Our friends at Ārepa are fellow advocates for mental health. Ārepa tells us about the 10 protocols to take care of your brain as when your brain works better, you work better.
Ārepa is a New Zealand brain food technology company that makes brain food supported by science. Their Brain Drink is formulated by a world leading neuroscientist and is natural and caffeine free. Made with Pine Bark extract, L-theanine and Neuroberry Blackcurrant, Ārepa’s brain food is packed with vitamin c to support mood, focus and neurological support.
Brain education is at the heart of Ārepa’s mission. Drawing from 10 protocols pieced together by of the most prominent experts in this field, other than drinking Ārepa, Dr Andrew Huberman recommends the following to take care of your brain and to benefit your cognitive abilities:
- Light exposure: A primary way to be in tune with you circadian rhythm, one of the most effective things you can do to assist physiological wellbeing is to expose your eyes to light for 10 minutes within the first 30 minutes upon waking.
- Breathing exercises: We don’t always breathe in a way that is most helpful to our wellbeing, to get the most out of our breath, we need to learn how best to control it using our diaphragm.
- Exercise: Ensure you do 150 - 180 minutes of Zone 2 exercise per week, this might be a few runs and a couple of fast paced walks per week.
- Dim lights before bed: Bright lights during this time blunts the amount of dopamine released (the chemical that helps us seek reward, our motivation chemical), no bright lights between 10pm and 4am is recommended.
- Strength training: Strength training will elevate your level of endorphins (natural opiates produced by the brain), which lift energy levels, improves your mood and can help you sleep better.
- Intermittent fasting: Restricting the window in which you eat, continues to be the most effective ways to restrict caloric intake, this means it’s an effective way to maintain a healthy weight.
- Hypnosis: Non-Sleep Deep Rest (NSDR) is hypnosis, is a science supported tool for de-stressing and relaxation. Brain scans show that hypnosis activates areas of the brain that enhances focus and relaxation.
- Essential fatty acids: As your body cannot produce them on its own, ensure you have 1000 mg of essential fatty acids (EFA), the two primary EFAs are known as linoleic acid (omega-6) and alpha-linolenic acid (omega-3).
- Contrast hydrotherapy: This involves an alternating hot and cold water treatment. Different water temperatures affects your blood vessels and how fast your heart beats, these circulatory changes can help relieve various injury symptoms and reduce post-exercise fatigue for example.
- Caffeine intake: Delay caffeine for the first 90 mins – 2 hours after waking, to help avoid the afternoon slump. At the same time avoid caffeine intake late in the afternoon or evening to prevent disrupting sleep.
When your brain works better, you work better. You're calmer, clearer, faster, more productive, happier, more optimistic, and even more attractive. You might not know it, but you're not a slave to the state of your brain. Like anything in your body, you can make it better. Better Brain Days, every day!
