Having good memory skills can be a great advantage for any poker player.Here is a few suggestions on how to improve your memory by implementing simple steps in your everyday life.

Written by: Christine Winter

Having a great day is an incredibly easy way to improve your performance at the poker table. Not only will a great diet help you stay focused, active and alert, it will also help you improve your memory so that you’ll be able to destroy the competition within no time.

Our brains are incredibly picky eaters and nutrients that help them aren’t too easy to fit into your diet if you aren’t eating in a healthy manner, but if you do make small changes n your lifestyle, you’ll see that it isn’t too hard.

One of the changes one can make is to simply start drinking a little more water. It might seem crazy, but being well hydrated actually improves your whole bodily functions, and that includes your brain. Water can help you stay alert as well, so it isn’t a bad idea to replace some of the caffeine for a little bit of water. Let’s take a look at a few other examples:

Antioxidants

According to what has been suggested in numerous research articles, a diet rich in berries isn’t just going to improve your brain functions; it is also going to reverse declining brain functions. That means you’ll be as sharp as it gets, even when you’re 70! These have been shown to keep the brain young and healthy due to the amazing properties in them.

The best berries for the brain are blueberries, but there are a lot of them that help so you don’t have to stick to them if you don’t like them. The antioxidants in them help protect brain cells by deterring damage caused by free radicals and by oxidizing the cells. On top of that, they’re colorful and fun to mix into your diet. The best berries for the brain are:

• Blueberries
• Goji Berries
• Boysenberries
• Raspberries
• Blackberries
• Strawberries
• Red grapes

While picking your favorite fruit and vegetables, try to stick to bright colors, as bright as possible, as these are rich in beta-carotene, a strong antioxidant. Just make sure you buy your food at local stores so you don’t get anything poisonous in your stomach!

Vitamin C

Vitamin C is known to keep your memory powers up, while also improving your reasoning powers and allowing your arteries to function properly, which will help your brain get precious blood filled with oxygen.

Although vitamin C and beta-carotene aren’t rock stars in brain nutrition like the antioxidants, they are the guys backstage making sure the concert runs properly. Moreover, foods with Vitamin C often contain essential sugars and other vitamins that support your whole body and brain, so these are definitely a plus.

Food with a lot of vitamin C and beta-carotene are:

• Tomatoes
• Mangos
• Oranges
• Carrots
• Broccoli
• Green and red peppers
• Dark leafy green vegetables, such as spinach

Remember that other vitamins are also important, so foods rich in vitamins are all good for you. Avocados, for example, are rich in essential fat and vitamin E.

Essential fatty acids

Essential fatty acids promote brain growth and development, so they pretty much allow the other nutrients to do their job, giving them a room to be as brilliant as they can be and to help you memorize every single play your opponents do at the table.

Essential fatty acids are, for example, omega-3 and omega-6. According to studies, these also reduce the risk of quite a few diseases as well, so eating them is a big plus. They’re great to boost your memory and to help you have a really healthy diet. Foods high in essential fatty acids are:

• Fish oil
• Salmon
• Eggs (some of them are enriched with omega-3)
• Chia seeds
• Caviar
• Walnuts
• Butternuts
• Pecans
• Oysters
• Spinach
• Coconut oil

Nuts, specifically, also have serotonin, something that helps control your memory, sleep, mood and other types of neurological processes.

Other vitamins

While all of the above are bound to help you to great extents, you can also complement your diet with foods rich in these vitamins: A, E, B, C and magnesium. These are going to complement the brain-boosting ones, and some of them actually help improve your memory while also slowing down any aging signs you might have.

Finally, detox your body in order to get rid of any free radicals and damaging toxins you might have on your system. This is going to improve the process, make you feel better and allow you to live a healthier life. All combined, your memory poker is going to be as great as it gets.