Smoothie staple powers mental energy for hours

Here’s a delicious way to fire up your brain cells on days when your to-do list demands extra focus: Toss blueberries into a smoothie. Researchers in the European Journal of Nutrition report that middle-aged folks who ate 1 cup of the berries performed better on memory and reaction-time tests and made fewer mental errors for up to 4 hours after eating. They credit blueberries’ flavonoids, compounds that nourish brain cells after just one serving, for the benefit. Tip: Frozen blueberries deliver the same key nutrients.