The 3 Most Important Steps to Boost Brain Function

Boost Brain Function Naturally:

Low energy, poor memory and brain fog are major problems for many individuals.  Lowered cognitive function results in lowered working efficiency, relationship disputes and significantly reduced quality of life.

Millions of children and adults in America today struggle with mental fatigue, learning, reading & attention challenges.  Much of this could be remedied if these individuals knew how to take care of their body and boost their brain function.  It is very important to take the proper steps to boost brain function daily so we can live at our full potential.

I have had the privilege of working with thousands of individuals with numerous different health conditions.  I have worked with elite Olympic level athletes, stay at home moms, busy executives, grandmothers, & students.  I have found that mental fatigue and poor concentration to one of the greatest hindrances for these individuals to accomplish their goals & dreams.

3 Most Important Tips To Boost Brain Function:

There are so many things we could discuss to boost brain function that I wrote a book and included advanced strategies designed to enhance your mood, memory and mindset.  In this article, I have taken 3 of the most foundational principles to get started with as you look to boost your brain function!

Be sure to check out the free booklet on 13 strategies to blast brain fog below.

1.  No More Processed Foods:

Processed foods are loaded with sugar, grains, additives & preservatives, damaged fats & toxic debris.  All of these ingredients are highly inflammatory and massively poison and destroy brain tissue.  Good nutrition is the foundation of any lifestyle strategies designed to boost brain function.

Expert Analysis:  An anti-inflammatory diet consisting of healthy fats, clean proteins and antioxidant rich vegetables and herbs is especially key for healthy brain function.  The diet should be loaded with coconut products, extra virgin olive oil, avocados, almonds, brazil nuts, pecans, hemp, flax, & chia.  Brain boosting animal products include grass-fed beef, organic eggs, wild game, wild fish & organic chicken/turkey.

Vital Info:  Incorporate superfoods such as berries, raw cacao or minimally processed dark chocolate, maca, organic green-leafy veggies, lemons, limes, apple cider vinegar, & bone broth protein among others.

2. Heal Your Gut:

The gut is considered the second brain due to the amount of nerve endings and neurotransmitters that are associated with gut function.  When the gut lining is inflamed and damaged it allows large proteins to seep into the bloodstream.

This creates an inflammatory process that effects all tissue.  Brain tissue is the most vulnerable to chronic inflammatory processes (1, 2).

Leaky Gut = Leaky Brain

Individuals with leaky gut are at an increased risk for brain fog, depression, irritability and more.  Healing the gut is one of the first things that needs to happen in order to boost brain function.

Expert Analysis:  To heal the gut be sure to minimize inflammatory foods and maximize fermented foods, clean proteins and good fats. Intermittent fasting for periods of 12-24 hours without solid foods is very helpful.

Use non-denatured whey protein and coconut milk to provide medium chain fatty acids and the amino acid L-glutamine.  These are necessary components for rebuilding the gut lining.

Vital Info:  Using high quality probiotic supplements with 30-100+ billion CFU’s is a great strategy to protect and heal the gut.  Also include raw sauerkraut, kimchi, fermented veggies, apple cider vinegar, coconut kefir, etc.

3.   Sleep Well To Boost Brain Function:

Sleeping de-inflames the body and allows the neurological system to upregulate appropriate neurotransmitters and rebuild myelin sheaths that protect and insulate nerve fibers.  Ineffective sleep dramatically affects brain and cognitive function (3, 4).

Memory performance has been shown to be significantly reduced in sleep deprived individuals. Coordination, balance and reaction time are also known to be reduced in chronically sleep deprived individual (5, 6).

Expert Analysis: Sleep deprivation creates a heightened stress response within the body that disrupts normal healing and tissue rejuvenation processes. Sleep deprivation increases chronic stress responses within the body and rapidly accelerates the aging processes.

Vital Info:  Aim for 8 hrs. of sleep every night with ideal hours before midnight.  Experts believe optimal hours are those that coordinate with our ancestors who roughly slept from 9pm – 5am or 10pm – 6am.  This provides a steady tone for our circadian rhythms and improves neurological function.  Be sure to keep your room cool – 60-70 degrees and as dark as possible for best sleep.

Read this article for more details on best lifestyle strategies for good sleep!  This is critical if you are looking to truly boost brain function.

Sources For This Article Include:

1. Bercik P, Collins SM. The effects of inflammation, infection and antibiotics on the microbiota-gut-brain axis. Adv Exp Med Biol. 2014;817:279-89. PMID: 24997039

2. Leclercq S, Cani PD, Neyrinck AM, Stärkel P, Jamar F, Mikolajczak M, Delzenne NM, de Timary P. Role of intestinal permeability and inflammation in the biological and behavioral control of alcohol-dependent subjects. Brain Behav Immun. 2012 Aug;26(6):911-8. PMID: 22521198

3. NIH – How Sleep Clears the Brain Link Here

4. Killgore WD. Effects of sleep deprivation on cognition. Prog Brain Res. 2010;185:105-29. PMID: 21075236

5. Taheri M, Arabameri E. The Effect of Sleep Deprivation on Choice Reaction Time and Anaerobic Power of College Student Athletes. Asian Journal of Sports Medicine. 2012;3(1):15-20.

6. Glenville M, Broughton R, Wing AM, Wilkinson RT. Effects of sleep deprivation on short duration performance measures compared to the Wilkinson auditory vigilance task. Sleep. 1978 Winter;1(2):169-76. PMID: 756060