Healthy Options for Lunch to Boost Energy and Concentration at Work

There you are at your desk at 1:53 on a Wednesday afternoon, and you realize you've been reading the same paragraph for ten minutes, and you still have no idea what you've just read. Your eyes feel heavy, your limbs are like tree trunks, and the clock hands are mocking you as they move at the pace of a teeny tiny octogenarian crossing the street with her walker. You wonder why this always happens to you in the afternoons, why your brain always feels like it's made of fuzzy caterpillars.

Well, it probably has pretty much everything to do with that saucy burrito or the leftover pasta or (gasp!) the Big Mac and French fries you had for lunch. Starchy foods and those that are processed with added sugar and enough chemicals to fuel a small power plant are going to send your blood sugar off the charts, and when it comes crashing back down, well, just look at you!

Starting tomorrow, and every day thereafter, you must swear off greasy, fatty, sugary, and processed lunches and instead eat any number of delicious combinations of the following foods that will fuel your body and brain. You'll emerge from the lunch room raring to go, fully motivated to attack that report. Ten minutes later, you'll look up and it'll be 5:00. Because that's how energizing food rolls.

Omega 3 Superstars

Omega 3 fatty acids are the building blocks of your brain, and consuming them is critical for optimum brain function. A deficit of omega 3 fatty acids will lead to fatigue, memory problems, mood swings, poor circulation, and depression. So it stands to reason (and science backs this up) that consuming omega 3 helps to prevent these and other physical and mental scourges. As an added bonus, they may also help lower your risk of heart disease, arthritis, cancer, and other chronic diseases.

Think fatty fish like salmon, mackerel, sardines, and trout. Think walnuts and flax seeds.

Antioxidants

Antioxidants, or vitamins A, C, and E, have been shown to improve blood flow to the brain. More blood flow to the brain means more oxygen in your brain cells, which means better concentration. Antioxidants help stave off signs of aging, too, and they fight inflammation.

The best sources of antioxidants include berries, tomatoes, cauliflower, cabbage, and broccoli.

Vitamins B6 and B12

These powerhouse vitamins improve memory and concentration, and they may help prevent diseases like Alzheimer's and other dementia by protecting the brain from the chemical homocysteine, which causes nerve damage.

Whole grains, eggs, chickpeas (mmm, hummus!) and nuts are your go-to guys for B6, which also aids the formation of neurotransmitters and help keep your immune system at its peak, which is essential during cold and flu season.

Clams, crab, beef, Swiss cheese, and nonfat yogurt are your best bets for B12, which is also critical for nerve and brain function and the formation of red blood cells.

Fiber

If sugar and starch are the wham-bam-thank-you-ma'ams of blood sugar spikes and crashes, foods high in fiber are the slow lovers that keep your blood sugar stable throughout the afternoon. Stable blood sugar means that your brain cells are getting energy steadily throughout the afternoon.

So eat fiber! Lots of it! We're talking vegetables and fruits, whole grains and nuts, and beans and seeds.

Water or Green Tea

Put down that can of Diet Coke this instant and head over to the water cooler. Even slight dehydration can leave you with the attention span and concentration of a two-year-old. Lots and lots of water keeps all those brain cells plump and healthy, and it has a host of other benefits.

If water bores the ever loving crap out of you, turn it into green tea. Green tea has a little caffeine, which (in moderation) helps to increase dopamine levels in the brain and leads to better concentration and higher motivation. Green tea also contains special antioxidants known as polyphenols, which prevent cell death and improve brain function.