Maugham, William

Tema: Crítica
As pessoas pedem-te uma crítica, mas querem apenas um elogio

via @notiun

Botton, Alain

Existe uma grande ânsia de retorno a um tempo em que não são necessárias escolhas, livre de remorsos da inevitável perda que todas as escolhas (embora maravilhosas) possam implicar.

via @notiun

Cardoso, Miguel Esteves

O amor é uma coisa, a vida é outra. O amor não é para ser uma ajudinha. Não é para ser o alívio, o repouso, o intervalo, a pancadinha nas costas, a pausa que refresca, o pronto-socorro da tortuosa estrada da vida, o nosso «dá lá um jeitinho» sentimental.

via @notiun

Ferreira, Vergílio

No amor nunca os pratos da balança estão equilibrados. E como a essência do amor é etérea, quem pesa mais é quem ama menos

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Pitágoras

Tema: Universo
O universo é uma harmonia de contrários

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Espanca, Florbela

Tema: Poeta
Ser Poeta é ser mais alto, é ser maior / Do que os homens! Morder como quem beija!

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Goethe, Johann

Feliz aquele que reconhece a tempo que os seus desejos não estão de acordo com as suas faculdades

@notiun

Russell, Bertrand

Quando se diz às pessoas que a felicidade é uma questão simples, querem-nos sempre mal

@notiun

Schopenhauer, Arthur

Uma apreciação correcta do valor daquilo que se é em si e «para si» mesmo, comparado àquilo que se é apenas aos olhos «de outrem», contribuirá em muito para a nossa felicidade

@notiun

Mill, Stuart

Perguntai a vós mesmos se sois felizes e deixareis de sê-lo

@notiun

Schopenhauer, Arthur

Quanto mais restrito o nosso círculo de visão, acção e contacto, tanto mais felizes seremos; e, quanto mais amplo, tanto mais frequentemente nos sentiremos atormentados ou angustiados, pois, com essa ampliação, multiplicam-se e aumentam as preocupações, os desejos e os temores

@notiun

7 Invaluable Lessons From World-Class Achievers

Becoming hugely successful isn’t easy. It requires hard work, dedication, and perseverance. While some people are gifted with specific abilities that give them an advantage over the rest of us, they wouldn’t have gotten anywhere if not for their drive and commitment to excellence. Think of the people you idolize; it’s more than likely they exhibit many of the same traits. They all live by certain maxims which guide them to use every moment they have as a chance to do better. Follow these words of advice, and forge your own path to success:

1. Stay disciplined

Among many other achievements, Benjamin Franklin is well-known for crafting, and adhering to, a strict schedule every day of his life. Successful people understand how important each moment they have on Earth is, and never take a second of their time for granted. They wake up early, and hit the ground running. They rarely take time off, and even if they’re vacationing, they still find time to exercise, read, or partake in an activity that will further their skills in some way. World-class achievers treat their bodies as finely-tuned machines, programmed to strive for success at all times.

2. Set daily goals

Swami Vivekananda said it best: “Arise! Awake! and stop not until the goal is reached.” Successful people know there is no time to lose if they want to be the best they can be. But they don’t go about bettering themselves haphazardly. They set goals on a daily basis in order to focus their attention on increasing their abilities. They also focus on addressing their weaknesses.

3. Keep moving

Thomas Edison believed that “Everything comes to those who hustle while they wait.” In other words, though patience is a necessary virtue, it’s not necessary to sit around doing nothing while you wait for your efforts to pay off. Instead, you should focus your energy elsewhere after putting a plan into motion. For example, if you apply for a job it will certainly take a few days to hear back from the company, but that doesn’t mean you should kick your feet back and relax. Instead, use this time to research the company to the best of your ability, and apply to other jobs. Don’t stop moving forward, or someone else will surely pass you.

4. Be different

Steve Jobs famously said, “Stay hungry. Stay foolish.” The second part of that quote represents everything he stood for in his career. Jobs was an innovator who was never afraid to think outside the box, even when it cost him his job at Apple. (He sure showed them, am I right?) Through the use of the word “foolish”, Jobs is referring to being the one who believes in an idea even when others have dismissed it. It’s having faith in yourself, and the courage to push forward even when everyone else around you tries to dissuade you. If we all were the same, there’d be no innovation in the world.

5. Scare yourself

Author and speaker Brian Tracy believes the secret to success is to “move out of your comfort zone.” He says, “You can only grow if you are willing to feel awkward and uncomfortable when you try something new.” Unfortunately, too many of us fail to realize this, and instead choose to stay in our comfort zones our entire lives. What ends up happening is we wake up one day and realize we’re past our prime, and have lived a mediocre existence because we were too scared to take a chance. The worst thing that can happen is we fall short of our goals. But that’s nothing to be ashamed of, because…

6. Failing isn’t failure

Like I said, so many of us are afraid of falling short of our goals that we never even try to attain them. Bill Gates once said, “It’s fine to celebrate success but it is more important to heed the lessons of failure.” Even if you fall short, you can still learn something by taking a chance. However, you’ll never achieve anything if you quit forging ahead. The greatest innovations of our time weren’t magically pieced together perfectly the first time someone sat down to invent them. The process of innovation is a series of trials, most of which don’t pan out as hoped. But if Thomas Edison, Bill Gates, and Steve Jobs hadn’t kept working on their respective inventions, you wouldn’t be able to be reading this article right now.

7. Always strive for more

Author Maureen Dowd has said, “The minute you settle for less than you deserve, you get even less than you settled for.” The reason successful people achieve so much is because they’re never happy with what they have. This isn’t to be confused with greed. High achievers simply don’t become complacent. After accomplishing something incredible, they immediately look to what else they can do to push themselves even further. Michael Jordan could have been the best basketball player of all time even if he only gave 95% every game. Instead, he pushed himself to give 100%, every second he was on the court. He wasn’t satisfied with just being the best player on the court; he wanted to be the best player he could possibly be. That’s why he achieved the things he did.

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8 Proven Indicators Someone is Lying To You

There’s a good chance that anyone reading this has told a lie at least once in their life. Whether it was a little white fib or a convoluted, George Costanza-esque whopper of a tale, stretching the truth is something the majority of us do from time to time.

But would you tell so many lies if you knew how easy it is for others to tell you’re lying? Believe it or not, your body gives off a number of telltale signs when you’re lying- most commonly without you even realizing it.

If the person you’re talking to exhibits any of the following, you might want to take their words with a grain of salt:

1. They quickly change their head position

When a person is asked a question and they’re preparing to lie when they respond, they’ll often move their head in an unnatural and uncomfortable manner. Whether they retract or jerk their head back, or bow it down, it will often be a sudden movement that contrasts with their previous body language. In doing so, they may be trying to avoid eye contact, and also reacting nervously to a question they don’t have a good answer to.

2. They change their breathing pattern

When a person is lying, they become hyper-aware of the situation which forces their heart rate and blood flow to change. This tension also causes their breathing to become very heavy and labored. Watch out for them taking deep breaths, and listen to their voice, which will get more and more shallow as their breathing gets heavier. Such an involuntary, and otherwise unprovoked, change in their breathing pattern is a surefire way to tell someone isn’t telling the truth.

3. They stand completely still

You’ve probably heard of your body’s primitive ‘fight or flight’ mechanism. Liars who stand perfectly still are exhibiting the ‘fight’ defense, as they feel as if they’re holding their ground. During normal conversations, most people are relaxed and fluid in their movement. However, when lying, we often enter a rigid physical state because we feel as if we need to prove something. It’s a sign that we’re on guard, aware of every minute movement we’re making in front of someone we’re lying to.

4. They repeat words or phrases

Liars will often repeat themselves ad nauseam when telling a half-truth or a complete falsehood. This is done for three reasons. First, they will repeat a lie over and over in order to solidify the ‘facts’ in their mind, so they can stick to their story. Secondly, they’re trying to convince you that they’re telling the truth by solidifying their words in your mind. Lastly, they repeat themselves in order to buy time to come up with the next part of their story. If they were telling the truth, they’d be able to recall everything without thinking about it.

5. They cover their mouth

When a person covers their mouth while speaking, they’re more than likely hiding something. Subconsciously, they’re putting a barrier between themselves and the person they’re talking to. It’s as if they’re shielding themselves from being heard, or making it seem as if they’re not actually saying the words that are coming out of their mouth. If a person puts their hand over their mouth while answering a question, they might be withholding information from you. Lies by omission are lies nonetheless.

6. They cover vulnerable body parts

When a liar covers their neck, head, or chest, they’re exhibiting the ‘flight’ mechanism I mentioned earlier. Contrasted with the ‘fight’ response, being in ‘flight’ mode means a person does not want to be in the current situation they’re in. They feel physically uncomfortable and exposed, and are instinctively protecting the most important parts of their body. Watch for what a person does with their hands while they’re talking, and you might be able to catch them in a lie.

7. They shuffle their feet

Not only should you watch a person’s hands while they’re speaking, but also check their feet during the conversation. This also has to do with the ‘flight’ instinct, as shuffling feet is a sure sign a person wants to bolt from their current situation. According to behavioral analyst and body language expert Dr. Lillian Glass, shuffling feet is “one of the key ways to detect a liar.”

8. They babble

When a person gives too much information when questioned, it’s because they have rehearsed in their head exactly what to say, and exactly how to say it. They also feel that if they’re able to give a full story, they’re more likely to be believed. However, this often just shows they’ve anticipated what the other person will say next, and jump right into answering subsequent questions before the questions have even been asked. If someone seems to immediately have every answer for all the questions you have for them, they’ve most likely constructed a huge lie in their head and are ready to stick to it no matter what.

Featured photo credit: Flickr via farm4.staticflickr.com

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Want Shiny, Healthy Hair? Start Applying Your Conditioner Before Your Shampoo!

If I were to ask you how you wash your hair, it would probably go something like this: rinse, shampoo, rinse, condition, rinse (and maybe repeat). Right? Well, allow me to shatter your world with this statement: you’ve been doing it wrong.

The truth of the matter is that to really get your hair to look the best it can be, you need to completely reverse the way in which you think about washing your hair. In other words: conditioning your hair before you shampoo it. This method is otherwise known as “reverse hair washing.”

Sound crazy? Read on, and trust me when I say that by the end of this, you’ll be eager to try it out for yourself.

What’s the point of reverse washing?

While this technique is beneficial for most folks, it has the greatest effect on those of us with thin, oily hair, as well as those who have a lot of product semi-permanently stuck onto their follicles (gel, hair spray, conditioners, and other hair products).

Why is that? Well according to experts like Nina Dimachki, it’s because conditioning before shampooing nourishes fine hair without flattening it.

Having used the reverse washing method myself, I can vouch for her conclusion. When I condition after I shampoo, my hair feels heavier, and seems to lose its vitality and bounciness soon after drying. When switching the order and conditioning first, my hair feels much lighter and looks styled, healthy, and shiny — even without pastes or gels.

To put it simply, reverse washing gives your hair the hydration it needs, without leaving it coated with a heavy conditioner-based chemical residue. You get the best of both worlds.

Is reverse washing one-size-fits-all?

The answer is no, as although reverse washing is simple, there are some things you need to consider before starting your own regimen.

For instance, if you have thick hair, experts suggest conditioning your hair, shampooing it, and then conditioning it again. This is because you have so much hair that the first layer of conditioner isn’t enough to do the trick. Still, it’s suggested that you only use a tiny amount of conditioner the second time, and only on your ends.

Additionally, reverse washing works better with some shampoos and conditioners as opposed to others. One writer found that using TRESemme Healthy Volume 24 HR Body Shampoo and Conditioner worked best for them, though they also say that they noticed benefits using other brands as well. Bottom line: you might need to shop around to see which hair products work best for you — not unlike traditional hair washing really.

There are also a few different ways you can go about reverse washing your hair. Some, like Nina Dimachki, say that you should condition your hair from root-to-tip, lathering it in like you would your shampoo. Others, however, only apply conditioner to their ends, leaving the roots relatively untouched. Both methods call for shampooing your hair after conditioning, so your job will be to find whether or not your hair reacts better to a bit of conditioner or a lot.

Some important reminders before you start

Before you jump in the shower to test out this cool new hair washing technique, there are a few things that you should remember if you want to have the best possible experience.

To start, ensure that you thoroughly soak your hair with water before applying any conditioner. Putting conditioner on damp or mostly dry hair is going to make it incredibly difficult to spread it throughout your follicles.

Second, whatever you do, don’t rinse out your conditioner right after you are done lathering it up. It needs to sit on your hair and scalp for around three to five minutes. In the meantime, you can do everything else that needs to be done in the shower.

Once the conditioner has been in your hair for at least three minutes, you still have one more step: applying your shampoo. It sounds strange, but to do this technique properly your shampoo should be washing the conditioner out of your hair. This gets your hair clean without drying it out.

If you rinse the conditioner out before shampooing, you’ll still benefit from reverse washing, just not as much. This is because the conditioner acts kind of like a shield, creating a barrier between your hair and your shampoo, making it so that your hair gets clean without being stripped of all of its natural oils.

Will reverse washing permanently replace traditional washing?

No, probably not. Traditional washing still has its purposes in some instances, such as when your hair is especially dirty and oily, making a deep clean necessary.

At the very least, what reverse washing does is give you another weapon in your hair-styling arsenal. On those days where your hair is feeling especially thin, limp, and heavy, you can use this method to give it the boost that it needs.

Are you ready to give it a try? Go grab your shampoo and conditioner and get to work! Once you are done, I’d love to hear your results in the comments below.

Featured photo credit: Arts And Works #3/Léo Parpais via flic.kr

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7 Phrases Abused By Bad Bosses (You Should Avoid Using Them)

Being in a leadership position is hard work. You don’t want to be another buzzword-driven dictator, but you also don’t want to be seen as a pushover either. However, there’s nothing worse than opening yourself up as a phony and a fraud to your team. Doing so will only lead to disillusionment and distrust.

If you want to create a strong team of workers, ditch the cliches and forge your own path as a leader. Don’t ever be caught saying:

1. “It just wasn’t meant to be.”

Saying this is simply refusing to take or place blame for a team’s failures. Whatever was supposed to happen didn’t but it’s not because the stars didn’t align correctly. Somebody messed up. If it was you, admit it and work harder to ensure it doesn’t happen again.

If it was an employee, privately discuss with them that they need to step it up, and provide them with ways to improve their performance. If it was the entire team, work with everyone individually and collectively in order to pinpoint exactly what went wrong, and how to avoid it next time.

2. “That’s probably not what you wanted to hear.”

As a boss, you can’t be wishy-washy about certain things. Regardless of the fact that you like an employee personally, you can’t let feelings interfere with business. It’s one of the hardest things about being a boss (if you’re not a sociopath, that is!). But by using this line, you show signs of weakness.

If you have to make a business move that might hurt someone, explain why you’re making the move. If they’re a team player, they’ll do what they have to do in order to keep the company moving forward. If they’re not willing to do so, you can’t be at fault for taking swift action.

3. “Perception is reality.”

This is just fundamentally silly. So if I look like I’m working hard, that means I am? I imagine the sentiment behind this awful phrase is that you want your team to look presentable, and to create projects and presentations that really “wow” your customers or clients.

But truthfully, reality is reality. Positive results should always trump an over-the-top presentation. If you focus too much on appearance, all you have is fluff with no content.

4. “I’m always open to feedback”

Don’t ever say this if you don’t mean it. So many bosses say they’re open to feedback, but when it comes their way, they shut it down immediately.

Furthermore, inviting feedback is not the same as saying you’re “open” to it. If you really do want feedback from your employees, ask them for it. A simple “What do you think?” goes a long way; it validates your employee, and will also allow you to get insight on your performance as a team leader.

5. “Failure is not an option.”

The idea behind such a blanket statement is to motivate your team to do its best. However, it’s entirely possible that you and your team will fail, regardless of the “mandate from above.”

If you’ve said that failing isn’t an option, and your team falls short of its goal, what will the other members think? How will you back up your words? Surely you won’t fire the whole group. If you want something done a specific way, make it clear to your staff why you want it done this way. Don’t just give a mandate; back it up with reasoning. If everything falls apart, refer back to the first section.

6. “Let’s not try and reinvent the wheel.”

This is one of those statements that’s meant to alleviate some of your team’s hesitation to jump into a project for fear of failure. Really, what it translates to in an employee’s mind is “You don’t have to work that hard on this project.” But your team should always be striving to do its very best in everything it sets out to do.

Of course, you don’t really expect true innovation, creation, and “a-ha moments” around the clock, but you shouldn’t stifle your team’s productivity by making it seem like you don’t care much about the outcome.

7. “It is what it is.”

This one just gets my back up for so many reasons. Imagine Frederick Douglass or Martin Luther King, Jr. saying “It is what it is.” You can’t. Because they would never be so complacent. The only thing that’s absolutely certain in this world is death, and scientists are hard at work trying to thwart even that.

No policy or procedure is ever carved in stone. If something is holding you back, work to fix it. Don’t cop out and say “it is what it is.” That just makes you look weak in front of the team you’re supposed to be leading to success.

Featured photo credit: Flickr via farm9.staticflickr.com

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Here Are The Top 7 Rules To Create An Excellent Portfolio No Matter Which Industry You’re In

Whether you’re a graphic designer or a construction worker, you’ll need a portfolio which describes your work vividly. Whether you want to attract new customers, show your potential employer what you’re capable of doing, or make yourself visible online, creating an excellent portfolio that shows off who you are professionally is definitely a great investment into your career in general.

However, most people overdo it when it comes to making a portfolio. It’s quite important to know how not to cross that thin line and fulfill your portfolio with irrelevant nuisance, but still manage to throw in enough details which will make you stand out. Following through the next rules will help you achieve that, for sure!

1. Be Selective about What Projects You Include

When a potential customer, employer or your interviewer visits your portfolio online or checks out its physical version, you can be confident that they don’t want to read your full bio. Including absolutely everything there’s to know about you into your portfolio will make it hard to read, and each of these three groups of people that can make a significant change in your career won’t even get past the first third. So, make a list of your most successful projects, make a variety of small and big ones so you don’t create a pattern by accident, and pick out one of them for which you’re capable of reconstructing the creative process standing behind it. That should do it!

2. Count in Your Representative Skills

Listing out your projects isn’t enough – the next step is speaking (in this case, writing) about what you can do. Your previous experience, no matter if you have just got off college or you want to change your job, is quite important. However, you mustn’t allow yourself to do this part by bragging about what you can do. It’s quite relevant to format your sentences properly – the first part should be about the duties you had, and the second part should be about the skills you had developed. This way, you’ll be able to mention everything important without looking like you’re feeling overconfident about your skills. Also, make a short list of all the accomplishments and goals you have managed to complete – this will show how determined you are.

3. The Reasons Why You’d Contribute

If you’re applying for a certain position at a company you’d like to work for, you need to find a way to convince them why they should find you necessary. Doing research about any type of company is a lot easier today – all you really need to do is some browsing online. Therefore, don’t be lazy, dig into their history and learn everything there’s to know about the way they do business. This way, you’ll be able to tell your interviewer exactly why you’d be the perfect person for the job, and this is just another thing that will make you stand out in the crowd.

4. Less Is More

Try to apply this rule to absolutely everything regarding your new portfolio. For example, your sentences shouldn’t be longer than ten to twelve words, and don’t avoid using bullet points and numbering, because these two options will definitely make your text look neater. Furthermore, you should avoid using big words for no reason whatsoever, especially if you don’t really know their true meaning. Use your own language, be professional throughout and you’ll be just fine.

If you’re inserting, pictures or different kind of sketches into your portfolio, you should be equally selective about them like you were with your projects. Also, don’t forget to add a short description to each of them – by having only one type of visual content, you risk making your overall portfolio appearance dull.

5. Give It a Personal Touch

It’s personalization time! By adding a personal part to your portfolio, you’re actually allowing it to reflect your personality, so start thinking about the appropriate short story which will explain why you’re in this particular business and how you intend to improve it. If you had any personal project, you should definitely include those, because they’ll show that your main motivation isn’t money, but passion towards your profession. Likewise, you should add in several distinctive elements, like some awards that your projects won – this will show you’re willing to work hard in order to be acknowledged.

6. Create Two Versions

Having a physical and an online version of your portfolio is a quite smart thing to do for yourself. Sure, it’ll take a bit more of your time, but you can count on the fact it’ll pay off. Being prepared for several different situations in advance is a quality your potential customers or employers will definitely appreciate. Building an online version makes you widely available, and by inserting a couple of social media buttons, you’ll make sharing easy (which shouldn’t be underestimated). The fact is that 90% of the human brain responds to something visual and tangible, so it makes a huge difference if you show up to your interview with a physical representation of your work.

7. Work on the Presentation Itself

You need to know how to sell yourself; your work, skills and a desire to improve and perfect in general. No matter how great you are in what you do, no one will hire you if you can’t speak about it properly. Most people decide to turn to various tutorials on how to prepare for an interview, but following those tutorials through might just be the thing that makes you feel anxious during the actual interview, because you’re probably trying not to leave any of the steps out. However, if you try out a different approach, and focus on developing your presentation skills in general, because that’s exactly what any interview is all about – presenting your work in the right light.

That’s it really. Once you make a portfolio like this, you won’t have to redo it ever again, you’ll just have to fill it in with additional accomplishments as you complete them. It might be a lot to take in right now, but if you take enough time and really devote yourself to this project, I’m sure it’ll turn out great!

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Researchers Find 8 Superfoods That Drastically Boost Your Brainpower At Work

The daily grind of a full-time job requires an enormous amount of energy. Get up. Go to work. And work for 8-10 hours. Do this 5 days a week (sometimes more). That’s 40-50 hours a week that you are expected to perform at a high level.

The question is: How are you fueling yourself? Unfortunately, the daily grind forces many people to take up a “let me just grab something quick” game plan. This often equates to unhealthy eating habits at work.

The reality is that the food you eat has a significant impact on your brainpower and productivity. As a result, it is imperative that you do some research and educate yourself on the nutritional value of the food your are eating.

Many foods are bad. Many foods are good. And there there are those foods that are in fact superfoods. These are the foods that boost productivity and brain power. Does increased brain power and productivity sound like something that would benefit you at work? Of course it would which is why you should absolutely incorporate these types of foods in to your diet.

1. Water

Water is the element of life. Everyone has heard the importance of 8 glasses of water and yet not everyone practices this. In fact, studies show that nearly 75% of Americans suffer from chronic dehydration. This comes as more of a shock when you consider that more than 70% of the body is made up of water. Every single bodily function depends on water to function smoothly. It is like oil for a machine. If you do not drink enough water throughout the day to replenish lost fluids, your brain will suffer the consequences. Failing to drink enough can lead to daily fatigue and headaches. This is the last thing you want at work. Instead, be sure to get plenty of water so that you can operate with a clear mind and remain productive.

2. Salmon

According to the US National Library of MedicineNational Institutes of Health, the brain is about 60% fat and most of that is the omega-3 fatty acid DHA. As a result, fatty fishes are great “brain food” and salmon might be king of them all. Salmon is rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which are vital for improving memory and mental performance, the pillars of productivity.

3. Berries

Anti-oxidant rich foods, such as berries, are great for increasing memory. Obviously, this would help improve memory function in the workplace. This would also work to prevent the onset of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s further down the road. In general, the darker the berry, the higher its anti-oxidant property. This means more productivity-boosting ingredients.

4. Avocados

In addition to their great taste, avocados also serve as vital food for the brain. Avocados are an incredible source of healthy fats and nutrients that enhance blood flow, stimulate brain cells, and improve overall focus. Remember, productivity is all about keeping consistent blood flow to the brain.

5. Nuts

You would be nuts not to include nuts in your diet. Nuts are an excellent source of protein and healthy fats that your body absolutely needs. They are rich in amino acids, antioxidants, and Vitamin E. This translates to a natural increase in brain performance and productivity that you need to make it through the workday. Studies show that nuts also contain Vitamin B-12 which is known to contribute to higher brain functions. All it takes it a handful a day!

6. Bananas

A banana is one of the best resources of glucose, which the body uses for energy. Just one banana contains the daily amount of glucose that your body needs. It is a far healthier option than your typical ” office vending machine food” packed with carbs and processed sugars. You need energy to remain productive and it’s no secret that bananas are often referred to as nature’s energy bars. Furthermore, according to an article on livestrong.com, “a few slices of banana are a great pre-bedtime snack” due to its tryptophan content. Sleep is vital to brain function and work performance.

7. Dark Chocolate

Dark chocolate is the “guilty pleasure” of brain foods because in addition to being a superfood, it also satisfies that sweet tooth that we all have. In addition to improving overall focus, the caffeine content in dark chocolate also translates to greater energy. Authoritynutrition.com lists improved brain function as one of the many health benefits associated with dark chocolate. One study of healthy volunteers showed that 5 days of consuming high-flavanol cocoa improved blood flow to the brain.

8. Spinach

Although Popeye ate Spinach to get stronger, it probably made him smarter too. According to an article on The Huffington Post, eating just one serving of spinach a day could make your brain 11 years younger by slowing down the process of age-related cognitive decline. This is due to its high Vitamin K content. This same article sites a 5 year long study that ultimately proved that those who consumed 1-2 servings of spinach a day had far better cognitive abilities than those who did not. Simply put, a serving of spinach a day will turn your brain in to a powerhouse of production.

Preparing your brain for optimal performance is simply a matter of incorporating the right foods in to your diet. All 8 of these superfoods can be found at your local grocery store and can easily be prepared. If you are a working professional who is in need of improved mental clarity and a boost in productivity then you should absolutely make it a habit of incorporating these foods in to your diet.

Featured photo credit: Salmon/Andrea Pokrzywinski via flickr.com

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