Monday, August 18, 2008

27 Tips to Optimize Your Brain Power

1. 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.

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