Do you ever get to the end of the day and feel cloudy headed or slowed down by brain fog?

Imagine what you could achieve with an extra boost of brain power. Your diet plays an essential part in keeping your brain healthy and fully functional. With our 5 best brain-boosting foods below, you will soon be on your way to unwavering concentration and razor-sharp focus until you choose to switch off.

1. Oily fish
Oily fish such as sardines, wild salmon and mackerel, contain high levels of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), an omega-3 essential fatty acid (EFA), which can help to improve memory. EFA’s cannot be made by the body and so we must obtain them through diet. We recommend eating oily fish once a week to get your dose of EFA’s.

2. Chlorella
Chlorella is a green algae containing nucleic acids DNA and RNA, which help the brain synthesize proteins. This is important for every biological function in our body. Chlorella isn’t to everyone’s taste but in powder form it can be easily added to your morning smoothie to disguise the flavour!

3. Berries
Strawberries, blueberries, goji berries and the rest! You name the berry and we can guarantee it is packed full of antioxidants. Antioxidants protect us from free radicals and oxidative stress. All of our cells can be affected by this, but brain cells are particularly vulnerable.

4. Walnuts
As well as being rich inomega-3 EFA’s, walnuts contain polyphenols which help to disarm free radicals, protect neurons and improve cognitive function. 3-4 walnuts are a healthy snack size and easy to grab if you are on the go.

5. Avocado
Avocados contain high quantities of monounsaturated fatty acids which help to keep your brain cell membranes flexible and protect your nerve cells. Remember, avocados are high in calories so stick to no more than half an avocado per day.

For a brain boosting supper try our roasted salmon and seaweed salad recipe below.

Roasted salmon and seaweed salad – serves 2

Ingredients

+2 wild-caught Alaskan salmon fillets
+2 tbsp low-salt soy sauce
+1 tsp honey
+Half cos lettuce
+2 spring onions
+30g dried seaweed
+Half a lime (zest and juice)
+2cm piece of ginger
+1 clove of garlic
+1 tsp oil
+1 tbsp sesame seeds
+Brown rice

Method

• Preheat the oven to 180 degrees. Place the salmon fillets, skin side down, on a piece of foil. Spoon over 1 tbsp of soy sauce and the honey. Fold the foil over the salmon to make a parcel and leave to cook for 20 minutes, or until cooked through.
• Whilst the salmon is in the oven, cook the brown rice according to the packet instructions.
• For the salad, slice the cos lettuce, spring onions, dried seaweed and mix together.
• To make the dressing, grate the zest of half a lime into a bowl and then squeeze in the juice. Grate in the ginger and crush in the garlic (to your own taste). Whisk with the remaining soy sauce and oil and pour over the salad.
• In a dry pan, fry the sesame seeds until toasted and set aside.

To serve

• Sprinkle the salmon with the toasted sesame seeds and serve with the seaweed salad and rice.