OH! Magazine - Australian Version May 2015 | Page 14

PAUL
TAYLOR

BOOSTING YOUR
BRAIN HEALTH
Paul Taylor shares these tips to boosting your brain health.
see a lot of advertising in the
media for brain-training programs
and games such as Luminosity, but are
these things the best way to optimise
your brain? The short answer is an
unequivocal no. Aside from the fact that
you are sitting on your butt to do these
programs (which in itself is bad for your
brain), there are much better ways to
optimise that mass of jelly in your head!

I

best results, a combination of short
duration, high-intensity interval training
combined with a baseline of lots of
walking. Avoid excessive endurance
training due to increased oxidative
stress.
2. Nutrition

1. Exercise

A diet based on real food with low
processed food (especially sugar and
processed carbohydrates) is critical for
brain function. In terms of individual
nutrients, the most critical nutrient for
the brain is the omega 3 fat DHA from
fish (the conversion of plant-based
omega 3s to DHA is very poor), which
help neurons to grow and communicate.

This boosts critical growth factors such
as BDNF, FGF, VEGF and IGF-1, and
also provides blood flow and oxygen,
which are critical for brain health. For

Vitamin B12 also plays lots of roles
important to brain function and iron is
important for oxygen transport; good
quality meat (especially organ meats)

Some ways to boost your brain are well
established in the research, and some
other techniques are just emerging.
Following is a well-rounded plan for
getting the best out of your noggin.

will provide lots of this. Lastly, curcumin
seems to be protective against
Alzheimer’s disease.
3. Sleep
Recent research has shown that sleep is
critical for clearing toxins out of the
brain, which is probably why chronically
poor sleep is associated with greater
incidences of Alzheimer’s, depression
and other brain conditions. Aim for
between seven and eight hours a night.
4. Novelty
This is absolutely critical to drive
neuroplasticity, which will make your
brain healthy and robust. Learning a
new language or a musical instrument is
great, as is continual education and
doing new things, meeting new people
and seeing new places. A highly routined
life is like death by a thousand cuts for
the brain!
5. Mindfulness meditation
Research has shown that this has a
positive influence on gene expression
and improves brain function. Recent
research has shown that regular
mindfulness practice can increase grey
matter density in the brain!
6. Stress management
While some stress is necessary for us to
develop and grow, chronic stress creates
an inflammatory cascade in the brain, so
dealing effectively with stress is
important for a healthy brain. Meditation,
yoga, tai chi, exercise and other
relaxation techniques are good ways to
protect against too much stress.

14

MAY 2015 ( OH! MAGAZINE )

www.bodybrainperformance.com

( Body / Brain Performance )