{"id":2696,"date":"2014-09-24t09:00:43","date_gmt":"2014-09-24t09:00:43","guid":{"rendered":"\/\/www.catharsisit.com\/sat\/?p=2696"},"modified":"2015-04-14t20:57:31","modified_gmt":"2015-04-14t20:57:31","slug":"food-for-thought-maximizing-mental-performance-through-your-diet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"\/\/www.catharsisit.com\/hs\/gen\/food-for-thought-maximizing-mental-performance-through-your-diet\/","title":{"rendered":"food for thought: maximizing mental performance through your diet"},"content":{"rendered":"

no matter how many study tips you research, none of them will matter if you\u2019re working on an empty stomach! eating the right food and having the right eating habits can do wonders for your productivity. you really are what you eat!<\/p>\n

\"fft-mmptyd_img1\"<\/a><\/p>\n

well, okay. maybe not.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

why is eating right so important anyways?<\/h2>\n

according to recent studies, eating unhealthily is linked to a 66% risk of productivity loss!<\/strong> and according to the world health organization, your productivity levels raise by 20% on average <\/strong>with adequate nutrition. the nutrients you intake via consumption will ultimately be absorbed into your bloodstream and help power your mind.<\/p>\n

especially on the day of a big test, this is vital to remember. you are no different than an athlete on the day of his or her big race. your muscles need nutrients to work at their optimum performance, whether this performance is physical and mental.<\/p>\n

basically, what you eat is broken down into glucose, which helps fuel much of your mental functions. certain foods help release this glucose into the bloodstream quicker than others, while others help release the glucose at a slower, more optimal rate. if glucose is released too quickly, eventually your blood glucose level will be too low, and you won\u2019t be able to concentrate well. therefore, the food that you eat and the ways in which it helps facilitate this is vital to your productivity! <\/a>according to brain researcher leigh gibson<\/a>, \u201cthe brain works best with about 25 grams of glucose circulating in the bloodstream \u2014 about the amount found in a banana.\u201d<\/p>\n

glucose isn\u2019t the only important source of energy, either. tons of vitamins, minerals, and nutrients work together to fuel your body. your job is to pick out the types of food which will deliver them the best.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

pick up the right habits<\/h2>\n

eating isn\u2019t just in the food itself. having healthy eating habits also have a lot to do with your brain\u2019s performance and productivity.<\/p>\n

you want to regulate your glucose levels, so try not to binge eat. <\/strong>it\u2019s hard to resist not devouring an entire pizza when you\u2019re being bombarded by stress, but this could be counterproductive and actually increase your stress!<\/p>\n

instead, graze slowly all throughout the day. <\/strong>this can be extremely vital on days (especially weekends before big tests) when you\u2019re stuck at home and have to study for large periods of time.<\/p>\n

also, check those portions!<\/strong> by reducing the size of your plate and being less full, you can become significantly more productive. you spend less time eating unnecessary amounts of food, while avoiding the discomfort and subsequent lethargy of overeating.<\/p>\n

surprisingly, you may find that food on a smaller plate will fill you up more than the same portion on a bigger plate. in fact, there\u2019s a whole movement<\/a> dedicated to encouraging people everywhere to eat from smaller plates. check it out.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

eat the right food!<\/h2>\n

\"fft-mmptyd_img2\"<\/a><\/p>\n

there are tons of foods out there that have the right nutrients to optimize brain power and mental performance!<\/strong> the kinds of food you should indulge in are often high in antioxidants<\/strong>, low in fat, and high in other nutrients. foods like salmon and other fish are high in omega-3 fatty acids, <\/strong>for example, while sunflower seeds are great to chew on to maintain energy.<\/p>\n

others are filled with vitamins, protein, and minerals like iron. <\/strong>some even help relieve muscle tension, ease stress, and speed up your metabolism.<\/p>\n

check out this list of foods which are guaranteed to be optimal for your mental performance! if you incorporate some of them into your daily diet, you can significantly improve your focus and productivity. not to mention, you\u2019ll be healthier for it.<\/p>\n

berries<\/strong><\/p>\n

    \n
  • blueberries<\/li>\n
  • raspberries<\/li>\n
  • strawberries<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    fruits<\/strong><\/p>\n

      \n
    • watermelon<\/li>\n
    • papaya<\/li>\n
    • tomatoes<\/li>\n
    • figs<\/li>\n
    • raisins<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      nuts<\/strong><\/p>\n

        \n
      • almonds<\/li>\n
      • cashews<\/li>\n
      • pistachios<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

        veggies<\/strong><\/p>\n

          \n
        • avocados<\/li>\n
        • olives<\/li>\n
        • carrots<\/li>\n
        • eggplant<\/li>\n
        • garlic<\/li>\n
        • dark, leafy greens<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

          dairy<\/strong><\/p>\n

            \n
          • eggs<\/li>\n
          • dark chocolate<\/li>\n
          • yogurt<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

            seeds<\/strong><\/p>\n

              \n
            • sunflower seeds<\/li>\n
            • pumpkin seeds<\/li>\n
            • sesame seeds<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

              other<\/strong><\/p>\n

                \n
              • brown rice and other whole grains<\/li>\n
              • oily fish<\/li>\n
              • green tea<\/li>\n
              • cheese<\/li>\n
              • popcorn (not buttered)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                 <\/p>\n

                stay away<\/strong> from overly sugary, caloric foods. they will increase drowsiness! these foods are often the most tempting…<\/p>\n

                \"fft-mmptyd_img3\"<\/a><\/p>\n

                …but if you establish a routine of healthy eating habits and choices, they\u2019ll be much easier to resist.<\/p>\n

                 <\/p>\n

                good luck and happy eating!<\/p>\n

                 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

                no matter how many study tips you research, none of them will matter if you\u2019re working on an empty stomach! eating the right food and having the right eating habits can do wonders for your productivity. you really are what you eat! well, okay. maybe not.   why is eating right so important anyways? according […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":72,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[79],"tags":[],"ppma_author":[24894],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nmaximizing mental performance through your diet<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"like an athlete preparing for an important game, you need to give your body (and especially your brain) the nutrients it needs to help you maximize your performance on test day. learn which foods and eating habits can help boost your sat brain power.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"\/\/www.catharsisit.com\/hs\/gen\/food-for-thought-maximizing-mental-performance-through-your-diet\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_us\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"food for thought: maximizing mental performance through your diet\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"like an athlete preparing for an important game, you need to give your body (and especially your brain) the nutrients it needs to help you maximize your performance on test day. learn which foods and eating habits can help boost your sat brain power.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"\/\/www.catharsisit.com\/hs\/gen\/food-for-thought-maximizing-mental-performance-through-your-diet\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"magoosh blog | high school\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/magooshsat\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2014-09-24t09:00:43+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2015-04-14t20:57:31+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"\/\/www.catharsisit.com\/sat\/files\/2014\/09\/fft-mmptyd_img1.gif\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"maddi lee\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@magooshsat_act\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@magooshsat_act\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"maddi lee\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"article\",\"@id\":\"\/\/www.catharsisit.com\/hs\/gen\/food-for-thought-maximizing-mental-performance-through-your-diet\/#article\",\"ispartof\":{\"@id\":\"\/\/www.catharsisit.com\/hs\/gen\/food-for-thought-maximizing-mental-performance-through-your-diet\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"maddi lee\",\"@id\":\"\/\/www.catharsisit.com\/hs\/#\/schema\/person\/b49541fb578e479f6fdeaa93fb7d69ba\"},\"headline\":\"food for thought: maximizing mental performance through your diet\",\"datepublished\":\"2014-09-24t09:00:43+00:00\",\"datemodified\":\"2015-04-14t20:57:31+00:00\",\"mainentityofpage\":{\"@id\":\"\/\/www.catharsisit.com\/hs\/gen\/food-for-thought-maximizing-mental-performance-through-your-diet\/\"},\"wordcount\":726,\"commentcount\":1,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"\/\/www.catharsisit.com\/hs\/#organization\"},\"articlesection\":[\"high school life\"],\"inlanguage\":\"en-us\",\"potentialaction\":[{\"@type\":\"commentaction\",\"name\":\"comment\",\"target\":[\"\/\/www.catharsisit.com\/hs\/gen\/food-for-thought-maximizing-mental-performance-through-your-diet\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"webpage\",\"@id\":\"\/\/www.catharsisit.com\/hs\/gen\/food-for-thought-maximizing-mental-performance-through-your-diet\/\",\"url\":\"\/\/www.catharsisit.com\/hs\/gen\/food-for-thought-maximizing-mental-performance-through-your-diet\/\",\"name\":\"maximizing mental performance through your diet\",\"ispartof\":{\"@id\":\"\/\/www.catharsisit.com\/hs\/#website\"},\"datepublished\":\"2014-09-24t09:00:43+00:00\",\"datemodified\":\"2015-04-14t20:57:31+00:00\",\"description\":\"like an athlete preparing for an important game, you need to give your body (and especially your brain) the nutrients it needs to help you maximize your performance on test day. learn which foods and eating habits can help boost your sat brain power.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"\/\/www.catharsisit.com\/hs\/gen\/food-for-thought-maximizing-mental-performance-through-your-diet\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inlanguage\":\"en-us\",\"potentialaction\":[{\"@type\":\"readaction\",\"target\":[\"\/\/www.catharsisit.com\/hs\/gen\/food-for-thought-maximizing-mental-performance-through-your-diet\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"breadcrumblist\",\"@id\":\"\/\/www.catharsisit.com\/hs\/gen\/food-for-thought-maximizing-mental-performance-through-your-diet\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemlistelement\":[{\"@type\":\"listitem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"home\",\"item\":\"\/\/www.catharsisit.com\/hs\/\"},{\"@type\":\"listitem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"food for thought: maximizing mental performance through your diet\"}]},{\"@type\":\"website\",\"@id\":\"\/\/www.catharsisit.com\/hs\/#website\",\"url\":\"\/\/www.catharsisit.com\/hs\/\",\"name\":\"magoosh blog | high school\",\"description\":\"act, sat, college admissions, life\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"\/\/www.catharsisit.com\/hs\/#organization\"},\"potentialaction\":[{\"@type\":\"searchaction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"entrypoint\",\"urltemplate\":\"\/\/www.catharsisit.com\/hs\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inlanguage\":\"en-us\"},{\"@type\":\"organization\",\"@id\":\"\/\/www.catharsisit.com\/hs\/#organization\",\"name\":\"magoosh\",\"url\":\"\/\/www.catharsisit.com\/hs\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"imageobject\",\"inlanguage\":\"en-us\",\"@id\":\"\/\/www.catharsisit.com\/hs\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"\/\/www.catharsisit.com\/hs\/files\/2019\/02\/magoosh-logo-purple-60h.png\",\"contenturl\":\"\/\/www.catharsisit.com\/hs\/files\/2019\/02\/magoosh-logo-purple-60h.png\",\"width\":265,\"height\":60,\"caption\":\"magoosh\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"\/\/www.catharsisit.com\/hs\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"},\"sameas\":[\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/magooshsat\/\",\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/magooshsat_act\"]},{\"@type\":\"person\",\"@id\":\"\/\/www.catharsisit.com\/hs\/#\/schema\/person\/b49541fb578e479f6fdeaa93fb7d69ba\",\"name\":\"maddi lee\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"imageobject\",\"inlanguage\":\"en-us\",\"@id\":\"\/\/www.catharsisit.com\/hs\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/df777916f70941b8292dede7781d9a83\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/23bfc07a27fd90576457ab8c0fb80b3a?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contenturl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/23bfc07a27fd90576457ab8c0fb80b3a?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"maddi lee\"},\"description\":\"maddi is currently a high school junior in southern california. she is an avid freelance writer and has been featured in multiple literary publications and anthologies. when she isn't writing, she loves traveling, doodling, and most of all, sleeping. through her own experience and passion, she hopes to help guide fellow students through the roller coaster that is sat and college admissions...that is, as long as she survives the journey herself!\",\"url\":\"\/\/www.catharsisit.com\/hs\/author\/maddi\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ yoast seo premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"maximizing mental performance through your diet","description":"like an athlete preparing for an important game, you need to give your body (and especially your brain) the nutrients it needs to help you maximize your performance on test day. learn which foods and eating habits can help boost your sat brain power.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"\/\/www.catharsisit.com\/hs\/gen\/food-for-thought-maximizing-mental-performance-through-your-diet\/","og_locale":"en_us","og_type":"article","og_title":"food for thought: maximizing mental performance through your diet","og_description":"like an athlete preparing for an important game, you need to give your body (and especially your brain) the nutrients it needs to help you maximize your performance on test day. learn which foods and eating habits can help boost your sat brain power.","og_url":"\/\/www.catharsisit.com\/hs\/gen\/food-for-thought-maximizing-mental-performance-through-your-diet\/","og_site_name":"magoosh blog | high school","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/magooshsat\/","article_published_time":"2014-09-24t09:00:43+00:00","article_modified_time":"2015-04-14t20:57:31+00:00","og_image":[{"url":"\/\/www.catharsisit.com\/sat\/files\/2014\/09\/fft-mmptyd_img1.gif"}],"author":"maddi lee","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@magooshsat_act","twitter_site":"@magooshsat_act","twitter_misc":{"written by":"maddi lee","est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"article","@id":"\/\/www.catharsisit.com\/hs\/gen\/food-for-thought-maximizing-mental-performance-through-your-diet\/#article","ispartof":{"@id":"\/\/www.catharsisit.com\/hs\/gen\/food-for-thought-maximizing-mental-performance-through-your-diet\/"},"author":{"name":"maddi lee","@id":"\/\/www.catharsisit.com\/hs\/#\/schema\/person\/b49541fb578e479f6fdeaa93fb7d69ba"},"headline":"food for thought: maximizing mental performance through your diet","datepublished":"2014-09-24t09:00:43+00:00","datemodified":"2015-04-14t20:57:31+00:00","mainentityofpage":{"@id":"\/\/www.catharsisit.com\/hs\/gen\/food-for-thought-maximizing-mental-performance-through-your-diet\/"},"wordcount":726,"commentcount":1,"publisher":{"@id":"\/\/www.catharsisit.com\/hs\/#organization"},"articlesection":["high school life"],"inlanguage":"en-us","potentialaction":[{"@type":"commentaction","name":"comment","target":["\/\/www.catharsisit.com\/hs\/gen\/food-for-thought-maximizing-mental-performance-through-your-diet\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"webpage","@id":"\/\/www.catharsisit.com\/hs\/gen\/food-for-thought-maximizing-mental-performance-through-your-diet\/","url":"\/\/www.catharsisit.com\/hs\/gen\/food-for-thought-maximizing-mental-performance-through-your-diet\/","name":"maximizing mental performance through your diet","ispartof":{"@id":"\/\/www.catharsisit.com\/hs\/#website"},"datepublished":"2014-09-24t09:00:43+00:00","datemodified":"2015-04-14t20:57:31+00:00","description":"like an athlete preparing for an important game, you need to give your body (and especially your brain) the nutrients it needs to help you maximize your performance on test day. learn which foods and eating habits can help boost your sat brain power.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"\/\/www.catharsisit.com\/hs\/gen\/food-for-thought-maximizing-mental-performance-through-your-diet\/#breadcrumb"},"inlanguage":"en-us","potentialaction":[{"@type":"readaction","target":["\/\/www.catharsisit.com\/hs\/gen\/food-for-thought-maximizing-mental-performance-through-your-diet\/"]}]},{"@type":"breadcrumblist","@id":"\/\/www.catharsisit.com\/hs\/gen\/food-for-thought-maximizing-mental-performance-through-your-diet\/#breadcrumb","itemlistelement":[{"@type":"listitem","position":1,"name":"home","item":"\/\/www.catharsisit.com\/hs\/"},{"@type":"listitem","position":2,"name":"food for thought: maximizing mental performance through your diet"}]},{"@type":"website","@id":"\/\/www.catharsisit.com\/hs\/#website","url":"\/\/www.catharsisit.com\/hs\/","name":"magoosh blog | high school","description":"act, sat, college admissions, life","publisher":{"@id":"\/\/www.catharsisit.com\/hs\/#organization"},"potentialaction":[{"@type":"searchaction","target":{"@type":"entrypoint","urltemplate":"\/\/www.catharsisit.com\/hs\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inlanguage":"en-us"},{"@type":"organization","@id":"\/\/www.catharsisit.com\/hs\/#organization","name":"magoosh","url":"\/\/www.catharsisit.com\/hs\/","logo":{"@type":"imageobject","inlanguage":"en-us","@id":"\/\/www.catharsisit.com\/hs\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"\/\/www.catharsisit.com\/hs\/files\/2019\/02\/magoosh-logo-purple-60h.png","contenturl":"\/\/www.catharsisit.com\/hs\/files\/2019\/02\/magoosh-logo-purple-60h.png","width":265,"height":60,"caption":"magoosh"},"image":{"@id":"\/\/www.catharsisit.com\/hs\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameas":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/magooshsat\/","https:\/\/twitter.com\/magooshsat_act"]},{"@type":"person","@id":"\/\/www.catharsisit.com\/hs\/#\/schema\/person\/b49541fb578e479f6fdeaa93fb7d69ba","name":"maddi lee","image":{"@type":"imageobject","inlanguage":"en-us","@id":"\/\/www.catharsisit.com\/hs\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/df777916f70941b8292dede7781d9a83","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/23bfc07a27fd90576457ab8c0fb80b3a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contenturl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/23bfc07a27fd90576457ab8c0fb80b3a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"maddi lee"},"description":"maddi is currently a high school junior in southern california. she is an avid freelance writer and has been featured in multiple literary publications and anthologies. when she isn't writing, she loves traveling, doodling, and most of all, sleeping. through her own experience and passion, she hopes to help guide fellow students through the roller coaster that is sat and college admissions...that is, as long as she survives the journey herself!","url":"\/\/www.catharsisit.com\/hs\/author\/maddi\/"}]}},"authors":[{"term_id":24894,"user_id":72,"is_guest":0,"slug":"maddi","display_name":"maddi lee","avatar_url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/23bfc07a27fd90576457ab8c0fb80b3a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","user_url":"","last_name":"lee","first_name":"maddi","description":"maddi is currently a high school junior in southern california. she is an avid freelance writer and has been featured in multiple literary publications and anthologies. when she isn't writing, she loves traveling, doodling, and most of all, sleeping. through her own experience and passion, she hopes to help guide fellow students through the roller coaster that is sat and college admissions...that is, as long as she survives the journey herself!"}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"\/\/www.catharsisit.com\/hs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2696"}],"collection":[{"href":"\/\/www.catharsisit.com\/hs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"\/\/www.catharsisit.com\/hs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"\/\/www.catharsisit.com\/hs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/72"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"\/\/www.catharsisit.com\/hs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2696"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"\/\/www.catharsisit.com\/hs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2696\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"\/\/www.catharsisit.com\/hs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2696"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"\/\/www.catharsisit.com\/hs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2696"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"\/\/www.catharsisit.com\/hs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2696"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"\/\/www.catharsisit.com\/hs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ppma_author?post=2696"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}