Focus & Energy. Use the promo code TANA21 to get 21% off.
