Ever feel like your motivation is just not there, whether it's due to the weather or something else entirely?
In recent years, with lifestyles prone to stress accumulation and insufficient nutrition, people are increasingly struggling with decreased focus. Since concentration significantly impacts daily productivity and work performance, maintaining and improving it has become a crucial concern. That's why today, we're focusing on broccoli as a brain-boosting food, discussing its effective consumption methods and offering simple recipes to try.
Main Causes of Decreased Concentration:
Stress
Sleep deprivation
Lack of exercise
Nutritional deficiencies (especially those crucial for brain function)
The secret behind broccoli's excellent brain function support lies in its abundance of calcium.
Calcium aids in neurotransmission and properly regulates excitability of brain cells.
Consuming one cup (91g) of broccoli can cover approximately 6% of the recommended daily calcium intake for adults.
Furthermore, broccoli contains a balanced mix of brain-boosting nutrients such as folate, vitamin K, and vitamin C. Particularly, vitamin C aids in calcium absorption, leading to an expected synergistic effect when consumed together.
From the perspective of Chinese medicine, broccoli is believed to neither cool nor overly heat the body but rather balance its warmth, promoting brain activation and contributing to sustained focus.
Maximising Broccoli's Nutritional Value:
Consume with vitamin C-rich vegetables (like lemon or tomato)
Enhance absorption of vitamin K by adding olive oil
Opt for al dente cooking to increase fibre intake
Broccoli and Chickpea Salad
【Ingredients】
- 2 cups broccoli (cut into florets)
- 380g chickpeas
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- A pinch of salt
【Instructions】
- Steam broccoli until al dente.
- In a frying pan, sauté olive oil and minced garlic until fragrant.
- Add broccoli and chickpeas, stir-frying for about 1-2 minutes.
- Season with lemon juice and salt.
Since broccoli is also available frozen, it's an easy ingredient to handle. This recipe not only boosts concentration but is also recommended for times when you want to build muscle. Experiment with different seasonings to upgrade various dishes and enjoy the versatility of broccoli.