To be able to concentrate and focus, your brain needs energy which comes from blood glucose (sugars). Your brain uses 20% of all the energy your body needs. Not having enough glucose in your blood can make you feel tired, weak and affect your mind. It can also happen if you follow a restrictive diet or have irregular eating patterns.

It is important to eat regularly to keep your blood sugars steady. If your blood sugar drops you might feel tired, irritable, and depressed. Choose foods which release energy slowly such as proteins and whole grains to avoid blood sugar spikes.

Other top tips for keeping your blood glucose levels steady:

• Eat a good breakfast, high in protein and good carbohydrates. This can help steady your blood sugars in the morning and keep you fuller for longer. Healthier carbohydrates include whole grains, vegetables, fruit and legumes.
• Instead of eating a large lunch and dinner, try eating smaller portions spaced out regularly throughout the day.
• Avoid foods which make your blood sugar rise and fall rapidly such as sugary snacks, sugary or fizzy drinks and alcohol.

When you don’t eat enough nutrient-rich foods, your body may lack important vitamins and minerals, which may affect your energy, mood and brain function.

Vegetables and fruit contain a lot of the minerals, vitamins and fibre we need to keep us physically and mentally healthy. Eating a variety of different coloured fruits and vegetables each day means you’ll get a range of nutrients.

Your brain needs fatty oils such as omega 3 and 6 to keep it working well. So rather than avoiding all fats, its important to eat the right ones.

You can find good fats in; oily fish, poultry, nuts (such as walnuts and almonds), olive and sunflower oils, seeds (such as pumpkin and sunflower), avocados and eggs.

Protein contains amino acids, which make up the chemicals your brain needs to regulate thoughts and feelings . It also helps control blood sugar levels.

You can find protein in lean meat, fish, eggs, cheese, legumes (peas, beans, lentils), soya products, nuts and seeds.

Your state of mind is closely connected to your gut, not just because of your physical comfort but also because your gut uses many of the same chemicals as your brain and communicates with it.

Healthy gut foods include fibre found in fruits, vegetables and whole grains and live yogurts which contains probiotics.

If you don’t drink enough water, you may find it difficult to concentrate or think clearly. Try to drink 2litres of water per day. 

Caffeine is a stimulant so can increase feelings of alertness and counter the effects of fatigue. But having too much can make you feel anxious and depressed, disturb your sleep or give you withdrawal symptoms if you stop drinking it suddenly. Caffeine is in tea, coffee, chocolate, coke and other energy drinks.