If you’ve got an exam, a big meeting or a presentation coming up, here’s what you should eat beforehand. This dish will boost your brainpower into the stratosphere and keep you sharp, focused and totally on your toes. According to Best Life magazine, the #1 brainpower-boosting meal is this: Get a to-go order of a tasty Indian curry dish called chicken tikka masala. Then make it into a sandwich on whole-grain bread with mango salsa. Oxford University biochemist John Stanley says there’s no better meal for staying energetic and alert. Why? Four reasons:

1. The protein in the chicken produces brain chemicals that speed up your neurons, boosting your thinking process.  
2. The magnesium, iron, and B vitamins in the salsa help combat fatigue.  
3. The complex carbs in the whole grain bread provide a steady stream of slow-burning energy.

But the biggest benefit actually comes from the masala sauce itself. Researchers at UCLA recently treated cells from Alzheimer’s patients with a drug made from cur-cumin – a chemical found in many Indian foods, including masala sauce. The result? In over half of the patients, their brain cells worked better! That dish again: Chicken tikki masala. Any Indian restaurant worth its weight in curry will have it on the menu.