Leading Neuroscientist, Dr Kristen Willeumier shares strategies to improve brain health in her book – Biohack your Brain.
A healthy brain makes a healthy man.
The supercomputer that sits between your two ears controls every part of your body. It is the ultimate organ of the man.
Yes, building muscles and toning is very important, but brain health is most important.
In a chapter in the book above, Dr Kristen takes us through 10 ways to boost brain performance in 10 minutes.
Here are ten ways to improve brain performance according to a neuroscientist with experience of over 2 decades:
1. Exercise Daily
As Jim Kwik, a brain expert would say, when your body moves your brain grooves.
The benefits of exercise are numerous and it’s common knowledge but is not necessarily a common practice.
When you exercise, you improve blood flow to your brain and more oxygen is taken in, which improves general brain function.
Benefits of morning exercise:
Sweating immediately after you wake up releases BDNF( Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor) which promotes neurogenesis (the process by which new neurons are formed in the brain), increases the speed of the brain and also repair damaged cells from the previous day stress.
Exercise also produces Norepinephrine which activates peak concentration.
Another hormone released is Serotonin which regulates anxiety, maximizes memory and helps you feel relaxed.
Mental agility, calmness of the mind and focus is improved and even more benefits.
2. Brain Berries
Eating berries like strawberries, blueberries and raspberries which are highly enriched with Antioxidants protect the neurons from dying.
According to Harvard Study, people who have a cup of blueberries or strawberries daily slow down brain ageing by two and half years.
Here in Nigeria, these berries are scarce. Therefore, I have found other easy to get brain healthy crops:
Avocado, Nuts, Apples, Spinach, Soya Beans, All Fruits and many more.
3. Small Bar Of Dark Chocolate
Daily consumption of a very small bar of dark chocolate supports brain health, improves memory and cognition because it contains a high amount of flavonoids.
why dark chocolate?
Because Milk chocolate has less amount of flavonoids and it’s loaded with sugar, while White Chocolate contains no flavonoids.
Dark chocolate is a bit bitter, has fewer grams of sugar and is filled with flavonoids.
4. Visualize Your Day
The topic of visualisation is becoming more popular every day.
This is because more people are discovering how Powerful our minds are.
Your thoughts and imaginations hold a key to helping you unlock your best self.
Little no wonder James Allen wrote the book, As A Man Thinketh, and even the Bible says a man’s thought makes him ( c.f Proverbs 23 vs7).
So, take a few minutes at the beginning of the day to visualize what you want.
Prep your mind to accomplish great things daily. It is great for your brain health and emotions.
5. Sniff Your Stress Away
The nose has over 400 receptors and can discern over a trillion different scents.
You can use the power of a scent to change your mood and improve your day.
We are sensory beings.
You can try incense, which is what I use, it is cheap and readily available in almost every store in Nigeria.
You can also use aromatherapy diffusers, scented candles, essential oils, air purifiers etc, in your home, office, car etc.
I appreciate natural herbal teas, they have great fragrances too.
6. Writing With Your Non-Dominant Hand.
This triggers Neuroplasticity or Synaptic plasticity (The brain’s ability to reorganize itself by forming new neural connections throughout life).
Albert Einstein is said to have had a smaller brain but more connections than any human being.
95% of people are right-hand dominant. The amazing fact about the hands is that you can do anything perfectly with your non-dominant hand, you just have to train yourself.
Jim Kwik has an easier way, which is to brush with your non-dominant hand.
The brain coordinates motion therefore this serves as an exercise to the brain.
Just try using your non-dominant hand often.
7. Create 10mins Of White Space Every Day
Yes, your ‘Me time.’ 10 minutes of quiet time to reconnect with yourself, to shut your thinking mind, to be away from the world and digital deluge.
Make time for yourself. Until you create that time you won’t have it. You have to make this 10 minutes happen.
Take a break from the external world.
You can try:
meditation, which I highly recommend,
taking a walk in the woods or a calm neighbourhood Alone.
Swimming
Taking a long bath, this is so relaxing etc.
Just do whatever gives you the space to be alone and unwind completely.
Your brain/mental health should be a priority.
8. Expand Your Vocabulary
Learn a new word daily.
Learning new words — especially for a foreign language — helps you better adapt to the culture, It also helps you improve your memory, become more perceptive of your surroundings and increase your focus.
Research shows that people who learn new languages especially in adult age slows down brain ageing by four and half years.
9. Gratitude
This might come off as a cliche, but the practice of gratitude is mentally healthy.
It helps change the way we see the world and also supports more optimistic positive thinking -This changes your frontal lobes.
Research shows that people who practice gratitude daily help change their frontal lobe function.
This improves morale and social cognition.
It strengthens your relationships and improves your mood.
There is always a million and one things to be grateful for. Recognise it, write it down, say it and don’t forget to always smile.
10. Sit Up Straight
The back, neck and shoulder can hold a lot of tension when we are hunched over our computers or desks all day.
Sitting up straight helps improve blood flow to the brain, improves mood and aids the movement of cerebrospinal fluid to the brain.
If You Read To The Point Here Are Bonus Ways
11. Sleep
This plays 3 critical roles in brain health
1. When we sleep, the brain can clear abnormally folded proteins that lead to Alzheimer.
2. We consolidate the memory of all we learnt during the day; we move it from short to long term memory.
3. Good night sleep helps us to process our emotions. This helps with depression, anxiety etc.
12. Supplements
It’s not always possible to take in all the nutrients we need in the right amount just from food.
Supplements like Omega 3, multivitamins etc are great for your general health.
Remember it is by consistently doing these that you will improve brain performance.
Make these a habit and see your brain perform even better than you expect.
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