Action Steps:

1. Stock Your Pantry, Your Office, and Your Bag With Brain Food

Since stable blood sugar is the bedrock of brain function, foods that keep blood sugar levels consistent are your brain's best friend. So stock up at home and at work on foods like alaskan salmon (fresh, frozen, or canned) hummus, raw almonds, berries, and other whole foods. See Simple Enjoyable Healthy Eating and Choosing Healthy Food for more.

2. Try Supplementing with Ginkgo

There’s a good bit of evidence that Ginkgo Biloba actually works to improve mental performance and clarity. If you need to function at your best, give it a try. As with any supplement, use Ginkgo in moderation. There don’t appear to be any acute side effects, but long term use of high levels of just about anything is risky. Save Ginkgo for when you need it – the 4 or 5 days before a big test, or when it's crunch time at work.

3. Eat Brain-Friendly Minerals

Calcium isn’t just good for your bones. This essential mineral plays a pivotal role in your brain as well. Many people don’t get enough assimilable calcium (meaning calcium that your body can really absorb and use) in their diet. Raw milk cheese and organic yogurt are both great sources of assimilable calcium, as are steamed spinach, broccoli, and almonds. It’s also important to remember that a high intake of phosphorous actually steals calcium from your body, so avoid phosphorous rich foods – most critically soda – if bone or brain health is a priority to you. Magnesium is another mineral that is important for brain health. Not so much because you use a lot of magnesium in your brain, but because magnesium helps protect your body and brain from dangerous heavy metals like mercury and lead, both of which seriously injure the health of brain and body. Green veggies, especially cucumbers, are rich in Magnesium.