From the very beginning, one of the 10 Primal Blueprint Laws is “Use Your Brain,” and for good reason: the human brain is the most revolutionary piece of evolutionary technology the world has ever seen. It made us tool wielding dominators of the land. It allowed us to develop agriculture, complex weaponry, and advanced technology. To not use it would be a huge shame and a disservice to our entire bloodline.
But just like any piece of advanced technology, the human brain can be fragile. It requires upkeep and maintenance. If you neglect it, it will fall apart. Here are five things you can do to keep your brain fit and healthy.
Exercise Regularly
Lifting heavy things, walking on a regular basis, maintaining good cardiovascular fitness, and running really fast once in a while will keep both your body and brain in peak condition. A fit brain needs a fit body. Period.
Go Hungry Sometimes
The human brain isn’t meant to stay in a perpetually fed state. We need periods of foodlessness—not starvation, but mild hunger. This has several beneficial brain effects.
- Ghrelin, the hormone that rises when we are hungry, also promotes cognitive health. Higher ghrelin levels trigger a burst of creativity, increase working memory, and even improve our ability to learn.
- Fasting increases neuronal autophagy, or the “pruning” of damaged neurons in the brain. Our brains need constant pruning to stay healthy and effective, and fasting is a reliable way to do it. Note: exercise and coffee are also good ways to promote autophagy.
- Fasting increases the production of ketones, which have unique effects on brain health and function. This is particularly helpful for people suffering from cognitive impairments characterized by an inability of the brain to utilize glucose.
Interrogate Your Sources
When you read an article, blog post, social media missive, or nutritional study, do your best to pick holes in the methodology, arguments, and logic (or lack thereof). You will naturally do this with things you read that you disagree with, but it’s equally important with articles, studies, and posts that you agree with. This is ultimately practicing intellectual honesty, and it is an excellent way to keep your brain fit, trim, and athletic.
Use Your Brain to Create
One of the most important things that the human brain can do, and indeed one of its primary reasons for evolving the way it did, is to create—to generate concepts, physical objects, art, essays.
This doesn’t have to be some grand undertaking; not everyone can create works of transcendental art. But every brain can be put to work to bring things into being that weren’t there before.
Play
Any form of play activates the brain. If you play sports with your body, you’re training your brain. If you play chess, you’re training your brain. If you invent a silly game with your kids, you’re training your brain. The human brain, beyond being a technological and evolutionary marvel at efficiency, creativity, and industry, is also unique in its ability to have fun. The brain is a joy manufacturing plant. Put it to use.
