07-28-2018, 02:34 AM
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#1 | Newbie (male)
Join Date: Feb 2005
Posts: 7
| Can foods help with focus
Are there any foods that can help someone who has problems focusing and energy?
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08-01-2018, 02:22 PM
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#2 | Senior Veteran (male)
Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Florida, U.S.A.
Posts: 2,507
| Re: Can foods help with focus
It's difficult to guess what might help without knowing anything about your present diet. My best guess is that you might be lacking in omega 3 fatty acids. You can get omega 3 from fish like salmon, sardines, mackerel or flounder. Or you can also get it from foods like ground flaxseeds walnuts etc.
There are fish oil supplements but I think the best source comes from eating natural whole foods. One or two servings of fish per week should be helpful, assuming you don't currently have enough omega 3 in your diet.
There needs to be a healthy balance between omega 3 and omega 6. Omega 6 comes from grain fed animal protein. So the more omega 6 you get, the more omega 3 you would need to keep a healthy balance. You can also achieve balance by cutting back on grain-fed animal protein, assuming you that you do have some omega 3 in your diet.
Last edited by JohnR41; 08-01-2018 at 02:40 PM.
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08-06-2018, 01:33 PM
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#3 | Senior Veteran (male)
Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Florida, U.S.A.
Posts: 2,507
| Re: Can foods help with focus
There is another thing that can help with energy and focus and that is getting enough sleep. If you happen to be doing "shift" work, like working nights, it's probably not going to happen and there isn't any food that I know of that will make up for it.
You would need 7 to 8 hours of sleep but it's not just the amount of sleep that's important, You would need to establish a regular time to start and stop, like 10pm to 6am. Consistency is the all important factor, otherwise you throw off the timing of your meals and exercise etcetera. There's a new science that deals with all of this. It's called "Circadian Rhythm". Every organ in your body has it's own time-clock and you will have more energy and focus if you establish a regular rhythm or regular hours.
Last edited by JohnR41; 08-06-2018 at 01:38 PM.
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08-09-2018, 02:08 PM
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#4 | Senior Veteran (male)
Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Florida, U.S.A.
Posts: 2,507
| Re: Can foods help with focus
Here are a few more important details on how this Circadian plan is supposed to work. It calls for eating all 3 meals within a 10, 11, or 12 hour window. This is new to me too, so I have been trying it with a 10 hour window. A 10 hour window means I start my first meal of the day at 7:00 am and my last meal ends at 5:00 pm. That covers a 10 hour period. I have my noontime lunch between 11:30 and 12:30. No snacks between meals and no snack after my evening meal that ends at 5:00 pm.
It's important not to have a snack after the last meal of the day because it will not have enough time to be digested before going to sleep. Digestion is very slow at night and prevents other important things from happening.
For example, when we sleep at night our brain is supposed to clean and repair itself, and according to this plan, digesting food prevents some of this from happening.
So we could end up with brain fog or lack of focus.
Last edited by JohnR41; 08-09-2018 at 02:26 PM.
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08-10-2018, 11:18 AM
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#5 | Senior Veteran (female)
Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: USA
Posts: 2,473
| Re: Can foods help with focus
The main thing about focus and energy and food in my opinion is what to avoid.
Sugar and refined flour & refined grains, and precooked foods need to be avoided if you want a clear mind.
Eat fresh or frozen food and do not over cook.
Dried beans always need to be soaked over night, rinsed then cooked.
Fish is good brain food.
Eat right and the brain can focus.
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~ YaYa ~
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10-18-2020, 03:10 PM
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#6 | (male)
Join Date: Oct 2020 Location: Seattle, WA, USA
Posts: 2
| Re: Can foods help with focus
For me, it's been cutting down on processed foods and sugar in general. I would even recommend you look into keto or low carb style meals.
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12-30-2020, 07:49 PM
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#7 | Newbie (male)
Join Date: Dec 2020 Location: Ridgewood
Posts: 7
| Re: Can foods help with focus
Ashtanga yoga and intermittent fasting have been only thing that have helped my focus
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02-23-2021, 04:40 AM
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#8 | (male)
Join Date: Feb 2021 Location: USA
Posts: 4
| Re: Can foods help with focus
If you avoid sweets and foods with a lot of sugar, you will have more energy. Protein foods will also help you feel stronger and more energetic. But it's not just that, you also need enough sleep.
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