Mid-day mental fatigue isn’t always linked to lack of sleep or coffee. What you put on your plate can also affect your concentration and memory. Oily fish, red fruits, green vegetables, nuts and legumes are particularly interesting. Here’s how to simply integrate them into your daily life.
The 5 foods to favor for the brain
When mental fatigue sets in in the middle of the afternoon, your concentration drops or you feel like you have a “cotton brain”, coffee often seems to be the solution. However, diet also matters. Your brain uses a lot of energy and needs a regular supply of nutrients to function properly.
Among the foods good for the brain, five families are particularly interesting: fatty fish, red fruits, green vegetables, nuts and legumes. Rich in omega-3, fiber, vitamins and antioxidants, they fit easily into a balanced diet:
- Oily fish, such as sardines, mackerel or salmon, provide omega-3, particularly DHA and EPA, which are important for the functioning of nerve cells. The ideal is to eat it about twice a week, including fatty fish once.
- Red fruits, such as blueberries, strawberries or raspberries, are rich in antioxidants. Easy to add to yogurt or a dessert, they provide flavonoids in particular.
- Green vegetables, such as spinach, broccoli or salad, provide vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. They have their place at lunch as well as dinner.
- Nuts, including walnuts, almonds and hazelnuts, provide vitamin E, fiber and unsaturated fats. A small handful of 20 to 30 g is enough for a snack.
- Finally, legumes, such as lentils, chickpeas and beans, are rich in fiber and vitamin B9. They also contribute to more stable blood sugar levels, which can help avoid fatigue after meals.
How to integrate them easily?
No need to change your entire diet. A natural yogurt with red fruits and a few nuts for breakfast, a lentil salad for lunch, a handful of almonds for a snack or even salmon with broccoli for dinner already allow you to vary the sources of nutrients.
A square of dark chocolate containing at least 70% cocoa can also be used, in small quantities. But no single food is enough to improve memory or concentration. A varied diet, sufficient sleep and regular physical activity remain essential.
Of course, in the event of an allergy, chronic illness or specific treatment, it is better to seek advice from a health professional before changing your diet.