THE HEALTH | NOVEMBER , 2023

BRAINNOTES

BY TONY PEREIRA

The scientific term for this is neuroplasticity . MRI images of her brain were taken before and after a six-week mindfulness programme . The result was that the brain had changed over this period .

I was intrigued by her article . A few months ago , I embarked on a programme to sharpen my mind and boost my brain health . I have been studying this area for three years now and have run a number of webinars and seminars on boosting brain health . I decided to create a structured programme , follow it diligently , and more importantly , establish if I felt any change .

Here is what I undertook and my initial assessments of whether I have felt any change . 1 . Wake up routine The first thing I did was to establish a wake-up routine . The wake-up routine I decided on was the 4-7-8 breathing technique advocated by Dr Andrew Weil , a medical doctor from the United States .

He believes this very simple breathing technique activates the parasympathetic nervous system . If we do this consistently , we can build resilience to stress . When we sleep , our body produces the stress hormone , cortisol .

If we wake up and immediately start running errands , checking emails , checking messages and other such activities , we activate the release of cortisol , which causes stress and harms the brain . Dr Weil suggests the 4-7-8 technique to avoid this .

This involves inhaling for four counts , holding for seven counts and exhaling for eight counts . Each morning , I do this for about five minutes , then remain lying in bed for another five minutes to allow the body to rebalance . 2 . Keep hydrated Drinking water is one of the best things you can do for the body and brain . I picked up the bad habit of excessive caffeine intake during my time working in London and Toronto .

When I think back to those days , there was never a water cooler in the pantry - only various options of coffee and tea . Over the past few years , I have reduced my intake of such drinks and substituted them with plain , sometimes sparkling water .

The brain needs to be kept hydrated . So , sipping water throughout the day helps the brain . The recommended

The benefits of nuts : Walnuts Source of vitamin E , which is good for the heart .

Almonds It helps stabilise blood sugar levels . It may also help prevent cancer

Cashews Source of Omega 3 , which helps brain health .

Macadamia A good source of monounsaturated fat . Also , a source of potassium .

intake is 0.5 litres of water for every 14 kg of body weight . 3 . Sleep for at least seven hours I have been sleep-deprived for many years - most of my working life . I took this as a badge of honour . Only during my neuroscience study did I appreciate the importance of sleep .

I have written in a previous column about what happens to the brain whilst we are asleep , so I will not repeat the benefits of sleep . Since Covid-19 , when we went into lockdown , I have consistently aimed for at least seven if not eight hours of sleep a night . 4 . Daily exercise The US Center for Disease Control ( CDC ) recommends a minimum of 40 minutes of exercise three times a week to stay fit and keep the brain in good condition . When we exercise , we create new brain

Hermann Ebbinghaus ’ Forgetting Curve .

Dr Andrew Weil advocates the 4-7-8 breathing technique to activate the parasympathetic nervous system , lower heart rate and blood pressure and improve digestion .

cells ( neurogenesis ). But here ’ s a tip on ensuring the exercise is effective - when exercising ,

SOURCE : ORGANIZINGSTUDENTS . COM . AU

Tony Pereira is an Independent Consultant and Founder of SuperTrouper365 focus on the activity and not the television screen in front of you or the music that plays on your digital device . Research has shown that exercising and being in the moment generates the same benefits as a mindfulness activity .

So , walk with purpose and enjoy the activity . Further research has shown that if you enjoy what you are doing , the benefits are 2x .

I am fortunate - I am able to exercise most days - I do a 30 minute aerobics activity followed by a 30-minute walk . 5 . Superfoods I have written about the supplements and foods that are good for the brain . About a year ago , a relative of mine in her 80s told me that her neurologist had advised her to consume a handful of healthy nuts every night .

And she claimed that she has felt much sharper in her recollection and memory retention . She certainly looked very fit . So , I followed her advice .

Every night , I snack on good , healthy nuts - walnuts , almonds , pecans and cashew nuts . These are the healthy versions and not the salted or honeyroasted versions .

Yes , less tasty , but still easy to eat . Do , however check with your doctor if there are any medical conditions that you may have that may prevent you from including nuts as part of your diet . 6 . Memory recall Finally , I recently added this exercise to my routine . I know that when we sleep , the brain transfers information from the hippocampus to the long-term memory .

It is estimated that the brain has to process about 70,000 pieces of data daily . The brain has a filter called the reticular activating system or RAS , which stops irrelevant information from getting into the brain .

Nevertheless , a lot of information is still temporarily stored in the working memory . When we sleep , the brain starts the process of transferring information to permanent storage .

What I do now is before I sleep , I recall any important information that I want the brain to remember . I am instructing the brain to retain and store this information in permanent memory .

This technique was taught to me by my teacher when in school . She said , before going to sleep , think about what you studied during the day and tell your brain to remember this .

Many years later , I am learning the same in my neuroscience class ! Hermann Ebbinghaus ( 1850-1909 ), a German psychologist , pioneered methods of learning and remembering .

He developed the Forgetting Curve and stated that unless you have a technique to remember what you learn , you will forget it within seven days . This technique of remembering is one way of telling your brain what is important to remember .

This is the routine I have followed for some months now . I can certainly say that the 4-7-8 technique works very well for me . I find I am more calm even in the worst of situations .

I can almost feel my pre-frontal cortex overriding the reptilian brain when in stressful situations . I also feel my memory has improved , and I am less forgetful .

I would say I did not notice these changes overnight . It took a few months for a noticeable change . It is not different to going to the gym . You do not become fit after one session . – The Health