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Brainfood: Blueberry breakfast cups

Research has found that dietary nutrients are critical to the structure and function of your brain, so eating well could have a profound impact on your mental robustness. Maintaining a healthy diet packed with brain-boosting foods to support you through your day is a must, and this recipe includes a few key ingredients to do just that.

Ingredients

1/4 cup honey
3 tablespoons butter
25 grams walnuts, chopped
100 grams oats
25 grams pumpkin seeds, chopped
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Greek yoghurt
fresh blueberries

Instructions

Spray a standard muffin tin with cooking oil, or line with baking paper.
Combine the honey and butter in a small saucepan over a low heat, stirring to combine.
In a separate bowl, mix the oats, walnuts, cinnamon and pumpkins seeds together to make a simple muesli. Add the honey mixture to the muesli and stir until it’s coated.
Divide the mixture in four to six portions in the muffin tray and then press the mixture so it’s packed tightly in a cup shape.
Refrigerate overnight.
To serve, fill the cups with Greek yoghurt and fresh blueberries.

Brain-boosting benefits

Nuts and seeds: these are a good source of things like omega 3 fats, amino acid, folate and B vitamins, which are said to play a critical role in the production of a range of brain chemicals.
Blueberries: high in antioxidants and fibre, studies suggests people who eat greater amounts of blueberries could delay cognitive decline as they age.
Yoghurt: yoghurt with live cultures is good for your gut health, and researchers have found that gut microbiota has the potential to influence our brain development, stress and emotions.

When it comes to selecting the best ingredients for your health, Samantha Dawson who completed a PhD in Deakin University’s School of Medicine promotes a whole-of-diet approach. ‘Let’s consider someone who eats a lot of processed food – consuming one serve of a “superfood” is unlikely to make a noticeable difference to their overall health.’ Instead, she suggests focussing on improving overall diet quality and fibre intake, by regularly eating plenty of fresh plant-based ingredients and cutting down on sugar and processed foods.

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