Concentration

Hunger in adults produces nervousness, irritability, and difficulty in concentration. From a 2005 survey by Food Life Line

Concentration
Who can concentrate these days with all the nasty campaign ads from both sides of aisle? Luckily, we only have one day of the nonsense left. Then it will be on to using our minds of steal to concentrate on other worries such as taking finals and holiday planning.

The website Study Guides and Strategies has some excellent tips for improving concentration. Though it suggests them specifically for studying they would work well for any number of scenarios in which heavy concentration would be needed.*

• Get a dedicated space, chair, table, lighting and environment
  Avoid your cellphone or telephone
  Put up a sign to avoid being disturbed or interrupted
• Stick to a routine, efficient study schedule
  
• Before you begin studying, take a few minutes to summarize a few objectives, gather what you will need, and think of a general strategy of accomplishment
• Create an incentive if necessary for successfully completing a task,
  such as calling a friend, a food treat, a walk, etc.
  
• Changing the subject you study every one to two hours for variety
• Alternate reading with more active learning exercises. Ask yourself how you could increase your activity level while studying? Perhaps a group will be best? Creating study questions? The more active your learning, the better.
• Take regular, scheduled breaks

To help along those lines there are a number of great foods to aid in concentration whether it's through a caffeine or sugar high or actual nutrition to help our brains focus. When I was writing a book in Hong Kong, my favorite concentration treat was to run down to the very formal expats McDonalds, which had a full coffee house, and grab a cappuccino. It always gave me the lift I needed to forge ahead!


Foods of Interest

Cappuccino in Hong Kong. Photo by Erika Celeste.

Mayans and Aztecs thought chocolate had magical powers, which I believe many women still attest to today! Back then the cocoa beans were so valuable they were used as currency. Besides the tenuous gathering, drying, and roasting process which made them valuable is the fact that the chemicals in chocolate are known to heighten positive emotions and increase alertness. Because of this it is also associated with the fourth chakra or heart chakra from which love flows. Coffee also has its prized place in history with records of it being consumed in Arabia since 800 AD. College students pulling all nighters, OTR drivers, and those trying to sober up all drink the brew to increase their mental awareness and stay alert. Fish is not only sacred in nearly every primitive culture, the  proteins in many fish are known to "feed" the brain keeping it healthy and warding off many aging diseases and strokes. Another food that helps slow the aging process and thus helps keep the brain mentally up to par is ginkgo biloba. As we age our digestive system slows down and doesn't process foods as sufficiently as it once did. Because our circulatory systems slow down too our brains don't get as much oxygen as they once did. Ginkgo biloba contains bioflavinoids that reduce free radicals and help our bodies and especially our brains gain back some of that lost activity. Ginseng works quiet similarly to ginkgo biloba. It is also associated with the first chakra stamnia and energy. Nuts are high in vitamin E which is also an antioxidant. Eating a handful a day can greatly improve concentration without fat or sugar.

This chocolate-coffee cupcake recipe is one of my favorites. In fact, since we had an outdoor picnic/beach style wedding reception on our lake front, I wanted our guest to be able to pick up and carry all their food. So instead of a wedding cake, we had a huge cupcake display. To fit with my theme of summer and new beginnings I used wrappers that looked like flowers from Wilton and ordered edible butterflies from Esty to decorate the tops instead of the usual almonds or nuts.

Chocolate-Coffee Cupcakes

Wedding cupcakes. Photo by Brian Glick.

Cupcakes:
1 C butter
½  C soda water
2/3 C cocoa powder

2 C all-purpose flour
1 C light brown sugar

1 C white sugar

2 T instant coffee crystals
½ t salt

½ t grated ginseng

½ t ginkgo biloba
1 ¼ t baking soda
3 eggs
½ cup sour cream

½ applesauce

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk butter, soda water, cocoa, and brown sugar in a sauce pan. Remove from heat once the sugar has melted.

In a large bowl blend salt, flour, sugar, baking soda, ginseng, coffee crystals, and ginkgo biloba. Ginkgo can be found at both health food stores and Asian markets. You may use the contents of powdered capsules in a crunch. (It’s similar to the cooking powder.)

Pour the cooled liquid mixture into the dry mixture. Mix together. Add the eggs, applesauce, and sour cream. Cream everything together until smooth.

Scoop batter into cupcake wrapper cups. Bake in oven for 25-28 minutes. They will be done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Frosting:
1 C butter
4 C confectioners sugar

1 T meringue powder

2 T cocoa
4 ½ T coffee (brewed or instant)

milk
chopped almonds

Directions:

Cream butter and meringue together. Add confectioners sugar one cup at a time. Add cocoa and coffee. Mix. Gradually add milk until the frosting consistency desired is achieved. Spread on cooled cupcakes. Top with chopped almonds.

* "Study Guides and Strategies." Concentrating While Studying. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Nov. 2012. <http://www.studygs.net/concent.htm>.