"brain food" news and stories

Potato pancakes. Photo: Pabo76, Flickr.

• Two Seven Roses locations -- in Slavic Village and Beachwood -- give Cleveland affordable Eastern European comfort fare.
• Requesting doggie bags at a restaurant no longer makes customers look like cheapskates.
• MacMurray's 2007 Pinot Noir starts out smooth and has "a long finish."
• Rather than drowning in coffee, try healthier brain food, like vitamin-rich greens or a good oatmeal breakfast.
• Thirsty Dog Labrador Lager is a hoppy lager worth the attention of Ohio beer lovers.
• The Inn at Turner's Mill has gotten a face lift and new life as Rosewood Grille, plus other restaurant news.
• Beth Knorr is a Local Food Hero for her work with food education and food policy.
• 5 Things to Chew On covers everything from "cool cheese" to "hot tomatoes."
• Recipe: Corn, Zucchini and Tomato Soup with Basil

Good nutrition, with well-balanced meals and lots of fruits and vegetables every day is obviously the best way to help your kids perform their best on standardized tests, but students are now turning to sucking on peppermints before exams. 

The peppermint craze is based on findings by Professor of Psychology in West Virginia, Bryan Raudenbush, who found that the smell of peppermint oil is associated with improved performance in athletes. Raudenbush applied different scents to athletes on treadmills, piped scents into locker rooms and gyms, then studied athletes'' performance. Peppermint seemed to have distracted people from boredom and helped to make them feel more energetic. It works because the smell of peppermint increases blood flow. Cinnamon has the same effect.

Peppermint has been added to so-called "brain foods" that teachers have been asking parents to feed their children -- white grape juice, dark chocolate, peanuts, carbohydrates and protein-rich meat.

Back when I was in high school, all I remember is my parents feeding me fish at every meal before my big exams.