Food for Mental Focus, 2 of the Best: Avocados and Dark Chocolate

#food #mental #focus #pleasure #avocados

Avocados are an excellent source of monounsaturated fats, which help to increase production of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine. Acetylcholine functions primarily as a neuromodulator found in the central nervous system which helps to improve your focus and attention by enhancing sensory perception.

Avocados are a good source of the amino acid tyrosine, a precursor to dopamine, the brain chemical involved in pleasure, motivation and learning.

Dopamine helps to improve your attention and focus. Reduced concentrations of dopamine are believed to be a contributing factor for attention deficit disorder.

To hasten the ripening your avocados place them in a brown paper bag, for the fruit produces ethylene gas which is trapped in the paper bag, ripening the avocados faster.

And,

Dark Chocolate is full of neuroprotective flavonoids which benefit the health of the brain by promoting brain plasticity and helping your brain cells live longer.

These flavonoids enhance cerebral blood flow which helps to improve attention span, memory, problem solving capabilities and reaction time.

The flavonoid epicatechin found in cocoa and dark chocolate helps to improve various cognitive functions.

A study I recently read shows that consumption of dark chocolate improved performance on cognitive tests which included the abstract reasoning test, the scanning and tracking test, the working memory test, the visual-spatial memory test, and the organization test.

Snack on 1.5 to 3oz of at least 70% dark chocolate a day to give your brain a healthy boost.

Eat healthy, Be healthy, Live lively