5 superfood ingredients to boost your brain power

November 28, 2016 by Amy Darcy 8 Comments

Did you know that there are more herbal supplements than just caffeine which can help increase you energy and boost your brain power? Perhaps you need that extra focus when you’re sitting an exam, running a race, or closing a deal at work. Find out about these 5 superfood ingredients, how they work and how you can conveniently supplement your diet with them on the days you need to really have a standout performance.

Ginkgo

Ginkgo Biloba is the most commonly ingested herb for brain health. Research has suggested that Ginkgo Biloba may be effective for supporting mental alertness, recall, concentration and healthy blood circulation.

The Ginkgo leaves are so beautiful in Autumn!

Turmeric

The active ingredient in turmeric is curcumin, which is what gives the plant its beautiful golden orange colour. Scientific research has found curcumin to be a potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant and may assist in optimising brain function.

Image via

Caffeine

Research suggests that caffeine may increase reaction speed, reduce feelings of fatigue and enhance mental performance. Caffeine blocks an inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain called Adenosine. This increases the firing of neurons and the concentration of neurotransmitters (chemicals responsible for carrying messages between the brain and different nerve cells in the body) like dopamine and norepinephrine (chemical released from the sympathetic nervous system in response to stress, that plays a central role in controlling alertness, rest cycles, attention and memory in the central nervous system).

Green Tea

In addition to caffeine, green tea contains a compound known as L-theanine. Research has shown that the combination of caffeine with L-theanine helps improve attention, memory, reaction sped and alertness greater than caffeine alone.

Siberian Ginseng

Siberian Ginseng is classified as an adaptogen, a substance that enhances the bodies ability to cope with mental and physical stress. It also helps to maintain stamina and normal energy levels whilst strengthening the body’s immune response.

Shine+ Drink to boost your brain power!

Shine+ is a formulated focus drink that is packed with each of these 5 ingredients. Perfect for those days where you need a boost in energy and concentration.

Shine4Water program

Not only does drinking Shine help you perform, but for every Shine sold, they donate one day of clean drinking water to someone in need. What a great initiative! It’s great to see companies doing their bit to help reduce the shocking fact that 1 in 5 children under 5 die from waterborne diseases. Shine have partnered with Water is Life who have developed a portable water purifier for easy delivery to areas in need, dubbed the Water is Life Purification Straw. Cleverly constructed, the Filter Straw is capable of turning any water source into clean, drinkable water! You can read more about this on their website.

Code to double the donation

So, a Shine+ 7PACK is a day’s worth of clean drinking water for 7 people. However, if you enter the discount code ‘SHINE+WATER‘ at checkout you’ll get 5% off your order, and Shine will double their donation and provide clean drinking water to 2 people for every bottle you purchase.

The taste of Shine+ drink

Shine tastes like a ginger, lemon and turmeric health shot. YUM!

This post is sponsored by Shine, however all thoughts and opinions expressed herein are my own.

Amy Darcy

Editor & Founder at Eat Pray Workout

Amy is the founder and editor of Eat Pray Workout. She is an Australian lawyer, army wife, health & fitness lover and Mum. Sharing her passion for a holistic and realistic approach to wellbeing and fitness, her mission is to inform, inspire & empower women to live a flourishing healthy lifestyle.

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Comments

Susan George says
December 9, 2016 at 12:11 am
Hmm nice post. Amazing list of food. I would surely try them from tomorrow
Reply
Spencer says
December 20, 2016 at 8:48 pm
Awesome list! Turmeric has been growing in popularity and for good reason! It's nice that something like Shine can be bought in the market already and it's even nicer that they're donating donating clean drinking water for those who need it for every sale made!
Reply
Christina says
December 21, 2016 at 3:49 am
Improving attention and memory are great features of the tea, It'd be interesting to see if these were long term brain effects or simply attention spikes for the moment.
Reply
Julia Walters says
March 15, 2017 at 6:09 pm
What a wonderful list. Thank you for sharing this post with us. I haven't tried Siberian ginseng before. But I would love to try this since I feel like this would help me when I'm out of energy especially when working out. Turmeric is my favorite from your list. I also use it for my skin. Do you know that it can lighten our skin color, and lighten some scar or burn marks?
Reply
anna says
July 6, 2018 at 4:39 am
I try to use Turmeric as much as possible but it can be limiting with certain recipes due its strong taste. Do you eat GInko raw or just get it through supplement form
Reply
- Amy Darcy says
  July 7, 2018 at 11:45 pm
  Hi Anna, Ginkgo I have in supplement form but it is common for the ginkgo nuts to be used in asian cooking. You can also get it in a tea form. For the correct dosage for you it's best to chat to a health practitioner specialising in naturopathy. Hope that helps! x
  Reply

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