Transcription
I'm gonna share with you the 10 keys to a lot, but I call your quick brain.
These are the 10 things scientifically proven to help you be faster, smarter, and better to optimize your brain health and your fitness.
Now, every single thing I'm going to say, nobody's gonna debate, right? They're gonna say, "Yes, of course." But common sense is not common practice.
So, I'm gonna ask people who are watching this to rate yourself from 0 to 10: how well am I doing in this one area, like in terms of how I'm eating or exercising or something?
And then you'll notice everyone wants to know what the magic pill is. There’s no magic memory pill; there are magic memory processes.
Everyone wants to know the one silver bullet, but you have to do all of these things because that's what falls within the focal point, meaning that the 80/20 rule—the 20% that gives you 80% of the results and the rewards.
So, really fast, the 10 keys for unlocking your quick brain:
**Number one is good brain food.**
All right, good brain food because you are what you eat. What you eat matters, especially to your gray matter. There are certain foods that are really good for your brain, and you probably know most of these foods.
As you work, I know you're very familiar with blueberries. Yeah, all like blueberries! I call them brain berries. Avocados and good fats are also excellent.
So, there are 10 of them that I recommend. They’re really excellent and very neuroprotective, including dark chocolate. Dark chocolate is good for your mood and generally good for your mind.
So, a good brain diet is number one. Just break your scale from zero to ten: how good is your diet?
**Number two is killing ants: automatic negative thoughts.**
Your self-talk matters. I recommend people rate themselves from 0 to 10: how does that feel? How well are you doing?
Not only that, but consider going on a little mental cleanse. Just like we cleanse the food we eat and the things we put in our body, what about the thoughts that we're putting in and out?
For these 30 days, try to eliminate negative thoughts. I mean, even for one day, try not to complain or engage in negativity.
People get so addicted to these things, like complaining. Whatever you're rehearsing, you're really rewiring your brain to get more of that.
It’s not just the Law of Attraction; there’s a law of action at play. All behaviors are belief-driven, and you’re wiring your brain by rehearsing those things.
That’s why they say the fearful person dies a thousand times in their mind, while a brave person dies just once.
Every time you rehearse, "Oh, I'm scared of public speaking," you do it over and over again. Not only do you feel the fear each time, but your imagination doesn’t know the difference between something vividly imagined and something that’s real.
If you were to put on a brain-sensing device, the same parts of your brain would light up if a dog walked in as if you were imagining it.
So, the mind doesn’t know the difference. It’s the most powerful tool you have—your imagination.
Our thoughts are things, and we can improve by activating our imagination. So, don’t rehearse your fears and negative thoughts. Only have thoughts of things that you want to come true.
**The third thing is exercise.**
We know this is important.
**Number four is brain nutrients.**
Omega-3s, DHA, ginkgo biloba, and vitamin B12 are crucial. This is a subject that comes up because many people travel and have fast food lifestyles. They may be lacking certain supplements.
What I would say is, I’m not a nutritionist, but go to a doctor—a good functional medicine doctor—and get a blood test.
I say the same thing for diet. When people ask what the best food is, I suggest doing food sensitivity tests to see what your blood says: red, yellow, green.
Red means stay away, yellow means sparingly, and green means go for it. See how you flourish on it afterwards, and then test it.
The same goes for your nutrient profile. You can see what you’re deficient in or if you’re low on B vitamins or DHA. If you are, you’re going to have cognitive issues.
**The fifth thing you want to optimize your brain is a positive peer group.**
We know who you spend time with is who you become. It’s not just about positive thinking or affirmation quotes.
You literally have mirror neurons in your nervous system. When you watch a sport or a movie, you can feel what they feel. This is where you have empathy for other people.
We’re always imitating people. So, who you spend time with is who you become because you’re imitating their habits, behaviors, and thought patterns.
That’s why they say you’re the average of the five people you spend the most time with. If you’re around nine broke people, you’re going to be the tenth.
You hear these things all the time, but it’s not just your biological or neurological networks; analyze your social networks.
Whether or not you smoke has less to do with your neurological networks and more to do with whether or not your friends smoke.
**The sixth thing for your brain is a clean environment.**
We know a clean environment is good for your brain at an anecdotal level. When you clean your desk or your laptop, you have clarity of thought.
But I don’t just mean that. I mean clean air and clean water because there are a lot of pollutants that are not good for your cognition.
**From there, we have number seven: sleep.**
This is a big one for so many people. Sleep is so important for your brain for three reasons.
Number one: it’s where you consolidate short- to long-term memory. Everyone who pulled an all-nighter back in university knows that hurt you because you need that sleep.
Number two: it’s where you clean out the plaque that can lead to brain aging challenges. Research is saying we need to see dementia and such.
The third reason is because when you dream, you don’t realize how many amazing ideas, inventions, literature, and works of art come from dream states.
Did you know, for example, that Mary Shelley came up with Frankenstein in a dream? Paul McCartney came up with "Yesterday" in his dream. A chemist created the periodic table in his dream, and Elias Howe invented the sewing machine in his dream.
What are you dreaming about late at night? When you work and learn all day, your brain doesn’t shut off at night. It’s actually more active.
People don’t realize that. You think it’s just not happening, but it’s coming up with solutions and integrating stuff in the form of dreams.
**Number eight is brain protection.**
I work with a lot of high-performing athletes, and concussions are a big deal. I’ve had a number of traumatic brain injuries.
But not just that; I did a whole episode on electromagnetic fields. People don’t realize that our smart devices are close to our brains.
I read recently that 90% of kids sleep with their phones underneath their pillows. Who knows the effect that has?
So, protect your brain. Wear a helmet if you need to.
**Finally, number nine and ten: new learnings and stress management.**
Neurogenesis and neuroplasticity mean you can create new brain cells until the day you die. Science never thought that was possible.
Neuroplasticity means you can create new connections. The way to improve neurogenesis and neuroplasticity is through novelty and nutrition.
Just like when you’re an athlete, you give a novelty or stimulus and then feed it with nutrition. That’s how you build your mental muscles.
Finally, stress management is crucial. People don’t realize it because it’s invisible. You don’t realize how much stress you’re under until you’re on vacation or getting a massage.
It’s always there, like the fish that don’t see the water because it’s there all the time.
So, what are we doing to cope? Meditation, relaxation, massage, yoga—whatever it is that gets us de-stressed.