Whether you’re leading meetings at work, helping kids with homework, or just having a leisurely conversation over dinner, life is better when your brain is working at its best.
Peak brain performance means…
- Focus comes easily.
- Your mind feels sharp.
- You feel creative and clear.
- You can confidently make decisions.
- You have the mental energy and stamina to stay productive throughout the day.
Peak brain performance translates into greater success, deeper relationships, and more happiness in your life.
3 Hidden Health Factors that Affect Brain Performance
Interested in boosting your brain power for peak performance? The first thing to know is that your brain function is a byproduct of the health of your entire body.
Here are 3 health factors (that most people never even think about) that can influence your memory and mental clarity:
Menopause
According to neuroscientist Lisa Moscani, estrogen is key to energy production in the brain. Changing estrogen levels at menopause mean altered energy production in the brain—triggering everything from hot flashes to mood swings to memory lapses.
Gut Health
The gut has been called the second brain because it produces many of the same neurotransmitters as the brain (including dopamine, serotonin, and GABA). Your gut and brain are connected through a communication network that researchers call the gut-brain axis. Plus—in people who struggle with digestive gas and bloating? Brain fog is common.
Blood Sugar
Blood sugar swings are bad news for the brain. When blood sugar is low, the brain struggles to access enough energy to function. When blood sugar is high, there are shifts in neurotransmitter levels that affect memory and focus. Over time, high blood sugar damages the blood vessels and compromises circulation to the brain.
Other reasons brain performance can suffer include chronic infections, exposure to environmental toxins, autoimmune disease, or poor circulation. Functional medicine testing can uncover if any of these underlying issues are present.
RELATED: ANTI-INFLAMMATORY FOODS TO PREVENT DISEASES
Foods & Supplements for Peak Brain Performance
If you want more mental clarity, focus, creativity, and stamina…you’ve got to start with food and nutrition.
Brain-boosting foods tend to be rich in antioxidants (to protect brain cells from damage), healthy fats (to build fluid nerve cell membranes), or B vitamins (for neurotransmitter and energy production).
Load up on these foods to give your brain an extra advantage:
- Berries as a source of antioxidants
- Broccoli as a source of antioxidants
- Avocados as a source of healthy fats
- Nuts and seeds as a source of B vitamins and healthy fats
- Eggs as a source of choline (considered to be part of the B vitamin family) for neurotransmitter production
Berries are a good source of antioxidant.
Supplements can be an additional boost to enhance mental performance. Here are a few examples:
Choline
Choline is a building block for acetylcholine (a chemical messenger in the brain), phosphatidylcholine (building nerve cell membranes), and sphingomyelin (protection around nerves). If you don’t eat eggs every day, you may not be getting the recommended amount.
Magnesium Threonate
Magnesium is needed for neurotransmitter production, energy production, and nerve signaling. Magnesium threonate is a readily absorbed form that crosses the blood-brain barrier to boost levels of magnesium in the brain.
Bacopa, Ginseng, Ginkgo, etc.
These and other herbs support healthy brain function. They are categorized as “adaptogenic” herbs because they help your body adapt and be more resilient to stress. Herbs typically act by multiple mechanisms at once. Ginkgo, for example, has antioxidant effects, protects nerve cell health, and supports circulation to the brain.
Lion’s Mane, Cordyceps, and Reishi
Often called “medicinal mushrooms,” these supplements support a healthy gut microbiome (which links to the gut-brain axis), boost antioxidant defenses, and support growth factors in the brain. They are popular for supporting memory, focus, and concentration.
I share this list to give you a glimpse of the possibilities. Please do not go out to the health food stores to buy all of these supplements. The reality is that you might benefit from one or two but not all of them.
When we work with our patients to support peak brain performance, we always prioritize supplements so that we can get the best effect with the least number of interventions.
Would you like a personalized plan to boost your brain power?
That’s what we’re here for. Send me a message!
