Tag Archive for: #wonderfullyfit

Why Aren’t You Seeing the Results You Want?

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A lot of people mistakenly believe that they need to have a highly complex training program with an elaborate list of supplements and an iron will in order to get into shape. This is why people will spend so much money on personal trainers, on gyms, on creatine, on protein shake and on programs like ‘Insanity Workout’.

But that shouldn’t be true. In reality, as long as you stick to a relatively decent training program and you’re consistent, you should see results. Even if you are just doing a few press ups every night, this should be enough to bring about some positive change in your body. Could it be better? Sure. But it should be enough to do something.

body

So if that’s what you’re doing and your training is genuinely consistent… why aren’t you seeing any results? Well, there’s a few reasons…

You’re Not Giving it Your All

The first and most likely cause here is that you aren’t giving your training enough effort. It’s not enough to simply go through the motions when you lift weights or perform CV; you need to really push yourself and you need to work hard enough to feel the burn or the pump in your muscles and you need to feel the sweat forming on your body.

One big mistake you might be making then is leaving the TV on while you train! This can distract you from your workout and prevent you from really focussing on and engaging the muscles while you’re lifting or moving.

The Rest of Your Life is the Problem

If you’re training as hard as you possibly can and you just can’t seem to shift those last few pounds, then you might need to take a look at the rest of your training regime. What you’ll probably find is that you aren’t as active the rest of the time as you could be.

We are not designed to be largely stationary 24 hours a day and then to workout intensively for 30 minutes. If you really want to be healthy and fit, then you should be constantly resting or training. Take a look at your routine then and see where you could fit in more walks, more runs or perhaps an exercise class.

Your Hormones Are Getting in the Way

If you have the wrong hormone profile, then your body will be prone to burning fat and muscle for energy rather than storing it. That makes you an ectomorph. Or perhaps you’re someone who stores fat very easily and can’t lose any weight.

This could be caused by some kind of medical condition. Speak with your doctor about the possibility that you might be suffering with low testosterone, hypothyroidism or polycystic ovaries.

Even if you aren’t clinically ‘unwell’, it may still be the case that you have low testosterone, low T4, or poor insulin sensitivity. Luckily, there are normally things you can do about this situation. One of the best options is to train more regularly. Another is to eat more. Fix your hormones and you’ll make training much easier.

How You Can Control How Fast (or Slowly) You Age

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No one wants to get older but unfortunately, until they discover an elixir of youth, it’s fairly unavoidable.
But just because you have to get older, no one said you had to do it quickly. And no one said you couldn’t age well and keep your youthful good looks, energy and health!

Many of us make the assumption that getting old automatically has to mean getting covered in wrinkles, losing our ability to walk around and eventually developing incontinence and dementia. As it happens though, none of the-se things are inevitable and most of them are only partially related to age!And you can see this too just by looking around!

aging

While some people seem to be struggling to stand up straight and remember their name at age 65, others are still playing sports and writing books well into their 80s and 90s. Is the difference entirely genetic? Not at all! In fact, there are numerous lifestyle changes that can make all the difference to the way you feel as you age and many of the problems that are associated with old-age can actually be avoided entirely.

So yeah, Aging is still inevitable. But the way you age is almost entirely up to you! The difference comes down to your knowledge and your ability to apply that knowledge to make the most of your own body and health. YOU have the choice and the sooner you take action, the more effectively you can stave off the most unappealing aspects of getting older.

Yes, that’s right, this isn’t just a book for ‘old people’. It’s for young people too. In fact, it’s more aimed at young people because you are the ones who have the time to ensure you get the very most out of your body and mind as you get older.

But How Do You Slow Aging?

Anyone can claim that Aging is something you have control over. The hard part is backing that claim up with some hard evidence. How can you really slow down your Aging? And how can your decisions end up putting your body in ‘fast forward’ mode?

Here are some examples…

Mobility

A lot of people will tell you that your knees have a finite amount of time be-fore they start to tire out. The same goes for your back. But more and more, we’re discovering that’s not true. The ‘functional strength’ crowd are making it very apparent that you can keep on training into old age and that in fact, things like running should give you more longevity.

The problem is just the way we’re training. And our lack of activity generally. The way it goes for many people is that they stay very fit and healthy when they’re younger because they run around, play sports and generally en-gage in activity. Once they’re middle aged though, they slow down and they start sitting at the computer all day long.

Their metabolism slows down yes but most of the changes they see in their body are really a result of being constantly stressed and constantly static. This results in muscle imbalances caused by maintaining the same posture for so long and it results in injury when they do get active. Don’t use your back long enough and it’s sure to go when you try and lift that suitcase!

This injury then leads to ‘corrective’ posture and biomechanics. You have a bad knee or back, so you put more weight on the other leg/you hunch over. This in turn means that you actually exacerbate the muscle imbalances that you already had. And the longer this goes on, the more of a hunch and a limp you can start to acquire and the more pain you can expect to experience. The solution is not to be less active but to be more active – while making sure to use the correct technique.

Energy

Meanwhile, staying active can also boost your energy levels and help you to start feeling better. That means the tiredness and sluggishness that we feel as we get older again isn’t inevitable. Actually, when you combine the right exercise regime with the right diet, you can increase not only your heart strength and circulation but also the efficiency of your mitochondria.

Mitochondria are the small ‘energy factories’ of your cells. They exist to help you convert glucose into use able energy (ATP) and their number and strength is one of the big determining factors that influences your energy output and the way you feel. In fact, differences in mitochondria have been suggested to be one of the main differentiating factors between the energy levels of young children and those of older individuals. It’s why kids seem to be able to run around and around in circles for hours screaming, without ever tiring out.

Nutrition

Nutrition is also responsible for a large proportion of the problems you’ll struggle with as you get older. Contrary to popular belief, many of the health issues associated with old age are actually cumulative and result from years of poor nutrition. A lack of nutrients can lead to problems with vision, problems with hormone production, problems with bone density and much more. Thus by eating the right diet, you can stave off numerous con-ditions and stay healthier and stronger into older age.

Toxins, Cell Damage and Heart Problems

Many of the health complaints associated with old age can also be com-bated with the right lifestyle. Sure, it’s always possible to be unlucky and to suffer from cancer with no ‘cause’ as such. But this is much less likely if you are able to protect yourself with the very best, healthy lifestyle choices.

For example, heart disease is one of the leading killers in men by far but it is very much possible to reduce the risk of this problem by getting plenty of exercise and sticking to a diet designed to keep your blood pressure and cholesterol at the most desirable levels.

Brain

The same rules apply to your brain as to the rest of your body. In other words, if you keep your nutrition up and actually keep using your brain it will stay nimble.We’ll get into all of this and a lot more in greater detail in the subsequent chapters but hopefully this is enough of an explanation to make a believer of you.

The point is, you do have control over the way you age and if you take the right precautions then you can stay healthy, mobile and able well into older age. This article is going to act as your road map and your blueprint to help you do exactly that. Follow these tips and you’ll be able to fortify your body against the invading forces of old age!

5 Reasons You Should Use a Yoga Ball Chair at Work

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First of all, what the heck is a yoga ball chair? It’s simply a yoga or exercise ball that fits into a chair frame. Some allow you to adjust the height, some have casters, and others have backrests for the upper back. They don’t look comfortable, but they are. What’s more, they can help with the aches and pains of sitting in an office chair all day, every day.

As the ball is the seat, you need to make slight adjustments to keep yourself balanced. While you may not even realize you are doing this, you will notice as you use it more because these stabilizing adjustments give your core and thigh muscles a passive workout. These are just a couple of the benefits of using a yoga ball chair as your desk chair. Below we’ll outline even more reasons why you should use one of these at your desk.

yoga ball

Aligns the spine

As you need to stay balanced on the ball of the chair, you naturally sit up straight rather than slouching, which is typical in a regular office chair. Our brain recognizes that we are somewhat “unstable” and so keeps our spines in proper alignment in case we need to suddenly adjust our position. This alone eases back pain.

Enforces movement

One reason for stiff, sore muscles after sitting all day is because we hold the same position for hours at a time. But when sitting on a ball, we are forced to make micro-movements to stay balanced and stable. These small movements are just enough to keep our blood from pooling in certain areas of the body which keeps it from circulating, causing pain

Boosts Energy

Ever feel sluggish and lethargic after a day at the office? This is not only caused by consistent mental stress, but also from staying in one seated position for extended periods of time. Using a yoga ball chair increases
your movement naturally, as mentioned earlier, which keeps your energy higher throughout the day.

Burns calories

It turns out, those micro-movements end up burning around 350 more calories every 8 hours than would occur when sitting in a normal chair. This strengthens your core and burns calories. What else could you ask for in a chair?

Improves circulation

When we sit in a chair for 8 hours each day, our circulation is in effect cut off, causing our legs or feet to go numb or feel heavy once we get up to move. When using a yoga ball chair, you have the micro-movements working for you, but you are also in better alignment, so your blood can flow more freely rather than pooling in your lower extremities.

 

How to Make Menu planning with Low Costs and High Nutrition

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The frenzied lifestyles we lead these days barely give us any time to think of what we will be having for the next meal of the day. But with some effort, you can easily chalk up a menu (for a week or two) that is nutritious and cost effective as well. A menu plan not only helps you save a whole lot of money, but it also lets you know what you will be eating.

It is far more healthier to have an idea of what you will be preparing, instead of pulling out the first thing you see in the pantry/freezer and deciding to make a meal out of it. To create a menu plan that saves time and money, here are some tips that you can follow:

menu

The first step of menu planning is to find out what you have in hand. Make a mental note of the meals you can prepare using what is available in the freezer, pantry and fridge. Prepare a shopping list of the things you have to buy to help you shop smartly, avoid impulse purchases and save money and time. Remember the essentials like fresh fruits, cereal and milk which you always buy.

Before you set out, plan your expenses. Have a look at the grocery ads and food coupons you already have. Maintain a price book in which you record how much things cost at different stores to help you know where you will find the best bargains for different items.

When you plan the menu for different meals, pay attention to serving enough vegetables and fruits and remember to balance your meals. Keep note of the requirements of your family, based on their ages, activity rates etc to ensure that food does not get wasted. The trick to make a meal appealing is by offering a variety that is both tasty and nutritious.

While planning a menu, you should think of how you will utilize leftovers. Leftovers can come handy on a day when you don’t have time to do elaborate cooking. Making use of a part of a meal to make a completely new meal can help you reduce your cooking time and food costs.

There are bound to be times when you will have to come up with quick alternatives when things don’t go according to plans. A hectic day at work, your kid’s illness, surprise visitors at home or weeks when you need to stretch the paycheck are situations when you should be prepared to make changes to your menu and reschedule your plans accordingly.

When our fast paced routines give us no time to breathe, having a menu plan means one less thing to worry about. With a clear plan of healthy and cost-effective meals for the day and week, you can be content about taking care of your family’s dietary requirements without spending too much money.

Osteoarthritis and Back Pain – A Brief History

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At the spinal column are the elongated columns of bones, which the thoracic ribs support. The thoracic ribs push the bones the length of bone structure. The ribs join with the spinal column in various areas. Joints connect with these ribs, which are field of studies, since they often wear and tear, causing gradual degenerative diseases, such as osteoarthritis.

Osteoarthritis is defined in medical terms as a metabolically dysfunction of the bones. The results of the drops in our life-sustaining chemicals, which promote activity causes the bones to reduce mass whilst increasing porosity. The disease can cause osteoporosis to set in and intensify risks of fractures.

bones

How do doctors consider osteoarthritis and/or osteoporosis?

Doctors often consider etiology aspects, including hyperthyroidism, deficiency of estrogen, Cushing’s syndrome, immobility, increases in phosphorus, liver illness, lack of exercise, deficiency of calcium and protein, deficiency of Vitamin D, and bone marrow conditions. Wear and tear of specific joints as mentioned above is also linked to osteoarthritis.

According to the Pathophysiology in medical terms, osteoarthritis is assessed by considering the rates of bone resorption that exceeds the rate of the bone structure or formation. Experts will often test the patient while considering rises in “bone resorption” and increases in phosphate (Salt of Phosphoric Acids) that stimulates the parathyroid activities. Phosphoric acids will form ester, which emerge from reactions via alcohol, metal, and radicals. If estrogen shows a decrease in resorption, it could also show traits of osteoarthritis.

What are the symptoms?

The symptoms may emerge from Kyphosis or otherwise known as Dowager’s hump. Back pain, as well as damage to the thoracic and lumbar may be present. In addition, the patient may lose height, and demonstrate an unsteady walk. Joint pain and weakness is also present.

How do doctors determine if osteoarthritis is present?

First, they assess the symptoms and then request tests, such as x-rays and photon absorptiometry. X-rays of course helps the doctor to locate thinning of bone structures, porous structures in the bones, and rises in vertebral curvatures. The photon tests help the expert to spot decreases in minerals.

What if I test positive for osteoarthritis:

If you test positive then the doctor considers treatment. The treatment often includes management, interventions, and further assessments. Further assessments help the doctor weed down potential complications. The complications often include pathologic fractures, which are complex.

How does the doctor manage osteoarthritis?

No two people are alike therefore medical management varies. Yet, most doctors set up a high-calcium, protein diet, as well as increasing minerals, vitamin regimens, and boron.

Doctors may include in the management scheme alcohol and caffeine restrictions. In addition, the scheme may compose tolerated exercise, monitoring, lab studies, specifically studies on phosphorus and calcium. Doctors may also include into your management scheme estrace increase, i.e. estradiol or estrogen intake. Supplements with calcium carbonates (Os-CAL) are often prescribed as well. Additional treatment includes mineral and vitamin regimens, exercise, and so on. Many doctors prescribe Aldactazide, Dyazide, which is a thiazide diuretic hydrochlorothiazide. Over-the-counter meds, such as the NAID-based painkillers is prescribed as well. Prescriptions often include ibuprofen, Motrin, Indocin, Clinoril, Feldene, Ansaid, or flurbiprofen, voltaren, naproxen, Dolobid, and naprosyn is often prescribed.

How intervention helps:

Interventions assisted by nursing staff include balanced diets, pain and musculoskeletal assessment, monitoring, meds, home care instructions, posture training, body mechanic support and training, and so on. The patient should also be informed about osteoarthritis as outlined by the Foundation of Osteoarthritis. In addition, the doctor is advised to allow the patient to express his/her emotions, feelings, etc in relation to the illness.

How Yoga Naturally Improves Work Satisfaction 

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Yoga in the work place not only lowers stress levels, but it also boosts positive work relations and reduces days lost due to illness. But did you know that participating in a yoga class during work hours also improves work satisfaction?

According to one survey, more than 53% of corporations are adding yoga classes in-house to take advantage of the many benefits yoga offers—happy employees are just good business.

work

Beats Stress

Studies show that the one major reason for work dissatisfaction is highstress levels. Too much stress makes employees susceptible to illness and injury, not to mention sleep deprivation, which lowers mood and motivation. Being stressed out all the time means we make more simple mistakes and are less engaged in tasks, which is obviously part of work satisfaction. Completing a few basic yoga poses and breathing exercises daily can lower stress naturally.

Lessens Physical Ailments

Anyone who has ever worked an office job knows how staring at a screen all day while sitting at a desk negatively impacts motivation and focus in a variety of ways. Yoga gives our bodies a chance to move and stretch to keep us active and fit and keeps the tight neck and shoulders at bay, increasing our morale in the office.

Improves Focus

Daily work stress and long hours can cause us to lose our concentration and be distracted by unimportant tasks. Doing short, easy meditations and deep-breathing yoga exercises can quiet the noisy voices in your head that keep you anxious and overwhelmed. These simple techniques improve and regulate oxygen in your bloodstream, making you more alert, focused and happy.

Relieves Fatigue and Improves Energy

As our work hours grow longer, it becomes almost impossible to not succumb to fatigue and burnout. We might not even be aware how much stress and not enough downtime impact our energy levels, not to mention our zest for living. By adding a few yoga poses and quiet meditation time to our day, we can lower fatigue, raise our energy level and our mood. This means more work satisfaction and general happiness with our lot in life.

Enhances Mood and Attitude

You just can’t help but feel happier when you are less stressed, more energized and more creative—it all goes hand in hand. And yoga provides this for everyone. The practice of yoga has lasted for millennia for a reason. It provides mental, emotional and physical benefits in just minutes a day. Spending your breaks enjoying stretching and breathing exercises can do wonders for your work and personal life by improving your mood and attitude.

Active Nutrition for an Active Lifestyle

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It’s important to eat right at all times. But when you live an active lifestyle you have got to be sure you’re fueling your body right in order to keep up and not get run down and even get sick. If you don’t have the proper nutrients and end up running around like crazy, then you are more likely to have faster crashes and burns and even to end up catching colds and other illnesses much easier.

So here’s how to eat to fuel your body so you can keep up with everything you want to do.

active

Healthy Nutrition for an Active Lifestyle

Antioxidants 

Fruits and vegetables are a great source of antioxidants. What this does for your body is protect it from damage due to free radicals which will cause you to age faster and break down the cells in the body. Lots of colorful fruits and vegetables will help to neutralize the effects of free radicals on your body. So fill up your plate, or at least half of it, with these foods.

Vitamins and Minerals 

Whole grains, low fat dairy, lean meats, and fruits and vegetables all provide the vitamins and minerals needed for energy to fuel an active lifestyle. Our bodies aren’t very efficient at producing the vitamins and minerals needed to function properly, so we have to choose the right foods with the right amounts of vitamins and minerals.

Portion Control 

Instead of eating three large meals a day, eat smaller, healthy, well-balanced meals throughout the day. Eating six to eight smaller meals a day instead of three large meals will keep you energized throughout the day so you can maintain your active lifestyle. It will keep your energy up and metabolism high.

 Healthy Fats 

You cannot avoid fat. Most foods contain fat and your body is in need of fat. But you need to choose healthy fats, not empty calories. Eating fats with key fatty acids like omega-3 and omega-6 will provide you with good heart health and will lubricate your joints. A great healthy fat to eat would be nuts like walnuts.

Eat before Exercise

Don’t follow the old adage of waiting 30 minutes before you can swim. Eating prior to exercise will fuel that workout. But be smart about what you eat. You don’t want a big heavy four-course meal; it should be sensible. This way you aren’t hungry in the middle of your workout.

Stay Hydrated 

Remember to drink water throughout the day. An important part of nutrition is to remain hydrated, no matter what kind of lifestyle you live.

What you put into your body – your food and drink – is going to have a huge impact on how you perform throughout the day. So choose the right diet, but then fine-tune how you eat throughout the day based on how you perform. Be open to making changes and space out your eating schedule differently. Doing this will improve your performance, and will help you maintain your active lifestyle and remain in good health while doing it.

 

Connective Tissues, Joints, and Back Pain

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The joints connect with tissues that work with the muscles and bones. The joints connect with tissues to conjunction bones and enforce these two bones to move. In short, joints are articulating that rest between “two bone” planes and provides us stability, movement, and controls this range of movement. (ROM)

The joints have liners known as synovium. These liners are the inner joint surfaces that secrete fluids, such as synovial and antibodies. Antibodies and synovial reduce the friction of these joints whilst working in conjunction with the cartilages.

joints

Picture, imaging reaching up to one side of your body, while the other side of your body bends. Now, pleats start to unfold on the opposing side of the body, which suppresses the fluids known as synovial and antibodies.

Abnormalities: Facet joints cause this reaction to occur and at what time these joints are swiftly acting, or moving it can cause abnormalities in joint alignment. The result, back pain:

How to the pain is reduced:

Chiropractors is the recommendation for patients who have suffered this type of injury. As well, massage and physical therapy can help minimize the pain.

Synovial and antibodies promote healthy cartilages, which is the smoother exteriors of the articulate bones. The bones help to absorb shock, especially to the joints. Sometimes atrophies are caused from swift, unsuspected movement that limits ROM (Range of Motion) which is caused by an absence of the weight bearing joints response. It affects the bursa. The bursa is a sac filled with fluids that serve as padding and works to lessen friction about the joints and between parts of the body that rub against the other.

The results of such interruptions lead to pain, numbness, fevers, stiffness of joints, fatigue, inflammation, swelling, limited mobility, and so on. The ultimate results lead to abnormal VS (Vital Signs), edema, nodules, skin teardown, deformity of the skeletal, limited range of motion (ROM), poor posture, muscle spasms, weak and rigid muscles, abnormal temperature and skin tone, and so on.

Amorphous connective tissues promote stability and movement as well. Beneath the top layers and at the underneath of the skin are connective tissues. The tissues spread throughout the body. The tissues at the top act as mediums and help us to think and act. As we age these tissues start to string out and its elasticity lessens.

What happens?

When the tissues string and the elasticity weakens, disorders set in, including scarred tissue, “restrictive scarring,” edema, tumors, fatty tissues develop, and so on. Edema is at what time excessive fluids build and causes an abnormal buildup that stretches between the tissue cells. Edema causes swelling, inflammation, and pain.

What happens when people endure injuries, sometimes they fail to listen to the doctors’ instruction, and i.e. they will walk on a swollen limb, such as a leg, which adds enormous stress to the spine? It can cause injury. The injury often affects the “sacroiliac joint.”

In addition to injuries, some people are born with diseases that affect the connective tissues. Recently, new meds came available, which is used to treat connective tissue disorders. Alternative treatment includes physical therapy, which is what doctors relied on to treat such problems until new remedies came available.

Regardless of the condition however, back pain is outlined in the terms neurological and musculoskeletal conditions. Musculoskeletal conditions often target joints, muscles, tendons, ligaments, etc., causing pain. Once the pain starts, it will consistently ache and aggravate the back.

Inappropriate lifting of heavy weights can cause musculoskeletal conditions. To learn more read about musculoskeletal disorders.

5 Ways Yoga Improves Work Productivity

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Happy, healthy employees are more focused and productive, which should come as no surprise. But it’s taken the corporate world a long time to figure this out. Research shows that the average company spends approximately $14,000 annually for each employee on medically-related productivity costs.

However, companies who offer yoga and other wellness programs to employees reduce this rate drastically, lowering their health insurance premiums and improving their profitability. Yoga provides many benefits to employees, all of which add up to more focused and productive workers.

yoga

Alleviates Physical Ailments

Who can focus on work tasks when they are constantly thinking about and dealing with chronic aches, pains, and stiffness? Yoga relieves the symptoms of common to those who sit at a desk all day, including carpal tunnel, shoulder stiffness, neck strain and daily headaches. Eliminating these body stressors frees up the mind so employees can concentrate on their job duties.

Increases Energy/Reduces Fatigue

Sitting for hours on end creates stress in the body by slowing blood circulation, among other things. In fact, one study demonstrated that sitting for five or more hours a day not only greatly reduces productivity, but negatively impacts the health of the individual to the tune of smoking a pack of cigarettes. This has clear implications for employers—both short-term as well as long-term. Companies who offer employees yoga classes on site can make a huge difference in the lives of their employees, while at the same time, profiting from it.

Relieves Stress

Mental and emotional stress from a job affects employees daily; this stress builds up and causes chronic health issues that employers end up paying for via health insurance premiums. Companies may not be able to provide less stressful jobs, depending on their industry, but they can provide yoga classes that elevate stress so that it doesn’t build up, leading employees to need to take more time off due to illness and injury. Consider one statistic: It’s estimated that 90% of all doctors’ visits are stress related. That says it all.

Improves Concentration & Focus

Spending hours each day fighting fires and deadlines is enough to make even the most peaceful person feel scattered and overwhelmed. By implementing yoga meditations and breathing exercises, employees can more readily enjoy an uncluttered mind, which leads to better decision making, fewer basic mistakes, and more creative thinking.

Increases Positivity/Morale

We are all more friendly and helpful when we feel physically, emotionally and mentally healthy. This holds true in the workplace as well. Employees work together more congenially and energetically when they feel balanced and supported through wellness programs that include yoga. This high morale impacts employee interactions with one another, but also with clients.

Nutrition and Supplementation for Fortified Brain Power

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So overall, the cons might just outweigh the pros when it comes to using nootropic to increase or decrease quantities of specific neurotransmitters.But that is not to say there’s no way you can effectively increase your brain power with a little outside assistance. The key is simply to switch your focus to your long term brain health rather than trying to get an immediate boost to your intelligence.

And doing this is very easy with the right diet. Diet is absolutely essential for brain health and many of us don’t realize just how critical it is in this regard. Let’s take a look at just some of the nutrients and supplements that you can use to enhance your brain power.

brain

Amino Acids 

Amino acids are the building blocks of protein. When you eat any meat, your brain will break it down into the amino acids and then recombine these to build tissues around your body. These tissues include use in the brain and so consuming more amino acids can be used to actually improve the body’s ability to repair and grow the brain!

But this is not where the importance of amino acids ends.

Amino acids are also crucial for creating many neurotransmitters. For example, l-tyrosine is used to create dopamine, whereas tryptophan (discussed earlier) is used to create serotonin. Others, like l-theanine, can have direct effects on the brain and in this case it’s a somewhat calming effect. L-carnitine meanwhile has an energy boosting effect on the brain by increasing the performance of the mitochondria (more on this in a second!).

As we’ve seen with 5-HTP, it is possible to consume many of these amino acids on their own, in order to trigger immediate changes in the levels of neurotransmitters. However, this leads to imbalances as we’ve discovered and despite popular opinion, this is never a positive thing.

So instead, the best advice is to focus on trying to get a healthy mix of as many amino acids as possible. By simply eating lots of protein, or supplementing with amino acid products, it’s possible to provide the brain with all the materials it needs to create all of the different neurotransmitters as and when it needs them.

This then makes it better at entering every mental state and ensures that you can maximize your focus, concentration, memory and relaxation all at the same time. The best way to conveniently get lots of amino acids? To consume plenty of eggs. Eggs are one of the only ‘complete proteins’ meaning that they contain all of the amino acids that the brain doesn’t create on its own.

On top of this, they also contain choline, which is the precursor to excitatory neurotransmitter acetylcholine. They’re a great source of healthy saturated fat too and seeing as the brain is predominantly made from fat, this is also a very important and beneficial factor.

Vitamins and Minerals 

The same goes for countless vitamins and minerals. These too are used to create a lot of the neurotransmitters that are so highly sought after by people trying to enhance their productivity and focus. Vitamin B6 in particular is used to create a huge number of neurotransmitters. Vitamin C meanwhile is key for increasing serotonin and boosting the mood, while also providing protection against illness (which brings with it cytokines – an inhibitory neurotransmitter).

And there are plenty of other roles for vitamins and minerals too. Iron and vitamin B12 both help with blood flow by producing more red blood cells. Vitamin D helps with the regulation of hormones, especially testosterone. Zinc plays a key role in enhancing neuroplasticity. Magnesium meanwhile helps to combat depression and anxiety. In short, if you are not getting the micronutrients you need, then you are not giving your brain everything it needs to function optimally.And this is why you need to avoid processed foods.

Anything that is very artificial like a Mars Bar, bag of crisps or McDonald’s burger will contain calories to fill you up but won’t contain the nutrients you need to function. You’ll stay alive but you’ll feel tired, sluggish and far less productive as a result. Eat healthy salads, smoothies and lots of fruit and veg and you’ll find that you start feeling healthier and alert. The next best thing is a multivitamin and if you get the right one of these then it can do a lot to improve the function of your brain as well as your overall health and wellbeing.

Vasodilators 

If you’re looking for an immediate brain boost that you can get from safe supplements and foods, then look for vasodilators. A vasodilator is any substance that dilates the blood vessels (veins and arteries). These will allow more blood and more oxygen to get around the body, which in turn will result in more making it to your brain.

A particular favorite among nootropic-fans is vinpocetine because this vasodilator focusses on the brain specifically – and the prefrontal cortex even more specifically. This means you’re getting more energy right to the part of the brain that you use for planning and problem solving and some people describe the feeling as being like ‘a cold shower for your brain’.

Cognitive Metabolic Enhancers 

This is a fancy term for anything that increases your brain’s energy levels and often this means things that will increase the efficiency of your mitochondria. Mitochondria are the energy factories of your cells. They float around inside the cytoplasm and they use glucose and ATP to power your bodily functions – including brain function!

Numerous things can help your mitochondria to perform better and these include CoQ10, lutein, l-carnitine, PQQ and more. In other words, a mixture of amino acids, vitamins, minerals and all kinds of lesser known nutrients available in supplement form.Again, the best strategy is just to eat a very balanced and nutritious diet but you can also increase your energy levels further by using creatine.

Creatine is a supplement that is very often used by athletes and bodybuilders. Its main function is to convert used ATP (adenosine and ADP) back into more useable ATP. In other words, it recycles adenosine which thereby provides you with extra energy to use in your training. The more recent surprise though is that this also enhances brain function by improving the energy efficiency of brain cells.

Basically, it allows the brain to recycle its ATP too, which means you get just a second or two of extra energy at maximum exertion. Studies show that individuals who take creatine get a slight boost to their IQ, so this is definitely a very effective nootropic – and one with zero side effects or risks! Creatine is produced naturally in the liver and can also be obtains from your diet (sources such as beef). However, the best way to see a significant boost is to use it in supplement form – look for creatine monohydrate.

Omega 3 Fatty Acid 

Omega 3 fatty acid is a great antioxidant that is found in tuna and other oily fish, as well as some nuts and various other sources. What makes omega 3 useful for the brain though, is the fact that it can improve ‘cell membrane permeability’. Essentially, this means that it makes the cell walls of the neurons just a little more permeable, thereby allowing things to pass through a little more easily. That includes neurotransmitters, nutrients and more – so it essentially makes brain cells more responsive and thereby gives you a slight boost yet again.

<Antioxidants

Antioxidants are key for looking after your brain’s long term health. These include vitamin C, omega 3, resveratrol and tons of other micronutrients. Essentially, antioxidants work by destroying ‘free radicals’ – substances that damage cells when they come into contact with them and which can even lead to cancer if they make it through the nucleus and cause damage to the DNA!

Consuming antioxidants is thus a very important strategy for your overall health and will also help you to reduce your likelihood of illness by strengthening your immune system. However, what we’re interested in right now is how this can boost your brain power in the long term by protecting brain cells from damage and potentially lowering your chances of developing tumors later in life.