If you want to conquer your goals, you need more than hustle—you need fuel. And not just any fuel, but the kind that powers your brain, sharpens your focus, and keeps your energy steady from sunrise to deadline. Welcome to empowered eating, where what’s on your plate can be the difference between languishing, and launching your ambitions into orbit.
Ava Diamond Dreyer, a New Jersey-based coach and author certified in neuroscience, nutritional psychiatry, brain health, and trauma recovery, believes your diet is the most underutilized tool in your ambition arsenal. “Feeling blue? I hope so, in this case,” Dreyer jokes. “Blue foods are known to give your brain a motivational energy boost, amongst other blue benefits from their wealth of micronutrients.”
Dreyer points to anthocyanins, the compounds responsible for the blue and purple pigments in foods like blueberries, blackberries, purple potatoes, and eggplants. “These micronutrients are pretty, and pretty powerful, in reducing inflammation and oxidative stress,” she says. Oxidative stress, caused by an overload of free radicals, is a major culprit in injuries and illnesses. When your body is fighting internal stress, your ambition takes a back seat as your brain shifts into survival mode, Dreyer explains. Elevated cortisol, the stress hormone, “clogs” the brain with dead cells and shuts down the very areas you need for creative, ambitious thinking.
But there’s good news: you can help restore your brain’s ability to flourish with ambition by eating foods that lower inflammation and boost dopamine production. “Dopamine is our ‘ambition hormone’—it’s what gives us pleasure, passion, and purpose,” Dreyer says. To elevate dopamine, she recommends foods rich in tyrosine and phenylethylamine, including not just those pretty purples and blues, but also dark chocolate (70% or higher, with minimal added sugar), hardboiled eggs, and pumpkin seeds. “One of my favorite all-time brain-boosting snacks is the hardboiled egg,” she says. “It’s the perfect food, loaded with the nutrients to boost dopamine, along with great protein and good fat. Boil up a dozen at the start of the week and snack on them easily for days.”
Toronto-based holistic nutritionist Amanda Michaelson, founder of Amanda Michaelson Nutrition, has her own formula for empowered eating: the 3-Part Plate. “If someone wanted to curate a consistent diet to support maximum mental acuity, one of the most effective and sustainable strategies is what I call the 3-Part Plate Formula,” she says.
“It’s a simple, science-backed approach to building meals that stabilize your energy, support brain function, and help you feel your best.” Every meal, Michaelson advises, should include three key components: protein, healthy fats, and plant-based fiber. “Protein is your foundation,” she explains. “It provides the building blocks for neurotransmitters that regulate mood, focus, and mental clarity. It also helps keep your blood sugar stable and your metabolism running smoothly.” Her favorite protein picks: eggs, Greek yogurt, chicken, fish, tofu, or lentils.
Healthy fats are just as crucial. “Since your brain is nearly 60% fat, it depends on high-quality fats to function well,” Michaelson says. Avocado, olive oil, tahini, nuts, seeds, and nut butters help you stay focused and full between meals. And don’t forget plant-based fiber: “It supports digestion, feeds your gut microbiome, and helps manage inflammation—all of which impact how clearly you think and how well you feel.” Michaelson’s go-to fiber sources include leafy greens, broccoli, berries, apples, and roasted veggies. “If you’re active or need more fuel, add complex carbs like quinoa, oats, sweet potatoes, or sprouted grain bread,” she adds. But she cautions against refined sugars and ultra-processed foods, which can lead to energy crashes and poor concentration.
Best of all, Michaelson says, the formula is flexible: “At home, eating out, or on the go, it’s easy to stick with. Even something like whole wheat toast with almond butter, banana, chia seeds, and a couple of boiled eggs does the trick. Just remember: protein, fat, and fiber. PFF is your BFF!”
Both experts concur: empowered eating isn’t about deprivation or complicated rules. It’s about making simple, strategic choices that work for your lifestyle, and your goals. Dreyer’s “powerful purples” and Michaelson’s “3-Part Plate” are blueprints for a brain and body that are ready to take on the mental challenges of next day, week, or rest of your life.
Dave Gordon | Contributing Writer
