Diet and lifestyle can affect your ability to think, pay attention and concentrate, both in the long term and the short term. 

Now, a new study from Ohio State University tested 51 women on attention after feeding some of them them a meal high in saturated fat and others the same meal made with sunflower oil, which is high in unsaturated fat. 

Unsurprisingly, women who at the saturated fat meal scored worse on the test. 

Researchers claimed to be surprised by this outcome. I'm surprised that they're surprised. Isn't extreme mental fogginess obvious, clear and conspicuous when you eat junk food? 

The scientists pointed out another obvious point, which is that even the control group at a high-fat meal, and that women who ate a low-fat meal might have score even higher on their attention test. 

Mental clarity and energy is a major outcome on The Spartan Diet. It's major because this diet exists to enable you to live the best possible life. And doing so means that you can experience life more fully, succeed in your career and passions and learn, grow and enjoy deep relationship. All this needs your attention. 

The best kind of meal for maximum mental energy in fact is not a super low-fat meal, but a meal balanced in the highest-quality fats, carbs and proteins. For example: baked wild-caught salmon on a big salad of seasonal greens and vegetables and a dressing home-made with extra virgin olive oil, vinegar or lemon juice with fresh herbs (maybe with some mushrooms on top). This kind of meal will actually increase your mental clarity and focus, not decrease it. 

In general, the secret to a mental focus-enhancing diet involves food quality, and balanced quantity. Small amounts of dietary fat, mostly in the form of extra virgin olive oil, nuts and avocados. Complex carbs in the form of naturally leavened home-made ancient grain bread in small quantities. Seasonal fruits and vegetables. High-quality nuts, seeds and legumes. 

The best part is this: The more you eat healthy, high-quality Spartan Diet foods, the most sensitive you get to foods that make you feel mentally foggy. Your mental attention after a meal becomes a solid point of data about the quality of the food you just ate.