Wellbeing

Brain Power: Naturally cleverer in four steps!

Want your brain to function at its optimum levels? Here world leading neuroscientist Dr Daniel G Amen reveals his four steps to boosting your mind power

Want your brain to function at its optimum levels? Here world leading neuroscientist Dr Daniel G Amen reveals his four steps to boosting your mind power
The characteristics of a magnificent mind include personal responsibility, clear goals, good attention, consistent effort, effective social skills, impulse control, motivation, integrity and creativity. Yet few people realise that all of these are brain functions. A healthy brain makes these characteristics easier to incorporate into your life, while a damaged or struggling brain makes these much harder. Taking great care of your brain is essential to a magnificent mind. Most of us are never taught about how important the brain is, so we go through life thinking about everything (weight, skincare, finances, children, internet dating, vacations, careers, sports) other than this critically important organ. Here are some of the things you should do to improve your brain health.

Step 1: Protect your brain

The brain is the most complicated organ in the universe. It is estimated that it has 100 billion nerve cells and more connections in it than there are stars in the universe. Even though the brain consists of only about two per cent of your body’s weight, it uses about 24 per cent of the calories that you consume. If you take a piece of brain tissue the size of a grain of sand, it contains 100 thousand neurons and a billion connections, all communicating with each other.

The brain is also very soft and it is housed in a really hard skull. The brain is 80 per cent water and is the consistency of soft butter or custard. The ridges of the skull damage the brain during trauma, so why would you ever let a child hit a football with their heads, play rugby (even with a helmet), skateboard, ski or snowboard? From a neuroscientist’s point of view, these are dangerous activities that could grievously injure the brain.

The brain loves physical activity and it is better to think about safer brain sports such as tennis, table tennis, track and field (although not pole vaulting) and basketball. A 2007 study by John Adams and colleagues at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine found that hitting a football with one’s head might be linked to long-term brain injury and memory problems later in life. The single most important thing I have learned from looking at tens of thousands of scans is that mild traumatic brain injuries change people’s whole lives (by damaging their brain). Problems that are physically based are often considered psychological. People who have experienced head injuries have a higher incidence of drug abuse, alcoholism, mood problems, divorce, domestic violence, arrests and financial problems. Be smart. If you want to be your best, protect your soft brain.

Step 2: Take care of younger brains

Most people think we become adults when we turn 18. That is a societal definition, but it is not true from a brain science perspective. The prefrontal cortex, the part of the brain that makes us most human (forethought, judgement, impulse control, learning from our mistakes – the stuff of maturity) doesn’t finish developing until we’re about 25. Therefore we should be doing a much better job protecting our teenage and young adult brains. Spending time and money on youth brain health is one of the smartest investments in your child’s, teenager’s and young adult’s future. Teach them about the importance of their brain, how to take care of it, protect it, feed it, get enough sleep and avoid toxic substances such as drugs or alcohol.

Step 3: Boost blood flow

Blood is especially important to the brain. Even though it is composed of only two per cent of the body’s weight, it uses 20 per cent of the body’s blood flow and oxygen supply. Blood brings oxygen, sugar, vitamins and other nutrients to the brain and takes away carbon dioxide and other waste products. Anything that limits blood flow prematurely ages all of your body’s organs. Unless you actively do something to change it, blood flow throughout your body decreases over time, especially to the brain. Blood vessels become droopy and blood pressure rises, limiting blood supply. Improving blood flow is the fountain of youth. Here is a partial list of factors that limit or disrupt blood flow:

Stress

The overflow of the stress chemical adrenaline constricts blood flow to many areas of the body.

Caffeine

This substance directly constricts blood flow to the brain, disrupts sleep and is involved in dehydration.

Nicotine

This substance constricts blood flow everywhere.

Deyhdration

The brain is 80 per cent water. Anything that dehydrates you makes it harder to think.

Artery Disease & Heart Disease

Both directly limit blood flow.

Environmental Toxins

These toxins poison blood vessels.

Lack Of Sleep

People who get less than six hours sleep a night have lower overall blood flow to the brain.

Lack Of Exercise

In addition to weakening the heart pump, too little exercise allows blood vessels to become droopy and less efficient.

Drug Or Alcohol Abuse

These substances are directly toxic to the vascular system. Drugs or alcohol cause a toxic Swiss cheese appearance on scans from the overall decreased blood flow.

To increase blood flow throughout your body and brain you need to:

Get enough sleep
Drink plenty of water
Avoid substances that dehydrate you such as caffeine and alcohol
Stop any medications or bad habits (like smoking)
Take supplements such as fish oil, gingko, ginseng and L-arginine to boost blood flow

Step 4: Increase your brain’s reserve

Brain reserve is the cushion, margin or extra neurons that we have to deal with unexpected events or insults. The more reserve we have, the more stresses or injuries we can handle. The less reserve, the more vulnerable we are. Anything that harms brain function starts to erode your brain’s reserve. Here are some factors known to decrease your reserve:

Prenatal or birth injuries
Brain injuries
Excessive alcohol
Drug abuse
Negative thinking
Poor diet
Environmental toxins
Chronic stress
Lack of sleep
Smoking
Excessive caffeine
Too much television or violent video games
Lack of exercise

Likewise maintaining a brain healthy life will increase your reserve or hardiness to deal with pending stresses or trouble. Here are a number of ways to do it:

Make positive social connections
Engage in new learning
Maintain a healthy diet
Take a daily multivitamin
Take a fish oil supplement
Learn music
Exercise regularly
Dance (of course, without drinking)
Engage in positive thinking
Express gratitude
Meditate

Do You Have Bad Brain Habits?

Fill out the following questionnaire and rate each question on a scale of 0 to 4

0 = Never 1 = Rarely 2 = Occasionally 3 = Frequently 4 = Very Frequently NA = Non Applicable

1. My diet is poor and tends to be haphazard

2. I do not exercise

3. I put myself at risk for brain injuries by doing such things as not wearing my seat belt, drinking and driving, engaging in high risk sports and so on

4. I live under daily or chronic stress in my home or work life

5. My thoughts tend to be negative, worried or angry

6. I have problems getting at least six or seven hours sleep a night

7. I smoke, or am exposed to second-hand smoke

8. I drink more than two normal-sized cups of coffee, tea or dark fizzy drinks a day

9. I use aspartame or MSG

10. I am around environmental toxins such as paint fumes, hair or nail salon fumes or pesticides

11. I spend more than one hour a day watching TV

12. I spend more than one hour a day playing on a computer or video games

13. Outside of work time I spend more than one hour a day on the computer

14. I have more than three normal-sized drinks of alcohol (eight ounces of beer or wine or one ounce of spirits a week)

Now add up your score…