Food, Exercise, and the Brain
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Food, Exercise, and the Brain A HealthSeries post 3
Nothing is more noticeable in an improvement routine than brain activity.
The brain influences the mind which of course creates our perspective. If the body or brain are not working at optimum, neither will our thinking. The mind and brain are terms often used interchangeably.
Out of 5 brain waves, the two you might control easiest are the Alpha and the Beta. The beta waves stimulate left brain activity which is logic, language, calculating. It is the “dominant brain-mind rhythm”- Patt Lind-Kyle, author of Heal Your Mind Rewire Your Brain. The chemical for optimizing Beta waves is Dopamine. “In balance, everything works perfectly with the right balance of dopamine.”
The best foods for dopamine are broccoli, carrots, egg whites, salmon, pomegranate juice, spinach, and unsalted almonds. Teas that boost dopamine are green tea, oolong tea, white tea, and rooibos tea. Spices herbs, and flavorful foods that will boost your metabolism, which dopamine monitors are flaxseed, garlic, green tea mustard seed, onion, stevia, and yarrow. Some supplements that boost beta brain energies are Ginko Biloba, B Complex, tyrosine, and phenylalanine.” Patt Lind-Kyle
If you want a quick shot supplement to activate Beta and Alpha waves, I take a supplement called Mind Power which I recommend for high and extended alertness.
Exercise helps bring Beta Waves in balance as well as hobbies. Having the mind concentrate on pleasing activities, like writing or assembling, balance out the spheres.
The Alpha stimulates the right brain activity which is Creativity and emotion. “The right brain processes and regulates the amount of sensory information coming at us”-Patt Lind-Kyle
The wonderful senses created by the alpha waves are stimulated by marijuana which may create the “oh wow” state of sensory perception.
“Acetylcholine is the apha brain wave partner. It helps keep the speed of your thoughts in motion as information is sent across the neurons. It juices the mind to be flexible, quick in movement, creative and innovative.” Pat Lind-Kyle
“Foods that replenish acetylcholine and help alpha brain waves stay in balance are: avocado, cucumber, zucchini, lettuce, nuts, eggs, luncheon meats, and olive oil salad dressings. Foods with fats deliver choline to boost our brain activity.” Patt Lind-Kyle.
We often stimulate right brain activity with coffee in the morning to speed up Beta waves and alcohol in the evening to slow them down. We try to manipulate our emotions lots of ways including nervous eating or binging.
The more we can provide healthy stimulus, the more the brain becomes our tool instead of vice versa.
Meditation is the greatest way to optimize brain waves, but few people are ready to plunge into this practice. People out of control are totally at the mercy of their brains like little puppets. If the brain is out of balance, strange, destructive, and even self destructive behavior will be result.
You can see that if you want an immediate impact on your life style from improving your food intake and exercise– your brain, your performance, and your quality of life will be major benefactors.
Some Super Foods I will introduce to you as we progress, multiply the impact of these basic important foods.
20 Super Foods to Stimulate Brain activity http://leftofzen.com/brain-food/2008/01/04/
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