Thoughtful Thursday…5 tips to increase brain performance

Welcome to Thoughtful Thursday. This GreenNote Fitness newsletter mindfully gathers and distills useful information that is supportive to our journey. It is my mission to educate, inspire, and propel you into action that moves you towards your goals and life of purpose. Take control of your journey today.

Want an “edge” in your work performance and daily life? Tired of, well, being tired and lacking vitality? No one wants to drag through life waiting for the clock to hit 5:00 PM to then go sit in traffic until finally arriving at home to only want to lay on the couch. The workplace can be competitive. It demands your attention and being able to perform at your best each day, all day long. So what can we do?

Let’s take a look at five things you can do to increase your brain power and perform better. #1) Fasting You knew I was going to mention this one! Do we need reminding of the benefits? Yes! Fasting is your body’s way to clear the clutter in your brain, refresh, rejuvenate, and basically “re-boot” your system. For fasting strategies check out these newsletters: My Confessions on Fasting and Fat Loss and Cellular Cleansing. #2) Exercise What if you have a big presentation, important meeting, or other high intellectual demands for the day? It is shown that doing an aerobic activity the morning of these high intellectual demands will best prepare you for your metal demands. But don’t over due it. Instead, do 20 to 45 minutes of jogging, bike ride, or other cardio exercise the morning of the day in which your intellectual demands are high. This should be just enough to get your heart beating and your blood flowing. #3) Vitamin D Good morning sunshine! Vitamin D is pretty darn important for mental performance. One study on Vitamin D and cognitive function found that the lower your Vitamin D levels, the lower your performance on mental tests. Another study found that people with low levels of Vitamin D have a slower ability to process information, especially for people over 60. To get the memory enhancement effect of Vitamin D, include a few teaspoons of cod liver oil frequently in your diet and eat beef and butter. #4) Good Coffee Memory recall has been shown to improve with drinking 100mg of black coffee. Caffeine blocks a receptor in your central nervous system that is responsible for binding a compound called adenosine. When adenosine is inhibited, you get increased activity of dopamine and glutamate - “feel-good” and alertness-increasing, brain-stimulating compounds. Be ware. Too much of a good thing is not necessarily a good thing. Higher doses of caffeine reduces blood flow to the brain. You can also build up a tolerance pretty quickly. Also, you want to be sure to use a high-quality coffee, not powders or substitutes since cheap coffee is full of mycotoxins that can actually make you feel worse and dull your thinking. Have your 12-ounce quality coffee in the morning and for two or more days per week, reduce or avoid caffeine all together so you won’t build up a tolerance to it. #5) Music You are probably familiar with listening to music while you exercise to help you work harder. Music can also make you smarter and more mentally responsive as it can cause a giant dopamine release in your brain. Exposure to music also significantly increases blood which may cause a reduction in blood pressure and increased blood flow to the brain. Just be sure to not play excessively loud music as this can impair hearing as well as bombard your central nervous system. So there you have it - 5 tips to improve mental performance. Why not get the most out of your brain power? Now you will excuse me, I’m going to go have a good cup of coffee. Enjoy your journey, Lisa Schaffer GreenNote Fitness You wouldn’t happen to know just one person that would benefit from this information? Please forward it to them! Did you miss last week’s newsletter on 5 fun new things I’m discovering……? P.S. Check out my Facebook page for inspiration. P.P.S. Discover GreenNote Fitness recommendations for books, podcasts, and more on body, mind, and spirit.