Synopsis
about the “Change You Brain Everyday” Blog
The 11 BRIGHT MINDS risk factors and sample strategies for optimizing brain health habits for each category.
- Blood Flow – Walk like you are late for 45 minutes everyday
- Retirement/Aging – Engage in 15 minutes of new learning everyday
- Inflammation – Floss your teeth regularly to avoid periodontal disease
- Genetics – Know and prevent your family risk factors ASAP
- Head Trauma – Protect your melon. Don’t text and drive
- Toxins – Use the sauna regularly
- Mental Health – When you have them, jot down your negative thoughts. Ask yourself if those thoughts are true
- Immunity/Infections – Know your Vitamin D level and make sure to optimize it
- Neurohormone Issues – Work with you doctor to optimize your hormone levels
- Diobesity – Eat a brain healthy diet
- Sleep Issues – Aim for 7 hours of sleep a night
Exercise: Pick one of the strategies about to add to your daily routine
I’m actually doing pretty well in most of these areas! The one that I definitely have struggles with is getting good and consistent sleep.
Sleep is where I’m going to put my focus. I’ve studied a lot about sleep. I’ve even compiled a YouTube playlist with tips and food promoting foods and practices. Nonetheless the perfect sleep routine evades me. That said I’m trending in the right direction.
I try to go to bed and wake up at the same time 7 days a week. Another thing I’ve done is avoided afternoon naps and started eating foods specifically for their sleep promoting characteristics. 4 oz of tart cherry juice anytime through the day, a handful of pistachios, and 2 kiwis a few hours before bed have helped me increase my sleep quality and duration.
My goal is to be able to get to 95%-100% of my Whoop sleep goal 7 days a week while spending less than 8 hours in bed. Previously I’ve had a streak of 7 or 8 days at 100% of my sleep goal but I needed to stay in bed 11-12 hours to get that much asleep time. That is not sustainable.
Author – Coach Brian