Brain Hacks

Your brain doesn’t exist on its own—it’s part of your body. And unlike in Vegas, what happens in other parts of your body doesn’t necessarily stay there. For example, people with type 2 diabetes are known to be at increased risk for dementia, including Alzheimer’s, although research has not yet determined the specific mechanisms for why this is so. Even being prediabetic (insulin resistant) is a risk factor. Researchers haven’t proven that controlling your blood sugar will reduce your likelihood of dementia, but it’s a safe step to take given the strong correlation. At worst, by controlling your blood sugar you’ll reduce your chance of having diabetes (or get it under better control), which is a legitimate goal all by itself. Controlling your blood sugar is a lot like protecting your brain—you must eat right, exercise, drink enough water, and control stress. So that you can effectively address your particular situation, you should work with your healthcare provider to monitor your blood sugar levels.

Your dentist may frown on it, but chewing gum can benefit your brain. If you’ve ever chomped on gum before an anxiety-producing situation, like taking a test, then you already know it can help relieve stress. But chewing gum can also improve cognitive function. Chewing it increases blood flow to your brain, enhancing your ability to think. It can also make you more alert, particularly if you’re sleepy. One study showed that chewing gum quickened reaction times and made it easier for subjects to form new memories. And, fortunately, chewing gum does not have the downside of multitasking—it doesn’t distract you from whatever task is at hand. However, the benefits of gum chewing require you to keep chewing. Once you stop, the benefits disappear. Keep your dentist happy and pick a gum that uses xylitol rather than sugar as the sweetener.

Manmade trans fats are hard on your brain. What are trans fats? They’re artificially produced solid fats. The hydrogenation process (introduction of hydrogen) causes the atomic structure of a substance to change so that what was once a liquid can now remain a solid at room temperature. Why would anyone do that to a bottle of vegetable oil? Well, around World War II, scientists developed hydrogenated fats and oils to provide a longer shelf life for foods that were being transported around the world for soldiers. Butter goes rancid quickly, but margarine doesn’t. The problem is that research has shown that trans fats can increase LDL (bad) cholesterol and lower HDL (good) cholesterol—the exact opposite of what most people need! Not only that, trans fats disrupt the production of energy in the mitochondria (the energy factories) of brain cells. Trans fats may be even more harmful than saturated fats and hydrogenated oils (which don’t contain trans fats). In general, most health experts these days recommend avoiding trans fats altogether. If you must have a buttery spread, the good news is that there are margarines on the market today that are low in both saturated fats and trans fats. Many of these margarines are called “spreads” because they are less than 80 percent oil. (That is, the more solid a margarine is, the more saturated fat and trans fat it contains.) When looking for margarine spreads, look for one with no more than 30 percent fat from saturated fat plus trans fat. Less than 20 percent is even better. Look for words such as trans-free, which means the spread has no more than half a gram of trans fat per serving. But be sure the manufacturers are not replacing trans fats with saturated fats. In moderation, such spreads can be part of a brain-healthy lifestyle.

You probably haven’t considered adding alfalfa to your diet, but for a healthy brain you really should. This herb, which takes its name from the Arabic meaning “the fa- ther of all foods,” contains a lot of the nutrients your brain needs to keep going. 

Scientists have discovered that alfalfa can help in the treatment of heart disease, cancer, and stroke—three of the top five causes of death in the United States. Alfalfa leaves—which contain its real healing properties—are rich in minerals and other nutrients, including calcium, magnesium, potassium, and beta-carotene. Consuming alfalfa may reduce “bad” cholesterol. Alfalfa is commonly eaten in sprouts. Alfalfa leaf is on the FDA’s list of herbs generally regarded as safe, but it should be used in medicinal amounts only with your doctor’s approval. If you experience any side effects—such as upset stomach or diarrhea—stop use. If you have an autoimmune problem, avoid alfalfa seeds entirely.

Research has shown that the more education you receive, the better your mental acuity—and the longer you will retain it. Take a class on a topic that challenges your thought processes rather than something with which you’re already familiar. Most community colleges and universities offer continuing education classes on a wide variety of subjects, and many sessions are held at night to accommodate people who work during the day. Choose a challenging but interesting subject, some- thing that forces you to think or that flexes brain cells you haven’t used for eons. 

If you are planning a trip to a museum, study the topic of the exhibit you are going to see ahead of time. For example, if you’ll be visiting an art museum, brush up on art history and learn about the artists and the eras. See how much you can memorize, and then use your knowledge to enhance the experience. You can also do this process for stargazing, attending classical music concerts, opera, theater, and so on. Give it a try when going to a basketball game or skiing. You’ll stimulate your brain (and maybe impress your friends). 

Maybe you’ve heard that an untidy desk is the sign of a creative mind. Perhaps this is the very excuse you use for living with untidiness. But clutter is actually bad for your brain. It can make you feel anxious and overwhelmed. If clutter is all around you, your brain gets overstimulated as it tries to figure out if there is something meaningful in the mess. Because your brain is attending to the ninety-two things in the background, it can’t focus on the task at hand. Clutter signals that there is work to do, making it difficult to relax. Clutter can also create stress when you misplace something and have to dig around to find it.

Keep in mind that we’re not talking about hoarding here, which is a distinct mental health problem. We’re just talking about the general untidiness that comes from having a busy life and no real recognition of how stressful clutter actually is. Here are some very simple steps you can take to clear the clutter—and your mind:  

• Close doors. If you can’t see it, your brain will stop worrying about it. Use cabinets, boxes, and drawers to hide the clutter.

• Get in the habit of putting things back where they belong. 

• Enlist a friend to help you declutter. They’ll be more ruthless about your stuff than you are.

• Don’t try to do too much at once. Clearing clutter is a decision-making process, and the more you decide, the worse your judgment gets.

Several studies on phosphatidylserine, an amino acid that your body uses in building cell membranes, show how important it is to our mental health. A study re- ported in Clinical Interventions in Aging found that supplementation with 300 milligrams a day of soybean-derived phosphatidylserine significantly improved memory recognition, memory recall, executive functions, and mental flexibility. Some of the most notable benefits of supplementation include, but are not limited to:

• Improved memory 

• Increased concentration 

• Increased attention 

• Improved learning ability 

• Boost in mood (primarily fights depression) 

• Preventing damage from exercise and stress 

• Balanced cortisol 

Even if you have no artistic talent, doodling can be a creative outlet that stimulates your brain. The act of drawing forces your brain to become attentive, to truly perceive what you’re trying to capture with your pencil. But what’s less well-known is that doodling—long dismissed as a mindless activity that you do while you’re doing something else—has brain benefits. A study published in Applied Cognitive Psychology showed that doodling helped people remember information, particularly if the information was tedious. In other words, the doodling helped people focus their minds. Without doodling, their minds were likely to wander and subjects did not pay attention to what they were learning. According to one researcher, doodling is a type of visual language that can help people access ideas and thoughts they wouldn’t otherwise have, so it’s a boon to creativity as well.

Carbohydrates are your body’s main source of energy, especially for the brain and nervous system. Your brain uses a lot of carbohydrates during the day. If you don’t get enough complex carbs, you can start to feel light-headed and find it hard to concentrate. You’ll find carbohydrates in almost every type of food except meat. Carbohydrates are either simple carbohydrates (sugars) or complex carbohydrates (starches). Sugars are carbohydrates in their simplest form, such as fructose found in fruit. Complex carbohydrates are basically many simple sugars linked together. Complex carbohydrates are found in foods such as grains, pasta, rice, vegetables, breads, legumes, nuts, and seeds. 

Your body converts all carbohydrates into glucose to be used as energy for the body, including your brain. Glucose circulating in your bloodstream is known as blood sugar. This sugar enters your body’s cells, where it is converted to energy. Since simple carbohydrates, or simple sugars, are already in their simplest form, they go straight into the bloodstream. Complex carbohydrates require digestive enzymes to convert them into glucose. Some glucose is used immediately for energy and some is stored in the liver and muscles in the form of glycogen. By eating complex carbs, you can help your body and brain function at high capacity without causing spikes in your blood sugar levels.

Healthy adults should consume approximately 50 percent of their total daily calories from carbohydrates. That means filling more than half of your plate with carbohydrate-rich foods such as grains, vegetables, and beans. The idea is to eat larger amounts of complex carbohydrates and smaller portions of protein and fat. 

In addition to providing lots of general health benefits, sweet potatoes are good for optimum brain health. Including sweet potatoes in the diet has been shown to improve memory and reduce the possibility of Alzheimer’s down the road. For about 100 calories per 1/2-cup serving you get a huge amount of health-building nutrients. The bright orange flesh of the sweet potato contains carotenoids that help stabilize your blood sugar, aiding your metabolism. Sweet potatoes have four times the US recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for beta-carotene when eaten with the skin on. In fact, it would take 20 cups of broccoli to provide the 38,000 IUs (international units) of beta-carotene (which converts to vitamin A) that is available in 1 cup of cooked sweet potatoes. They are also a source of vitamin E, vitamin B6, potassium, and iron, plus they’re fat-free. Cup for cup, sweet potatoes have been found to provide as much fiber as oatmeal.