Who doesn't want a brain that functions so well that creative ideas simply flow into it? The person who says no must be joking. The longing for mental sharpness and agility is universal. Everybody wants to look and be smart. While a majority of us are not very particular about becoming geniuses, we do want a brain that performs at a peak level throughout our lives. If someone tells us that certain types of food can help us achieve this, we wouldn't waste time planning our diet accordingly.

Fatty acids

My grandmother, and possibly yours too, weren't wrong when they told us to eat fish if we wanted good grades. She might not have known the reasons for it, but she was right! The solid part of our brains comprise fat, and it does the brain good if we supply some essential fatty acids to it. Fish is a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids. So, eating fish twice a week should improve the performance of your brain.

Eat eggs and fish, such as salmon, sardines, mackerel, and herring. Sardines also contain Choline, a brain chemical that is responsible for memory.

Complex Carbohydrates

Steer clear of foods that contain simple sugars, such as processed flour and sugary foods and drinks. They create fluctuations in the blood sugar level, something that the human body detests. On the other hands, complex carbohydrates create a steady blood sugar level because the intestines take a long time to break them down.

Avoid sugar, salt, cakes, pies, and certain types of breads and cereals because they are high in simple carbohydrates.

Proteins

The neurotransmitters that carry signals from one brain cell to the other comprise the amino acids, tryptophan and tyrosine. Protein intake, therefore, enhances the quality of brain performance.

Include in your diet high-protein and low-carbohydrate foods, such as seafood, meat, eggs, soy, and diary products.

Vitamins and Nutrients

If your body does not receive adequate vitamins and nutrients, you will feel faint, lethargic, and sluggish. For example, your red blood cells require iron to supply to your organs and tissues all the oxygen that you need. Lack of iron will make you anemic. Peak performance of the brain is almost impossible in these conditions.

• Eat iron-rich foods, such as red meat, green leafy vegetables, pulses, and bread.

• Zinc improves memory and concentration. You will find it in seafood, oysters, fish, legumes, cereals, whole grains, pumpkin seeds, and turkey

• Riboflavin sharpens your faculty of memory. Take liver, milk, almonds, dark green vegetables, mushrooms, pasta, and bread.

• For long-term memory, take Vitamin B6 rich food, such as whole grain cereals and breads, spinach, liver, banana, and avocados.

• Lack of Thiamin causes mental confusion. You will find plenty of it in wheat germ, brewers yeast, green peas, bran, nuts, meat, and fortified cereals.

An Absolute No-no

• Alcohol: It destroys brain cells; so, eliminate it from your diet

• Artificial coloring and flavoring: These create imbalance in the neurotransmitters, which in turn make you feel restless, irritable, sleepy, and inattentive.

• Caffeine and nicotine: This is available in tea, coffee, and cola drinks. While a couple of cups of tea or coffee per day can boost your alertness and creativity, too much of it can constrict your capillaries and restrict the flow of blood to the brain.

It is important to remember that one person's diet might not work for the other. People respond differently to different ratios of protein and carbohydrates. You have to find out what works best for your body.

Tips for Mental Alertness

• A constipated body does not go with an alert, creative mind. Add a lot of fiber to your diet and drink plenty of water for proper elimination.

• Enjoy a hearty breakfast; don't skip it. Eat at regular intervals.

• You cannot blame your brain for not functioning effectively if you don't refresh it with proper sleep. So, sleep well. Staying awake late into the night doesn't make you a peak performer.

• Combine brain food with plenty of exercise. Exercise creates that ‘feel-good' factor that in turn improves your mental agility.