Category: HACK 1-50

You know smoking hurts your heart and your lungs. Before you light up again, consider the risk to your brain. Recent research shows that smokers have a thinner cerebral cortex, the area of the brain responsible for thinking, memory, perception, and language. If you quit smoking, some of the damage can be reversed—although it’s better not to have smoked at all. Smoking also constricts blood flow to your brain and makes your blood more prone to clotting, increasing your risk of stroke. In addition, nicotine damages the interior walls of blood vessels and makes them more susceptible to atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries). That also increases the chance of stroke. The good news? Your body starts repairing the damage within days of that last cigarette. If you quit smoking now, you reduce your risk for dementia and other forms of cognitive decline. 

Stroke, the destruction of brain cells that occurs when blood to the brain is cut off, can kill you (it’s the fifth leading cause of death in the US). If it doesn’t kill you, it may leave you physically and/or mentally impaired—permanently. Stroke can be caused by blood clots or hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis), although occasionally it is the result of trauma. Your chance of a stroke increases dramat- ically after you hit fifty-five and continues increasing as you age. Current research from a long-term study on Alzheimer’s and aging suggests that having a stroke can put you at greater risk for developing Alzheimer’s. Risk factors for stroke include:  

• High blood pressure
• Heart disease
• Smoking
• High cholesterol
• Diabetes

If you have any of these risk factors, take concrete steps to safeguard your brain. 

You remember that old saying, “Let a smile be your umbrella”? Well, we’re not suggesting you give up your rain gear. But being optimistic—that is, feeling generally positive and confident about the future and about succeeding at various goals you may have—has protective powers. Recent studies show a correlation between being optimistic and reduced anxiety. Optimistic people were shown to have a larger orbitofrontal cortex (OFC). The OFC is known to help regulate emotion. In fact, if you experience a traumatic event (and presumably get a ding to your optimism), your OFC loses heft. Chronic stress reduces the ability of brain cells to connect to the OFC and instead helps produce pathways to anxiety (thanks, stress). Re- searchers theorize that just as stress and trauma can reduce the OFC, optimism and positive thinking may be able to build it back up again. 

Other studies show a connection between higher levels of optimism and lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol. Being happy-go-lucky is better for your brain! The truth is, realistic people are more accurate about how the world actually works, but optimistic people protect their brains. So, choose optimism when you can. How? Here are a few simple suggestions:  

•  Keep busy—dwelling on problems makes you less optimistic. 

•  Use affirmations—doggone it, people like you! 

• Acknowledge success—it’s easy to overlook when things go well. 

• Use fewer negative words—stop yourself when you say “can’t” and “never.”

• Seek help dealing with your past—put painful experiences behind you.

Alzheimer’s disease, a devastating type of dementia that causes problems with memory, thinking, and behavior, has two types: early-onset (sometimes called younger-onset) and late-onset. Late-onset Alzheimer’s is the culprit in most cases of lost mental function in people over sixty-five. Early-onset is much rarer. Only about 5 percent of those who develop Alzheimer’s show signs of it before age sixty- five. The brains of Alzheimer’s patients contain distinctive, abnormally shaped proteins known as tangles and plaques. Tangles are found inside neurons while plaques typically form outside the neurons in adjacent brain tissue. Tangles and plaques most commonly afflict the brain areas related to memory. In the 1980’s, re- searchers found that a compound in plaques known as amyloid protein may actually be poisonous to brain cells. More recent research suggests that a protein called tau may be responsible for the telltale tangles found in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients. In healthy brains tau proteins give neurons structural support, but in Alzheimer’s patients this structural support collapses into useless twists and tangles. 

To minimize your risk for Alzheimer’s, change your lifestyle to a healthy one: good diet, lots of exercise, and plenty of mental stimulation. 

Your morning cup of coffee used to get a bad rap. All that caffeine! What were you thinking? But these days coffee has undergone a bit of rehab. Researchers have found it’s not such a shady character. In fact, drinking a cup of coffee every morning can benefit your brain. Coffee does two things to help you:  

1. First, it reduces the production of the neurotransmitter adenosine by binding to its receptors. Adenosine is a chemical that makes you feel tired. So you want adenosine at bedtime, but not when you have to go in there and ask the boss for a raise. Drinking a cup of coffee will make you feel more alert and focused. 

2. Second, caffeine keeps your brain from reabsorbing dopamine, a feel-good neurotransmitter. That means you feel happy for longer.  

One study showed that drinking coffee reduced depression among subjects— and even reduced suicidal tendencies. Some evidence also shows that coffee- drinking may help protect against Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. 

But of course you can have too much of a good thing. Once you go over about 400 milligrams of caffeine per day—about four cups of coffee—the downside starts to outweigh the upside. For example, too much caffeine can give you migraines. It can cause insomnia, restlessness, and (because it’s a diuretic) increased urination. Also, drinking coffee on an empty stomach can cause heartburn. For some people, coffee makes them jittery and nervous. This is especially true for individuals who already have anxiety. If you experience any of these side effects, reduce your consumption. 

You know how you’re always supposed to count to ten when you get angry? That’s because giving yourself a little space before reacting can calm you down. Instead of the original outburst you were going to make, you’re able to respond more calmly. The same idea holds true for counting your breaths. When you’re upset, anxious, or worried, take a moment to focus on your breath. Don’t worry about trying to control your breathing, just take a few deep breaths, then start counting: inhale + exhale = one breath. In a few moments you won’t be so stressed. This is because counting your breaths is a kind of mindfulness—you’re keeping your focus on the present and not thinking about anything else that’s happening. And mindfulness, as we know from many studies, is a practice that can help improve memory and build cognitive skills. No special mantra or meditation is needed. Just count to ten! 

Depression, which is a mood disorder that involves feeling sad and uninterested, affects many people. For some people, an episode of depression might be mild—it might be, for example, related to a loss from which they gradually recover. For others, depression is so deep and long-lasting that even simple things like getting out of bed to shower become a monumental struggle. Of course it is bad for your brain to be mired in depression. If you feel depressed, especially if the feeling goes on for many days and keeps you from your normal activities, getting professional help is your first step. In addition to seeking help, there are things you can do to help combat depression: 

1. Create structure. Give yourself a schedule, such as getting out of bed at a certain time, even if you don’t feel like it, and eating on a regular timetable. Daily goals, like showering and getting dressed every day, are very helpful for com- bating depression. 

2. Go for a walk. Getting a little exercise even just a few times a week can help your brain produce the feel-good chemicals that will give you a lift. 

3. Eat right. You need good nutrition now more than ever. 

4. Make a change. Do something different. Take a class, join a club, think new thoughts. 

5. Get your shut-eye—but not too much. Most people need seven to nine hours of sleep per night to function well. Depressed people often sleep more or less than this. Do your best to get the right amount of sleep. 

6. Do things you used to find fun, enjoyable, or rewarding. Even if you don’t find them that much fun now, do them anyway. You just have to keep trying. 

Keeping a daily journal—by hand, not on your laptop—benefits your brain. Recent studies show that writing by hand enhances your memory, helps both sides of your brain coordinate (integrating information from both sides of your brain helps you improve your perception), and inspires thought and creativity because the slower process allows for reflection. You also use more of your brain, specifically the motor cortex, when you write instead of type. A stimulated brain is a healthy brain! Writing by hand also helps relieve stress, as repetitive actions can have a calming effect. This is particularly true if you write something calming, like five things you feel grateful for rather than all the ways you hate your boss.

Trying to do a lot of things at once is supposed to be a sign that you’re smart and productive. But new research shows that multitasking—doing more than one task at a time—has very big drawbacks. First, your brain can’t actually multitask. What it does is switch from one task to the other, back and forth, back and forth. The problem? Your brain doesn’t perform as well when it is constantly distracted this way. It’s likely that the quality and efficiency of your work will suffer. For the vast majority of people, it’s actually quicker for them to do tasks sequentially—plus they’re less likely to make mistakes. A small percentage of people are actually good multitaskers—their brains are capable of handling more than one task at a time—but you’d be wise not to count yourself among them. In fact, one study showed that people who thought they were good at multitasking were actually the worst at it. Another study showed that people trying to deal with several tasks at once had significantly more problems paying attention and remembering information than those who did one task at a time. Habitual multitaskers actually train their brains to be less efficient. They have trouble organizing thoughts and focusing on what is important. As a consequence, they end up being slower, cumulatively, than those who do one thing at a time. Give your brain a break by giving up your multitasking ways!

Folklore says green tea helps you achieve deeper states of consciousness, especially during meditation. Science says green tea contains an amino acid called thea-nine, which aids in increasing concentration and attention while reducing fatigue and stress. 

The most popular and potent version of green tea is called matcha. To create matcha, the plant is shaded from the sun for about three weeks before harvest. Shading the plant increases the levels of theanine. The ground powder made from these shaded green tea leaves is mixed directly into hot water to create the drink. (Tea is usually made by infusion, where the leaves are strained from the drink.) Drinking a mixture rather than an infusion allows your body to absorb more nutrients. 

Green tea contains antioxidants and nutrients that improve your brain’s performance. Green tea also contains polyphenols, which may improve memory, learning, and cognitive function.