Brain Hacks

Your brain is about 60 percent fat and uses 20 percent of your body’s metabolic energy, so it’s not too surprising that you need some fat in your diet. Without it, your nervous system and metabolism aren’t able to function normally. Fat helps carry, absorb, and store the fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, and K) in your blood- stream. But a diet that’s too high in fat can damage synapses in the hippo campus area of the brain, the part that affects memory and learning. Moderate your fat in-take by using some of the following tips:  

• Choose low-fat or fat-free dairy products. 

• Use low-fat dressings and limit buttermilk, ranch, and blue cheese dressings.

• Use nonstick cooking sprays or nonstick pans and avoid frying anything in oil.

• Trim excess fat and skin from all meat and poultry. 

• Choose foods based on amount of total fat and type of fat. 

• Watch for hidden fats: pizza toppings, fried foods, ice cream, high-fat meat (salami, bologna, bratwurst, hot dogs, pepperoni, sausage, bacon, and spare ribs), cakes, cookies, macaroni salad, potato salad, and coleslaw.

• Limit your intake of red meat; opt for poultry, fish, or non meat dishes more often.

• Limit your use of cream sauces on pastas; use marinara or other tomato based toppings instead.

Snoring may be a sign of obstructive sleep apnea, which means you’re having trouble breathing as you sleep. Apnea is bad for your brain, as it causes sleep deprivation, which leads to memory loss. Sleep apnea can also change the structure of your brain, damage neurons, and impact your ability to think clearly and make decisions. The good news is that much of the damage is reversible as long as the apnea is treated. If you suspect you have sleep apnea, request an evaluation from your healthcare provider and get treatment. 

Most dietitians agree that eating multiple small meals throughout the day is much healthier than eating only the usual three large meals. Small meals keep the flow of nutrients to your body going, and the brain especially needs these nutrients to function well. Research has shown that a steady supply of glucose is healthier for the brain than having it come in spurts.

Choosing snacks wisely can help fuel your body (especially your brain) between meals, give you an energy boost, and add to your total intake of essential nutrients for the day. Snacking can also help to take the edge off hunger between meals. The longer you wait between meals, the more you tend to eat at the next meal. Here are some tips for smart snacking:

• Choose snacks that are lower in fat and nutrient rich. 

• Make snacks part of your eating plan for the day instead of thinking of them as extras.

• Make snacking a conscious activity, not a mindless face-stuffing situation.

• Eat snacks in smaller portions, not meal-size ones.  

Try some of these smart snacks as part of your healthy eating plan:  

• 1/2 bagel with peanut butter 

•  Raw vegetables with low-fat or fat-free dressing 

• Fruit yogurt topped with low-fat granola cereal 

• Low-fat cottage cheese topped with fresh fruit 

• A piece of fresh fruit 

• Light microwave popcorn 

• Pita bread stuffed with fresh veggies and low-fat dressing 

• Low-fat string cheese 

• Whole-grain cereal and fat-free milk 

• Vegetable juice 

Doing challenging work—like figuring out a calculus problem—seems to take a lot of energy, and so it makes your brain feel tired. Spending the same time on Face- book looking at cat pictures doesn’t seem as mentally demanding, because your brain doesn’t use nearly the same amount of energy to do that. Right? Not so fast.

Stress contributes to the feeling of exhaustion you might have after doing challenging work, such as taking a calculus test, where you are worried about your grade and are anxious about your performance. So it’s true that under certain circumstances doing challenging work tires your brain more than easy tasks. But re- search shows that it’s basically your attitude that makes the difference. In other words, you just think that solving the calculus problem is more tiring than looking at cat pictures. As far as how much energy your brain actually uses? There’s not a lot of difference between the two activities. 

One study showed that the expectation of mental fatigue actually predicted it. That is, if a person thinks a task will be hard, it often is. So imagine if you changed your attitude. Instead of letting your brain trick you into thinking it’s exhausted, re- mind yourself that those cat pictures are just as hard on it. 

You know that your brain needs fat—in moderation!—to function. Ideally, you should eat healthy fats. But the truth is most American diets are overloaded with unhealthy fats. These are the saturated, hydrogenated, and partially hydrogenated (trans) fats found in all commercial baked goods, margarines, and processed foods. Saturated fats are usually solid at room temperature and can be found in well-marbled meat, butter, whole-milk cheese, ice cream, egg yolks, and fatty cuts of beef, pork, and lamb. Certain vegetable oils, such as palm, palm kernel, and coconut oils, are also saturated. According to the Alzheimer’s Research and Prevention Foundation, the ideal prevention diet includes:

• 20 percent “good” fats, such as extra-virgin olive oil 

• 40 percent lean protein, such as fish, chicken, turkey, and soy 

• 40 percent complex carbohydrates, like fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and legumes

• Lots of super foods, including blueberries, spinach, and seaweed

What are the “good” fats? Here are some to try:

• Avocado oil 

• Flaxseed oil 

• Olive oil 

• Sesame oil 

• Walnut oil 

Your body needs cholesterol to protect nerve cells and make it easier for them to send out the electric discharges that keep you functioning. About 25 percent of the body’s cholesterol is found in the brain. However, you don’t need to consume it: your body can produce all the cholesterol it needs to function.

Dietary cholesterol comes directly from animal foods, such as egg yolks, meat, poultry, fish, seafood, and whole-milk dairy products. Consuming these foods can raise your cholesterol levels higher than is healthy. Saturated fat raises your LDL (bad) cholesterol level more than anything else in your diet. Trans fats also raise blood cholesterol. Foods high in saturated fat generally contain substantial amounts of dietary cholesterol. Here are a few ways you can lower the cholesterol in your diet:

• Buy lower-fat versions of foods, such as dressings, mayonnaise, margarine, and cream cheese.

• Eat no more than four egg yolks per week. One large egg has about 186 milligrams of cholesterol, but it’s all in the yolk—the egg white has no cholesterol. Try substituting two egg whites for one whole egg in baked goods or using an egg substitute.

• Limit organ meat, such as liver. They are nutritious but also very high in cholesterol.

• Enjoy seafood—prepared in a low-fat way—as your main meal a few times per week.

• Make vegetarian meals occasionally. Meals with beans or soy products as the main protein source have cholesterol-lowering qualities.

Herbal remedies have become immensely popular as a natural alternative to pharmaceutical drugs. Using herbal remedies can promote memory function and general neurological function. Herbs are also sometimes used to treat depression, lethargy, attention deficit, and other issues. Always consult with your physician be- fore ingesting herbal remedies, particularly if you are pregnant. 

When buying packaged herbal products, choose a reliable brand and follow the manufacturer’s directions concerning dosage. Buy only from reputable manufacturers. The label should include the company’s address, batch and lot numbers, expiration date, and recommended dosage.

Consider using the following herbs to help support brain function:

• Energy—fo-ti, ginseng, and gotu kola 

• Fatigue—capsicum (cayenne), ginseng, American ginseng and red deer antler (combination), gotu kola, and oats

• Insomnia—catnip, chamomile, hops, lady’s slipper, skullcap, and valerian

Memory—astragalus, calamus, cayenne, dong quai, ginger, ginkgo biloba leaf extract, ginseng, gotu kola, and red deer antler

• Mental health—cayenne, ginseng, and gotu kola 

• Nervousness—betony, catnip, chamomile, European vervain, hops, lady’s slipper, mistletoe, passionflower, pulsatilla, red sage (for nervous headache), skullcap, and valerian

• Stress—alfalfa, chamomile, ginseng, gotu kola, hops, kelp, lady’s slipper, passionflower, and valerian

One way to stimulate your memory and give it a workout is to take a trip down memory lane. Remember a past experience by looking at old photos, watching a video, or talking with a friend. Go through your Facebook timeline. Nostalgia actually feels good for your brain, even if you’re young and the events are fairly recent. That feel-good trigger makes you feel more optimistic and positive about the future. One recent study showed that digging into your long-term memory also helps improve overall brain function and even stimulates your short-term memory. In other words, a little visit to the past can help your brain deal with the present.

A phobia is an unreasonable, compulsive, persistent fear of any specific type of situation (such as flying) or thing (such as spiders). Having to face something that you fear can produce a phobic anxiety attack. Such an attack may include a number of physical reactions, such as heart palpitations, breathlessness, weakness, an uncontrollable feeling of terror, and hysterical screaming. Anxiety and phobias are closely related. Stress and unresolved conflicts can lead to a chronic state of anxiety. Individuals suffering from chronic anxiety may develop a phobia as a safety net. As long as these individuals avoid the phobia-producing situation or thing, they can repress their ever-present anxiety and lead a fairly stable life. However, when the person encounters the fear-inducing object, the repressed anxiety may erupt into a phobic anxiety attack. If you have a phobia, therapy and meditation can help you face and conquer your phobias and lead you to greater peace of mind and a calmer brain. 

For centuries, it was believed that sage could be used to enhance memory. Now studies have shown that this belief is, in fact, true. Eating sage seems to help produce acetylcholine, which is a chemical in the brain that aids memory. Studies have shown that small amounts of sage help with recall and concentration. It’s also an antioxidant that will help your brain get rid of those pesky free radicals. Some re- searchers are looking at sage in relationship to treating more serious brain disorders such as Alzheimer’s. In addition to this, of course, it’s delicious in foods like omelets, spaghetti sauce, turkey (or really, any kind of poultry), and a lot more. Sprinkle it on with a generous hand and your brain will reap the benefits.