Head Strong

Hack Your Brain

One-fifth of your body’s energy goes to fuel your brain – the most that goes to any organ. You create new brain connections and generate new brain cells throughout your life. But your brain’s performance suffers when you stuff your body with toxins. When your brain expends energy converting toxins, you feel “foggy, forgetful and tired.” Toxins come from your diet, your devices and the polluted world. Control them to make yourself smarter. To avoid the toxins that slow down your brain, change your diet, abandon bad habits, alter your environment, exercise and meditate. Focus first on addressing five “mental weaknesses”:

1. “Forgetfulness” – Lack of nutrition causes memory problems. Eating better, exercising and taking supplements can help.
2. “Cravings” – If you hunger for sugar, watch out. Sugar causes your cells to take their energy from glucose rather than fat, which means the fat you eat doesn’t get burned off and you gain weight. When your energy gets depleted, your body and brain compete and the call goes out for more sugar – a vicious cycle.
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