Page 24 - Florida Sentinel 9-16-22

Sports
Even if you haven’t seen the movie, “Limitless”, the premise is that a “super pill” can help make you smarter, think quicker, react faster, and overall be a genius. Even though that’s Hollywood and there’s no real magic pill to do that, we do have mother na- ture to look to if we want our brains to perform better.
Here are five quick concoc- tions that will prepare you for your day and make you look like a rockstar at work.
Blueberry Juice
Remember the age-old say- ing: the darker the berry the sweeter the juice?
Well, not only has eating more darkly pigmented fruits like blueberries been associ- ated with a reduced risk of Alzheimer’s, some studies show that eating them can ac- tually boost concentration and memory up to 5 hours later.
Just thank all those antiox- idants, which increase blood flow (and thus, oxygen) to the brain, making mental tasks easier. Try adding them to your morning oatmeal or after- noon salad.
Peppermint Tea
Even without caffeine, this tasty brew can perk up your brain.
Studies have found that the scent of peppermint is associ- ated with reduced anxiety and fatigue, and enhanced motiva- tion and performance.
Beet Juice
Beetroots are veggies loaded with dietary nitrates that are converted into nitrites in the body, which increase blood flow and oxygen to the brain.
If you’re like most people, you either love beets or hate them. If you need a little extra help convincing yourself to try beet juice, then try roasting them to bring out their natural sweetness, or whip up a Blue- berry Beet Almond Smoothie (2 cups almond milk, 1 cup blueberries, 1/2 cup beets, handful of almonds) to take with you to work or to the gym.
Water + Lemon
Water is life and a little in- fused water may be all you need.
Studies show that dehydra- tion can mess with memory and overall brain functioning big-time, while other research has found that the scent of lemon improves performance on tasks that require a great deal of concentration.
Coffee + Cinnamon
Sure, it might seem obvi- ous that coffee would perk you up and help you focus, but did you know that two to three daily cups have been linked to both long- and short-term im- provements in memory?
Bolster its brain-boosting effects even further by adding a few dashes of cinnamon—a 2009 study found that even just the smell of this spice can lead to increased feelings of alertness and decreased frus- tration.
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