We all love that feeling of being “in the flow.” The days when you wake up without a cloudy mind or groggy attitude. When your morning flows just right. When you gear up or sit down for whatever the day has in store. Then boom, focus pulses through you. You’re in the zone, neurons firing, checking off your to-do list, productivity is pulsing. If this sounds foreign to you, I am here to tell you this is entirely possible. And not just once in a blue moon, but (almost) every day. The biggest secret to staying focused is understanding that focus does not exist in a vacuum. What I mean by this is that you can’t pop a pill or drink just the right amount of caffeine to find true focus. Sure, this could help temporarily, but it’s not a sustainable focus. 

 Focus special sauce: The most overlooked factor when discussing focus is sleep. The quality of our sleep has everything to do with how our brain is able to function when we wake up. The next link is fuel or nourishment. Literally, we are made from the foods we eat. We can either build a brain from chemicals, stimulants, and processed food or real foods packed with vitamins and minerals that your brain actually needs to do its job. Imagine a car engine running on the wrong type of fuel. It may be able to run poorly for a short amount of time but eventually, it will stop working. Our bodies work in a similar way. It’s crucial to feed our bodies the right fuel so they can work well. And finally, beyond sleep and food, are some amazing functional mushrooms and adaptogens that can help you achieve your desired state of focus. We’ll talk about how Lion’s Mane, Rhodiola and Bacopa can be the extra oomph you need to really focus.

 In this article, we’ll go over my top tips and tricks for how to wake up rested, fuel up properly, and find your focus flow—while always keeping in mind the full picture. Focusing in the moment must not take a toll on your body later on. Because with quick focus fixes comes an afternoon crash, followed by poor quality sleep, waking up groggy, and the spiral repeats. Instead, let’s focus (pun intended) on sustainable ways to keep you feeling good in times of focus, and later. 

The quick and dirty: Focus can be achieved everyday with proper sleep, eating with your brain in mind, and some powerful Four Sigma foods to power you on naturally on even your busiest days.

Photo credit: @jcraigey

Once you’ve used all the tools to get to sleep and stay asleep, you’re ready for the next phase which is feeding your brain the right nutrients it needs to focus. Rather than just thinking of these as “brain foods”, I want you to understand that what we feed our bodies is literally the compounds we have to work with to maintain a healthy brain. We need antioxidant properties to protect the brain from free radicals, compounds that support inflammation, nutrients that signal chemicals in our brain to fire, and more. 

 But, before we get into specific foods, let’s go back to basic macronutrients: fats, carbohydrates and proteins. Too many of us fuel up on carbohydrates first thing in the morning eating things like cereal, granola, pastries, or high-sugar breakfasts (remember sugars are carbohydrates). Sugar is the first form of fuel our body uses so if there is sugar available in the system, it will use it quickly, giving you an instant jolt of energy followed by an equally quick come down and crash. Starting the day with carbohydrates (sugar) sets you up for a day at the amusement park: a blood sugar rollercoaster. No one wants this. Instead, add protein and fat into your breakfast. Plant-based protein, nut butters, coconut, and veggies with a high quality oil are great options. The body burns fats and proteins at a much slower rate than carbohydrates, so by starting the day with these forms of fuel, we experience a slower and more sustainable peak of energy, with a gentle let down when the body has burned through its nutrients and needs the next meal of the day. 

Beyond macronutrients, there are some key nutrients that the brain loves. Here is my quick list of top brain supporting foods to consider adding into your morning routine (or throughout the day to stay focused and give your brain the tools it needs so that when you are needing it to power on, it’s fueled and prepared).

• Omega 3s: an “essential” fatty acid, the body cannot manufacture omega fatty acids on its own so we need to get these from the foods we eat. There are several type of omega oils. We get omega-6 and -9 in a lot of foods in our standard American diet (like grains). omega-3 on the other hand, is not as readily available in our go-to foods. And these are arguably the most important today because they are anti-inflammatory. Foods with omega-3 include algae (chlorella is a great option), hemp seeds, chia seeds, walnuts, and flax seeds. 
  
• Antioxidants: dark colored berries or functional foods are full of antioxidant properties to support your cognitive function. Some of my favorites are Acerola cherry, Chaga mushroom, or goji berry. Eating the rainbow is the old-school way to ensure you are getting a range of different antioxidants through your diet. 
  
• Fermented foods: not just good for your belly, fermented foods fuel the gut which is known as our second brain. Prebiotic fiber (found in Yacon and functional mushrooms), and probiotics are key to a high functioning body and mind.