Tuesday, August 08, 2006
27 Tips to Optimize Your Brain Power1. Avoid a big breakfast. Breads, muffins, bagels or pastries block your brain barriers.
2. Avoid eating big meals during the day. Big meals slow you down, and make you feel exhausted or sluggish.
3. If you are hungry or light-headed, eat small amounts of lean protein such as poached or boiled eggs, light cheese or yogurt. Proteins eaten alone (on an empty stomach) can pick up your neurotransmitters, such as dopamine and acetylcholine.
4. Minimize your eating during the day to mostly live raw fruits and veggies and their juices. This will help you detoxify and nourish your brain with essential nutrients and antioxidants to protect your brain from daily free radicals assaults.
5. Eat fatty fish such as salmon, tuna, and swordfish or sardines. The fish oil contains essential fatty compounds Omega 3, DHA and EPA that play critical roll in brain development as well as improving memory, learning ability and metal capacity.
6. Flaxseeds are another excellent source of Omega 3 essential fatty acid (EFA). Most people today lack Omega 3 in their diet. EFA deficiency or imbalance is believed to be the cause of some brain diseases and mental aging.
7. Take EFA supplement to ensure essential fatty acid nourishment to your brain.
8. A glass of red wine with your evening meals can help protect your brain.
9. Avoid binge drinking. Excessive alcohol is toxic and is believed to destroy brain cells.
10. Eat lecithin granules. Soy lecithin is a great source of choline, inositol and phosphorus that are critical for optimum brain function.
11. Minimize your sugar consumption. Stay away from sweet cereals, candy bars or sodas. They cause blood sugar fluctuation, which leads to insulin insensitivity. Insulin insensitivity is believed to be the main cause of an inefficient supply of energy to the brain.
12. Supplement yourself with multivitamins and antioxidants to guarantee optimal brain function. Vitamins such as the B vitamin play a critical roll as catalysts in the production of essential brain neurotransmitters and hormones. A deficiency of even one vitamin may impair brain function.
13. Take ginkgo biloba (standardize for 24% ginkgo flavon glycosides) to improve brain circulation and memory.
14. Panax ginseng during the day works as a tonic and is believed to help boost mental activity. Siberian ginseng should be taken at the end of the day. This particular ginseng is believed to have a calming effect on the brain.
15. Eat carbohydrates at night. Complex carbs will relax your mind before going to sleep. Carbs boost serotenine, a brain neurotransmitter protein that is responsible for the feeling of well being and calming down.
16. Eat tryptophan-rich foods before bed time such as hot milk with honey or bananas. Tryptophan is a building block protein for serotenin and the melatonin hormone, which regulate healthy sleeping cycle. Melatonin is believed to protect the brain from aging-related diseases. It works as an antioxidant and anticancerous agent.
17. Make sure to supply your body with multi-minerals. Minerals such as calcium and magnesium play a vital roll in regulating optimum mental capacity, steady mood and protection from tension headaches. Minerals protect your brain from toxic metals such as lead or mercury. 18. Avoid rancid fats, hydrogenated fats and transfatty acids as found in margarine or hydrogenated oils additives to different food products. Bad fats impair optimum brain function and may causes brain damage.
19. Follow a progressive exercise routine. Exercise will help you with your blood circulation, stress, and overall mind and body performance.
20. Get The Warrior Diet book at www.dragondoor.com. The Warrior Diet, which is based on following a daily cycle of underrating and overeating, will help you reach your peak mental performance during the day and full relaxation followed by a healthy sleeping pattern at night. The Warrior Diet guides you to the best practical ways to nourish your brain and set you free from over-restrictive and over-controlling diet rules.
21. Coffee can boost your dopamine. The ideal time to drink coffee is on an empty stomach with a little or no sugar. Drinking coffee in moderation helps boost brain function and elevates your mood.
22. Green tea is one of the best beverages to boost mental power and protect the brain from toxins and free radicals.
23. Chocolate, YES! Some researchers believe that cocoa (chocolate) has a potent antioxidant, protective effect on your brain.
24. Eat blueberries, they have the highest ORAC (antioxidant value), thus considered to be one of the best brain foods.
25. Don't worry, be happy! Avoid anger. See your glass as half-full. 26. Be romantic. Love in your heart makes your mind blossom.
27. Make sure you sleep enough. Your brain is rejuvenating during those sleeping hours.
Steps to A Happy Soul
Step 1 MIND OVER MATTER
You need mental energy to fuel the body. Psyche yourself up to get the most out of your life. The body reacts to the power of the brain so make sure the power is going in the right direction. Dr Christine Fenn, author of ‘The Energy Advantage’ has observed that our minds and bodies are linked – well yes we knew that already!!
You can lead a healthy life and be exhausted. So all the sleep, food and exercise in the world won't work if you waste mental energy.
Everyone has the potential to have high energy all the time, but energy levels go up and down – our energy is being sapped – by relationships – by work – by pretending to be someone your not.
So you need to be yourself – it will stop your nerves being on edge – get your life in perspective – then the brains chemical balances immediately start to level out and you'll feel the energy levels start to rise.
So the key to having mental energy is to take control of your life. If you've got too many bills to pay, too many emails, too many meetings, you'll feel out of control and your will be out of balance.
But how do you make this happen ?, just take small steps at a time, address a work issue head on, sort out relationship problems. Step by step analyze what is eating away at your mental energy and remove any negative barriers so that you channel your mental thoughts into a more positive direction
Step 2 DON'T BE HARD ON YOURSELF
If you’re a perfectionist your office and home will be neat and tidy, you are always in control. Everyone sees you as successful and a happy confident role model.
Stop trying to be perfect, tiredness, anxiety and energy levels are closely linked. Living by high standards, means that you are always pushing yourself, this can prevent you from really enjoying life.
Many people hide behind activity; perfectionism like drink can be a way of escaping. The perfectionist’s notion that other people only love them because of their achievements.
The truth is that people enjoy you because you are you. Chill out, enjoy and just be you.
Step 3 LAUGH
These internal aerobics will lower blood pressure, relax muscles, and boost the immune system.
Step 4. BODY ENERGIZING
Grab those trainers and do some exercise – being on this site is an excellent start! Exercise of any kind, from a walk to a kick boxing class; boost energy levels, giving immediate and long-term benefits. Studies confirm that exercise is beneficial to ill patients, helping them resume normal activities – but if recovering from illness you need to work to a monitored program.
When you exercise you move oxygen around the body and as this is our source of life – it makes sense that it makes you feel better. Metabolic rate rises; body temperature goes up, activity in the muscle increases and the heart rate climbs.
As your metabolic rate rises this has an effect on all the body's systems; the increased blood flow transports more oxygen around the body, stimulates toxin drainage through the lymphatic system and helps eliminate waste products from the muscles.
And that feel good factor is all thanks to endorphins, the body's natural opiates which block pain and gives a feeling of euphoria. And they do more, endorphins are neurotransmitters, when they reach the brain they give you that runners high – but you have to push yourself for at least 20 minutes.
So exercise has physical and psychological effects – the two interplay. So do something positive and feel better about yourself.
Exercise is a great tension buster
Exercise distracts you from the days events and focuses you on your body
Even a gentle stretch can help release tension and re-energize you.
Exercise – it will raise your heart rate and the increase will get more blood flowing to your brain.
The more you exercise the more efficient your body becomes. You become better at storing glycogen and more efficient at using fat and your heart and lungs become stronger.
Exercise can reduce depression, anxiety and increase tolerance to depression.
Enjoy yourself do something you enjoy – aerobic exercise is most likely to energize you it will give you cardiovascular efficiency.
Resistance training develops muscle strength and helps improve posture, co-ordination and breathing.
Stretching and yoga might not increase your metabolic rate or release endorphins, but they do release tension and stress.
Do a combination of aerobic, muscle toning and some stretching.
Be flexible – listen to your body and don't push yourself too far.
Three to Five sessions a week of 30 –60 minutes each is more than enough for most people.
Always feel comfortable when exercising.
And remember to flop on the sofa some days.
The right balance will not only give you energy but also have an impact on your life.
Step 5 SWEET DREAMS - BODY REST
Sleep too little you're exhausted, too much sleep you're exhausted. Like everything else in life its about quality not quantity. To perform well we need the right amount of good quality sleep.
When asleep our brains go through a series of 90 minute cycles, each cycle takes us through five stages of sleep. Stage 1 – drowsy sleep. Stage 2 – moderately light sleep. Stages three and four – deep, physically restful sleep – the deep or slow wave sleep Stage 5 dream sleep with rapid eye movement REM, in this stage our eyes move rapidly under closed lids and our brains are active but our body is paralyzed to stop us acting on our sleep.
The experts agree that bodily repair takes place in deep sleep and brain repair in REM sleep. The body is charged in the first three to four hours, but we need more than that to be at our best.
How much do you need?
To energize your body and mind how much sleep do you need? The normal figure is six to ten hours- that would keep 95 percent of us happy. The average is 8.1 hours a night. Those who can survive on five hours or less are lucky.
If you get too little sleep it will depress the immune system, leave you vulnerable to infection. Insomnia can cause problems, lack of concentration, exhaustion, stress. But the worst thing you can do is turn to pills, especially long term use, because this will be poor sleep
To beat insomnia, or to get better nights sleep, adopt some good sleeping habits, all obvious and easy.
Make your bedroom comfortable, dark, and quiet.
Keep work and anything stressful out of your bedroom.
Avoid adopting habits to get yourself to sleep, which stimulate the brain, watching TV, reading.
Keep to a regular routine, so your body can get used to it.
Don't force yourself to sleep at strange times of the day.
Avoid rich foods, especially late at night.
Try to exercise regularly it promotes sleep.
Clear your mind of emotional problems.
Step 6 YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT
What you eat has a huge impact on your energy levels; we have all heard it before but try to stick to what the experts say.
Start the day with a healthy breakfast a combination that release energy slowly through the day.
Swap cornflakes and white toast for a slow releasing raisin toast, porridge, low fat milkshake, all bran, special K and muesli.
Eat energy foods, with low to medium GI glycaemic index , pasta with tomato sauce, chicken or fish, rice, beans, noodles
Eat a lunch that has a combination of carbohydrate and fat – it will give you energy in the afternoon
Drink a lot of water; aim to drink at least eight 8oz glasses. This will give you more energy, reduce constipation, infections and kidney stones.
To give yourself an energy boost, eat a bowl of cereal, or fruit such as apples, grapes or banana’s.
Step 7 THE SECRET OF HAPPINESS - A HAPPY SOUL
The problem is many people go out looking for stimuli to make them happy, when happiness comes from within. It's not circumstances that make you happy – happiness can't be chased. Chasing something can make you selfish and greedy.
So it s time to take the Dalai Lama’s approach to happiness; the slow burn - although attaining genuine and lasting happiness is not easy, it can be done. Happiness is not to do with externals, the road to happiness relates to positive mental states – transforming your mind takes time. All the teaching are based on 2,500 years of Buddhist tradition.
So don't depend on physical pleasures this is unstable, here one day, gone the next. Being happy is about having a positive mental state, identify those things that make you negative and avoid them.
Have manageable ambitions, congenial work mates and enjoyable leisure activities are the key factors to happiness. – In the end it all comes down to relationships.
Mind, body and soul, listen to them all and make a few gentle changes to re-energize your life…
Minimise sugar consumption? Oh no.. then whats going to happen to hiphop jelly, watermelon and ricola? Ohno! Yay! thank god there's still chocolate.. Whee.. And green tea!
Did I read that coffee is good? No! To hell with that aromatic headache inducing beverage! Smells nice but gives me headache all the time =(((
ok then. Ill stop being too hard on myself. Ill be myself.I dun need to be a perfectionist!
Exercising and stretching! Im a health guru ok! Hell with A levels! Make me such a couch mugger.. Make me so slack! Went running today 12:43 min for 9 rounds around my house there! hmms.. Running gives me a gd sense of being! Need to do more stepups. The way to tight, taut calf muscles! Hell with the obsession with muscular biceps! eeks.. Why am I so obsessed with the liesel-kind bicep muscles?! Gosh.. I shld be a normal girl !
Ill go practise my sword and gun4 soon after. The wushu performance in sch today sucks qt alot ok! except the nan quan pple.Gosh!
A happy soul will make me happy. I guess exercising n sweating it out does! Sleeping on the bus does also! A touching movie like Click! too!
Gosh. Cant believe I actually cried so many times in the movie. Feel so dumb la. Crying over a movie. Haha. Apparently, everyone else cried in the movie too! Aha! But just feel so dumb can!
haha. I wanna be happy.. whee..
i promised shuhan to talk to her today =( But I din honour the promise =(((
NDP tmr! mugg today!yays..
-yann. embedded in between at 6:39 PM
