Brain Hacking 101

ObjectivesYou should know:

• What inflammation is and how to stop it

• How the gut-brain connection is key to brain health and neurotransmitter abundance

• How to optimize neurogenesis through BDNF

• Diet, supplement and life hacks to kick ass

The brain

2% of your body’s mass. 25% of your body’s energy requirement. 80% fat.

Parts to an optimal brain• Stop the inflammation

• Increase energy to the brain

• Optimize neuron quality and neurogenesis

• Increase neurotransmitters

Pop Quiz

What do diabetes, ADHD, autism, and Alzheimer’s have in common?

Answer: inflammation

Brain-gut connection

1. Stop inflammationInflammation is the body’s natural response to stress, such as an injury or infection.

• What is oxidization, free radicals and advanced glycation end products (AGEs)?

• Evolutionary perspective on our inflammatory diet

How to stop it• Reduce carbs, especially fructose (10x glycation

rate than glucose) and gluten (creates leaky gut, exorphins)

• Fix gut with probiotics —> let the good bacteria win. Especially if you: were born w/ C-Section, had antibiotics as a baby, have autoimmunity, weren’t breast fed

• Increase exercise (HIIT FTW) —> super anti-inflammatory

2. Feed healthy neurons

• Increase cholesterol and fat (low cholesterol —> low cognitive function)

3.BDNF: the neuron supercharger

Eat more of:• DHA (fish oil) —> almost 50% of brain’s cell membranes

• MCT oil (coconut oil) —> gives brain fuel, increases mitochondria,

• Cholesterol (eggs, meat,—> anti-oxidant, neuron function,

• Vitamin D (get a tan for fuck’s sake) —> needed to create

• Probiotics (sauerkraut, full-fat yogurt, —> helps the gut brain create serotonin, helps good bugs win

• Other anti-oxidants (vegetables, coffee, tea) —> help you neutralize free radicals

• CoQ10 (pill) —> anti-oxidant and part of mitochondria’s electron transport chain

• Curcumin (turmeric) —> improve glucose metabolism, anti-oxidant, protect mitochondria

• Resveratrol (red wine, pill) —> more blood-flow to the brain for cognition

• Alpha-lipoic acid —> powerful anti-oxidant

Eat less of:• Fructose —> limit 1 unit of fruit/day

• Wheat (gluten) —> bread, pasta, cereal

• Carbs in general

• Omega-6 Fatty Acids (corn, vegetable, soybean, canola, sunflower oil)

• MSG (monosodium glutamate) —> Chinese food

• Artificial sweeteners (aspartame, sucralose)

More stuff

• Exercise (especially HIIT) —> increases BDNF, blood flow, highly anti-inflammatory

• Intermittent Fasting —> Increases BDNF, neurogenesis, executive function

• Cold thermogenesis —> increases neuron myelination

Questions?