Brain Booster at 1:28 PM

Dark Chocolate

Magnesium and the antioxidant powers of chocolate apparently increase the supply of oxygen to the brain, thus boosting brain power and reducing the risk of heart disease.

Sex

The next time your other half says they are too tired, make sure they know that seven chemical reactions occur in the brain during sex, and all of them are beneficial to your brain.

Cold Meats

Terry Horne's book, Teach Yourself Training Your Brain, suggests a breakfast of cold meats to get the most out of your brain during the day. This despite the advice from the World Cancer Research Fund, which advises against eating any cold meats.

Laughter

Horne's book also encourages readers to achieve a state of BLISS: Body-based pleasure, Laughter, Involvement, Satisfaction and Sex. Laughter is thought to be a natural way to boost levels of serotonin, the hormone which is linked to the prevention of depression and therefore the long-term health of the brain.

Home Work

' Do your homework' sounds rather obvious, but apparently parents should not let children do their homework on their own, as the mind is thought to work better when in a group.

Business Degree

Self-improvement is never a bad thing - and one could always do a business degree to improve the mind.

Oil Fish

The omega-3 fatty acids in oily fish have been linked by numerous studies to increased cognitive function and concentration levels. Some schools even give fish oil supplements to their pupils to improve exam performance.

Exercise

Regular exercise has also been strongly linked to improving brain power. The government recommends that adults do 30 minutes of moderate exercise every day - but it really is a case of the more the better. Protein Protein rich foods such as eggs, chicken and dark green vegetables make the perfect brain-boosting lunch, while carbohydrates are good for an energy-packed dinner

Sleep

According to the Sleep Council, only one in 10 of us say we sleep well and one in five suffers from lack of sleep. Ideally, you should get between seven and nine hours of sleep a night, and not getting enough sleep is known to damage our mental capabilities and ruin concentration

Keep your Mind Active

To keep your brain healthy in old age, the best advice is definitely, start early and keep active. Exercising your brain by doing crosswords or reading books keeps your thinking skills sharp and has even been linked to the prevention of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, though further research is required into this area. Horne's book also recommends that reading out loud is a simple way of enhancing brain power. Classical Music Research carried out in California found that listening to classical music improved performance in exams.