Get Smarter by Noon

Stir some blueberries into your breakfast cereal or low-fat yogurt, and don't be surprised if you get a genius idea for the Smith account or whip through your inbox faster than urban legends spread. That's because people who eat a lot of fruit and have a high intake of flavonoids perform better on tests of verbal fluency, logical reasoning, and visual memory -- three skills that translate into doing your job better, faster, and smarter. (We're hoping that someday we can claim flavonoids as a business expense.)

Flavonoids are antioxidants that are packed into fruit, and they're widely thought to fight disease and mental decline. They're in plenty of different fruits, but blueberries are little superheroes when it comes to antioxidant power and your brain. The compounds in this tiny fruit may help protect you from two processes linked to brain-cell aging: inflammation and oxidation (both are also linked to Alzheimer's). Back up blueberries with this breakfast chaser: an omega-3 supplement -- either 2 grams of fish oil or 600 milligrams of DHA. You'll likely gain even more smarts.

Missed your chance for extra brainpower at breakfast? Pile some kidney beans onto your lunch plate -- they also excel at turning on your antioxidant power. Or at least add some onions, broccoli, and tea to your meal. They may be second-tier to red beans and blueberries, but they're still awfully good. And far better for you than that hunk of white bread you were mindlessly eyeing. Oh, right, think!