Our Brain is the most complex organ known in the universe. We are estimated to have over 100 billion nerve cells, and more connections in our brain then there are stars in the universe. Information in our brain travels at 268 miles per hour but is greatly reduced when intoxicated with alcohol. If we don't take care of out brain, we lose 85,000 brain cells daily! That is what causes "aging" symptoms such as memory loss when your in your 30's onward. But the GOOD news is...its reversible and the aging process could be dramatically slowed.

Here is some practical brain science for yah!

The Prefrontal Cortex is the largest in the human brain than any other animal by far. This is the part of the brain that makes us human. It is 30% of the human brain, 11% of chimpanzee, 7% of dogs, while cats are almost completely nonexistent. It is the executive part of the brain, and controls things like focus, forethought, judgment, impulse, empathy, learning from mistakes, and involved in maturity. If there are problems in this part of our brain, what we see is short attention span, impulse control difficulty, procrastination, bad judgment, not much empathy, and they don't learn much from their mistakes. They generally have bad habits, low persistence, low consciousness, with some form of depression (there are many), and people who are excitement and conflict seeking. To help this part of your brain you could do multiple things, one of the main things being intense exercise, lookup HIIT training; its exhausting, almost coughed out my lungs doing it…but hey it boosts growth hormone so im all for it. These people are suited to eat a high protein diet, being low in carbs. (Suited for people with ADD or just low activity in the frontal cortex.

The Cingulate Gyrus is basically the brain's gear shifter, it allows us to go from task to task, thought to thought. It allows you to have an open mind and be flexible so you're not too stubborn. It allows you to better corporate with others. It is also HUGELY involved in error detection, like when you notice that tiny smidgen of shit that smeared on your shirt at the strip club. When it works TOO hard, it is usually due to a deficit in the neurotransmitter SEROTONIN (eat plenty of cashews, it contains tryptophan which eventually converts into serotonin) When serotonin is low the cingulate overheats and people get stuck... stuck on a thought, a worry, a grudge, an obsession, pain, compulsions, addictions, and certain behaviors. They get stuck in their own position and they end up being oppositional and argumentative. Like no matter what you say to them they argue with you. They are always fault-finding, always noticing whats NOT right. They tend to be bossy at home and at work, they tend to be rigid and inflexible with their options (stubbornness). And if they don't have things their way, they get upset. To us they appear selfish, because they must have it their way.. BUT from a neuroscience standpoint, they aren't really selfish.. they are simply inflexible! There are many ways to help this part of the brain. First, if you get stuck on a thought more then 3 times.. DO SOMETHING ELSE! Exercise is also amazing for this part of the brain, it boosts serotonin levels to the brain making people more flexible. Unlike the earlier diet, these people require a high carbohydrate, low protein diet; if they eat the opposite they'll be able to concentrate even MORE on their problems! A high quality Fish Oil for its Omega 3's is also helpful for this part of the brain. But since Fish Oil often becomes rancid quickly, due to its lack of antioxidants...you should use krill oil, flax seed oil, or my personal favorite Wild Alaskan Salmon Oil (I never took it yet though).

The Limbic System is our emotional brain, which drives us to love and to work. It sets our emotional tone, how positive or negative we are, it is involved in bonding, and our ability to connect to other people. It is also involved in processing pain, our sense of smell, and our interest in sex. When there are problems with this part of the brain, usually when it works too hard, People become sad and depressed. Negativity and hopelessness are often experienced, as well as feeling guilty. They basically have automatic negative thoughts. The key is to remember we don't have to believe all the thoughts that pop in our head, because our thoughts lie to us! People with problems in this part of the brain often isolates themselves, they're less interested in things that are usually fun, including sex. They also experience alot more pain. To help this part of the brain SAM-E supplementation is a great choice for depression and pain. Exercise also helps this part of the brain significantly, when compared to the popular antidepressant Zoloft (i hate antidepressants, they destroy peoples brains..NEVER TAKE EM!) and at 12 weeks in, they were equally effective! But... at the 2nd of the 10-month study, exercise was SIGNIFICANTLY BETTER. Exercise is critical at least four times a week if you're depressed. Fish oil is also good. Think positive!!! Ask yourself...is this definitely true? if not sure..forget it.. if its true, ask yourself..can you do anything to make it better? if yes..do it! if not forget it, its not worth the stress (cortisol, released during stress, is inflammatory as fuck and breaks down your muscle tissue).

So... how do you protect your brain to give it optimal function?

-Continuous learning throughout your life

-eat plenty of nutrient rich foods (the colorful ones like dark green veggies, blueberries, etc etc), lean protein, low carbs... dark green veggies like spinach applies to all those rules => veggies are seriously the best things you could eat for health.

-Get enough SLEEP!!!! It’s the time of day where your brain cleans out the gunk that’s been used up, for example every two weeks your DHA gets used up and that’s when it gets cleaned out. Very important... but personally I’m guilty of not doing this one at times...

-since 60% of our brain's solid weight consists of fat, 1/4th being DHA and much of it being choline, it is essential to eat the right fats. there are goods ones and bad ones. Trans-fats are the worst, found in all fast-food or microwavable foods. Balance omega 3's and 6's because 3's are anti-inflammatory, while 6's are pro-inflammatory. The average person in America is SEVERELY OMEGA 3 deficient. Of all our 100 billion brain cells, EACH and EVERY one of their cell lining is made of long chained fatty acids like omega 3. And each and every cell is lined with a liposome like choline; a deficiency is obviously detrimental to our health!

-Hydrate yourself with clean water (not tap water or bottled water...generally), our brain is 80% water.

Anyone who wants to live past 85 should start taking extra precautions, at least 50% of those who do hit that age develop Alzheimer's disease. Generally caused by our crappy lifestyle choices; poisoned food, lack of exercise, drugs (alcohol and tobacco), cancer, heart disease, family history of it..my great grandma had it , ADD, diabetes, depression, not exercising more then 2x a week, not engaging in lifelong learning are all common risk factors that contribute to Alzheimers. 90% of Alzheimer's sufferers are diagnosed when the disease is already at the moderate to severe stage (but many Alzheimer’s patients don’t really have Alzheimers! They have a vitamin B-12 deficiency, which cause memory loss and could irreversibly damage your brain if continued on for years on end). A smell test is an early indicator of Alzheimers, if you have trouble smelling peanut butter, strawberries, pineapple, lemon, or natural gas... you should go to a doctor!

Another thing is, nowadays we have this instant gratification mindset ingrained into us; fast food, information available to us in seconds time from nearly everywhere in the world, get rich quick schemes, have a problem-take a pill kind've mindset. We must get rid of this dangerous mindset and take things slower. Vitamins, minerals, and healthy fats don't work instantly, they take time. But rest assured, it will work. Same goes for our food and environment, just because you're fine today doesn't mean you'll be anywhere near what you are now. Lets take Japan for example...they didn't start taking the necessary precautions after the Fukushima incident, now children already have thyroid cancer. Its only been two years! Imagine... your children at a measly 2 years old, already plagued with cancer.

This isn't something that you read and you just put to the back of your head...healthcare takes action. Sure you don't have to be on it 100%, but when you can, do yourself a favor and take some time to buy and prepare good food along with some necessary supplements. Why do I say necessary now? Because food could no longer accommodate our excessively poisoned environment. The radiation heading over to America on a slow and gradual basis will eventually be too overwhelming for your body to handle.

If you say food and supplements are too expensive, ask yourself what is the price of cancer? Is it worth the pain and suffering even if you could cure it?