75 Amazing Ways to Maximize Your Brain Power
You all must be aware of the fact that exercise keeps your brain fit, “jog” your memory and boosts your brain power. In this article, we will try to describe every possible scientific, psychological and logical way that can help you to capitalize on brain power. Brain power, according to dictionary definition, is somebody’s mental or intellectual ability.
You wish to improve Brain power – Not Higher IQ Scores!? Well, maybe you want higher IQ scores too. The American Heritage Dictionary describes Intelligence Quotient (IQ) as “The ratio of tested mental age to chronological age, usually expressed as a quotient multiplied by 100.” Actually, it’s a test of intelligence with 100 as the average score.
A recent IQ test asked which of four fruits was dissimilar. It was the fruit containing multiple seeds; however, imagine you were not accustomed to these fruits? Clearly this test is culturally slanted. You are supposed to have certain knowledge, yet you are being tested for intelligence, not knowledge.
Now suspiciously observe this lettering: “A-N-L-D-E-G-N.” reorganize them and you’ll have the name of a(n): Sea, Nation, State, Municipality or Animal. This is from an IQ analysis I only just gave. Well… There are not many oceans, so I could discount those – but wait a moment! That’s an assessment system. An aptitude examination should not calculate your test-taking capacity. I’m pushed to score higher than a person of equal intelligence who hasn’t learned simple techniques for scoring higher on multiple – choice tests.
“True Life Results” in opposition to “Test Results”
Now enlighten me with one thing. What was Henry Fords’ brain capacity? Who knows? He was one of the most inventive citizens of the previous century, and he succeeded by neighboring himself with intelligent individuals.
That practice single-handedly has to be merit more than 20 IQ points in terms of true life results.
True life results are what you desire, true? So if you would like to be more inspired, find out how to exercise imaginative problem solving practices. If you want to focus better, there are devices for that. Learn to speed-read and you’ll learn twice the information in equal time. After you build your first Ark, write your first novel or make your first million dollars, what will your IQ results be? It won’t matter
Okay, a defective examination is better than no examination at all, and it is amusing. I recently wrote an IQ test, and even though I don’t believe my IQ is really the 138 it showed, it was enjoyable. Of course I might have a better score on a good day than a bad day, so try these guidelines to improve your IQ test results:
70 Techniques to Improve Brainpower
1. Take a deeep breath. Increased airflow means heightened oxygen levels in the blood and, as a result, in the mind. Breathing through your nose and you’ll observe that you use your diaphragm more, drawing air deeper into your lungs. Numerous deep breaths can also help to relax you, which is beneficial to clearer thinking.
2. Meditate. An easy meditation technique you can accomplish presently is to just close your eyes and listen carefully to your breathing. Tensing up your muscles and then relaxing them to start may be of assistance. When your mind wanders, just bring your concentration back to your breath. This will help unwind you, clear your mind, and leave you more prepared for any intellectual undertaking.
3. Sit up straight. Carriage affects your judgment process. Demonstrate it to yourself by doing arithmetic in your head while slouching, looking at the ground and letting your jaws dangle open. Then do the math in your head while sitting nice and straight, with a closed mouth and look forward or slightly up. You’ll realize that it’s easier to think with the second posture.
4. Using Phosphotidyl Serine (PS). Shown in medical studies to boost clarity and rate of education, this supplement activates cell-to-cell communication, helps normalize cell expansion, increases the functioning of the unique receptors seen on cells, and prepares cells for movement. That means it can aid your brain power. It’s also considered to repeal memory refuse. Phosphatidylserine has no identified unpleasant side effects.
5. Using Vinpocetine. Derived from an alkaloid discovered in the Periwinkle plant, this extract is used as a cerebral vasodilator. It amplifies the flow of the blood stream to the mind, which advances its oxygenation and in doing so raises psychological awareness and insight. Studies imply it may also be the most dependable memory enhancer accessible today.
6. Take Gingko Biloba. The foliage belonging to this tree is confirmed to augment blood flow to the mind. The trees are regularly found in parks. My associates and I used to eat a small amount of leaves when we required a extra dose of mind power. It is also fairly cheap, if you get the pills or tea bags at any health food outlet.
7. Try Some Saint John’s Wort. This is a ordinary wild plant that may be budding in your own backyard. Although it’s mind power improving components aren’t as widely acknowledged (research does document it’s helpfulness for treating clinical depression), Countless people affirm by its temporary mood-elevating effect, and our common sense tend to improve in function when we are in high spirits. It is easy on the pocket, but I would frequently just collect it in the wild and make my own tea. (Hyperacum Perforatum is the botanical name if you care to research on your own).
8. First-class thinking practice. Simply making use of a problem solving method for a number of weeks and it will develop into a routine. Revamp everything you observe for a period of time, and that will grow to be a custom. You can build up countless good thinking habits with a little bit of work, and then be more capable naturally from then on. Employ the power of practice.
9. Make use of quiet time. This is down time that is usually wasted or just not usually spent wisely. Driving the car, time used up in waiting quarters, or even time spent cleaning your house can be incorporated here. If you have a normal walk-man or tape player and access to a library you can use this time to listen to educational audio books. You could spend 200 hours in your car each year. What might you become skilled at in that time?
10. Learn a language. Mastering a new tongue has been revealed to halt the age-related refuse in brain function. It also better acquaints your brain to fresh concepts and new methods of looking at things (in English we are frightened, in Spanish we have fear). It is one of the greatest brain training methods.
11. Rosemary. Inhaling this familiar herb may have a positive effect on the brain. The studies have not yet come to light, but several people believe that just breathing in rosemary awakens the mind. It seems harmless, so if you have rosemary kitchen, give it a whirl.
12. Exercising your mind. Concentration and clear thinking are more or less mechanical once you eradicate interruption. Learn to impede and observe your hectic mind. As you observe things that are delicately annoying you, work these small things out. This could mean making a phone call you have been putting off, or adding things to a to-do list so you don’t need to worry about them for a while. This will make you a more powerful thinker and, with some time will begin to come more naturally to you.
13. Write. Writing is beneficial to your brain for many different reasons. It helps’ you memory understand what is most useful and makes it easier to access later. It is a way to elucidate your thoughts. It is a way to keep fit your imagination and diagnostic capability. Writing in a journal, composing poems or verse, taking notes and writing stories are all ways to use writing to enhance your mind power.
14. Listen to Classical Music. Investigations at University of California, explained that kids who studied music by learning an instrument or learning to sing, were greatly superior at solving puzzles, and when examined, scored 80% higher in spatial intellect than the non-musical crowd. In a different study, 36 students were prearranged three spatial analysis experiments on a typical IQ test. Just before the primary examination, they would listen to Mozart’s sonata two piano sonatas, K. 448 over a period of ten minutes. Prior to the subsequent test, they listened to a relaxation recording. Prior to the third, they did not listen to everything. The standard scores for all 36 of them: 1st examination: 119. 2nd examination: 111. 3rd examination: 110. A Student who listened to classical music saw an increase of nine points.
15. Expand your sixth sense. Natural perception can be a vital component of mind power. Einstein and others depended greatly on their instinctive hunches. Man is given instincts to help him decide what is best.
16. Avoid food which can cause allergic reactions. This may include corn, wheat, diary products or even peanuts. Be careful if you react to these foods as they trigger digestive troubles and mental haze in certain individuals.
17. Sleep well. Your body needs a specific amount of sleep – most likely at least five hours – the value seems to be more essential than the amount. Also, small naps in the mid-day appear to assist in rejuvenating the mind for some people.
The trick to sleeping more effectively is to sleep LESS and have MORE energy by augmenting your sleep cycle in order to produce a wealth of vigor in your life.
18. Caffeine. Students who knock back coffee prior to major exams score higher on testing. My chess playing improves. Too much caffeine has been shown in research to cause decreased decision-making abilities. Caffeine affects you in your own way, and has some malicious long-term side effects for a few of us, but short-term – it does the trick!
19. Avoid sweets. Ingesting useless carbohydrates can cause “brain blocks”. On occasion referred to as the “sugar crash” as well, this lethargic reaction makes it difficult to reason effectively. Insulin hurrying into the bloodstream to offset the sugar rush is to blame for this feeling. Stay away from starchy pasta, sugars, white bread and potato chips before any essential psychological responsibilities.
20. Audio Hypnosis. The influence of implication is genuine, and one way to exercise it is with hypnosis recordings, Compact Discs or digital format. This type of “brainwashing” has more substantiation for it than subconscious implication.
21. Speed-read. Contrary to popular belief, your understanding of material increases when you learn speed-reading techniques. You will learn and obtain more knowledge in less time.
22. Work Out. Exercise over an extended period can heighten your brain power, that is to be expected. Positively affecting your physical health should also positively affect your mental health. Modern studies, however, reveal that cognitive function is enhanced instantly after only a few moments of low impact activity. If you require a brain refreshment, you could try walking up and down the stairway a few times.
23. Make-believe Friends. Chatting to and receiving guidance from characters in your head is a surprisingly good technique for accessing the information in your subliminal psyche. See in your mind’s eye a discussion with someone who has an assortment of awareness in the area you need to work on.
24. Increase your Imagination. Inventiveness gives command to your judgment. Unprocessed calculation can be completed by computers currently, but people provide the creative notions that characterize our society.
25. Study more competently. When you make a decision to learn a little, take annotations from the get-go. Take home with you from each educational endeavor a inquiry or two, to produce eagerness and inquisitiveness. By taking short breaks you create more starting and ending points in your lessons. The start and ending points of any lesson are always recalled with ease
26. Use procedures for lucid thoughts. Chaotic workspaces and offices can encourage messy thinking. Systematize a space for cerebral labor. Prepare yourself for a task by sighing, stretching and taking a deep breathe. Organize some time for brainstorming without distraction.
27. Brain wave stimulation. The most recent mind wave stimulating products are great utensils for shifting your mind function. Some of them work to relax the mind where others get your brain to stretch its’ muscles before a real work out.
28. Creatine. This is a complex originating in meat. Athletes use it to assist muscle growth. New substantiation is now showing that it facilitates brain growth also. Recent research showed progress in operational memory and common intellect following creatine usage. The quantity used in the experiment was 5 grams each day. This is roughly the amount used to improve athletic performance, and is as much as you’d usually get in four pounds of meat.
29. Speaking. Speaking is only beneficial to the mind if you are in fact exercising it. If you try to explain something that you have an okay understanding of in your own words you will observe that the procedure of explanation will lend a hand to illuminate your comprehension.
30. Spend time on things you take pleasure in. This can be a great way to both decrease stress and kick start your mind. The solution is to accomplish something proactive. Watching TV doesn’t count. Whether it is playing a mentally stimulating game or something constructive like woodworking, when you are energetically occupied in an activity that you get pleasure from, you are concerned less about things and you begin to think more effectively.
31. Adjust your beliefs. Believe you more intelligent and you will become more intelligent. Self-Affirmations such as actually telling yourself you are getting smarter may help, but showing yourself actual proof is more helpful. Write down all of your successes. Say to yourself, “Wow, that was really ingenious,” and recognize when you do something innovative. Write down your good ideas. Put together the proof of your good ideas and look back on them to see your improvement.
32. Intelligence Aerobics. Do math in your head while you are working at other things. Think of a new application for everything you see. Habitual use of the brain has been proven to spawn new neuronal growth, and even stop the decrease in mental abilities that are experienced when we get old.
33. Keep on learning. This goes hand-in-hand with exercising your mind. You can do this in your spare time by listening to educational audio books.
34. Go Walking. Physical activity has been proven to benefit the intelligence, and walking is one of the finest exercises for a lot of people. It is easy, and the recurring nature of it puts you in a state that is very favorable to comprehensible thought. Why not carry a paper and pen or a tape recorder and use your 15 minute walk to work out problems.
35. Find a role model. Seek out people who are inspired, intellectual, or exceedingly industrious. Try to mimic their actions and think in the manner that they think. This is a huge standard in neural-linguistic encoding (brainwashing). However, you should use caution when taking their recommendations. Successful individuals frequently don’t in fact recognize why they are doing well. Act the way that they act, but do not do what they tell you to do.
36. Fish is Brain Food. Consuming fish truly increases the speed of your brain waves, and picks up attentiveness. Researchers have also discovered a nearly faultless relationship between eating of fish and decreased levels of depression in an assortment of different countries. Americans are 24 times as likely to suffer from depression as the Japanese, for example, who eat a significant amount more fish.
37. Pass up pointless arguments. When we use an excessive amount of strength to support a point just to “win a fight” or “prove a point” your self-image comes into play. This isn’t favorable to the reception and application of fresh information. This means that you place your brain in a rut, and you only proceed to put it in deeper with every squabble. Healthy debates can be a helpful thing, but when the sense of self takes over, the mind can begin to narrow. This is not a formula for healthier thoughts.
38. Laugh it up. Laughter triggers the release of endorphins and lowers stress levels. It is good for long term brain fitness. Laughter also tends to leave you feeling unbolt towards new ideas and views.
39. Go out and play. Exciting the brain triggers significant differences in the organization of the brain. New neural pathways are established and fresh brain cells are developed. Intellectual games, as well any activities involving hand-eye coordination motivate the brain.
40. Solve puzzles. A great way to exercise your mind is by solving word puzzles, lateral thinking puzzles, and even the odd riddle. You can toil on them even as waiting for a meeting or prior arrangement such as a Doctor’s office, or on the transit, if you need to really squeeze it in.
41. Play Video Games. That’s right, research has uncovered that video games can advance mental adroitness, while working on our hand-eye coordination, depth acuity and pattern Video game players also benefit from higher attention spans and information processing ability than most other people. Ask a person to spend one week playing video games and watch as their visual-perception skills improve. Believe it or not, video games could actually save your life. Operating Room Surgeons, who play video games, even just for a few hours a week, make one-third fewer errors during surgery than the doctors who don’t play games. Don’t be quick to judge gamers as reclusive or outsiders: one investigator found that white-collar professionals who play video games are more self-assured and social.
42. Sing out loud. When you are driving alone, try singing about something that is going on. This utilizes the right side of your brain: The Creative Side. Have you ever noticed it is easier to rhyme words when you sing them than it is to write them down? This is due to the right brain’s ability to notice patterns. Singing often will train your mind to slip over to the right brain more effortlessly. Being able to switch in this manner will help you to become a more accurate problem solver. If you are skeptical about the differences between the brain hemispheres, just observe a person who stutters. They may not be able to tell you how they feel without stuttering but ask them to sing and they will suddenly be able to stop.
43. Go Nuts. Educational Scholars at the universities in many South American countries often consume large quantities of brazil nuts before a test, convinced they improve brain power. The facts are starting to corroborate this. Many types of nuts that have raw materials and amino acids that are valuable to the intelligence include almonds and walnuts.
44. Olive oil. Olive Oil is surprisingly high in mono-unsaturated fat which has been known to develop better memory retention. A less expensive option is canola oil, but there are limited studies supporting its’ value.
45. Vitamin supplements. In research, children tended to have higher scores on tests when on a routine of daily vitamin supplements. Phonies will tell you that while eating a balanced diet, you don’t require vitamins, which, given way we live our lives day-to-day, is nothing but a sales pitch for vitamins. Who in this day and age eats a wholly balanced diet?
46. Fiber is your friend. It is not only what is going in, but what is coming out that is vital to brain ability. Toxic swelling in the body and brain can cause poor brain function. People frequently report improved thinking as one of the perks of curing their constipation.
47. Be Self Aware. This may perhaps not appear key to brain power, although it is. As soon as you identify yourself better, you know how to steer clear of the typical effects of sense of self and feeling in your apparently “logical” thinking. Otherwise you can at least take it into consideration. Look at yourself, mainly as you clarify things or dispute.
48. Force yourself not to forget. Sometimes you want to recall the title of a song that you heard or the name of an old friend that you bump into. It is there, right at the very tip of your tongue but you still can’t quite spit it out. What did you usually do when caught in that position? Most likely ask some close by buddy for the name, and upon the shock you will even holler triumphantly, “Oh yeah! That’s right.”
The next time this occurs make yourself to memorize that name. The mind can be exercised similar to your muscles and the further you work out the better it will become.
Do not border yourself to recollection of names. Do you rely on your cell phone to keep track of phone numbers? Don’t use an address book even on paper – you can learn by heart all the numbers you need to know. Attempt to visualize the keypad of your mobile phone in order to produce a mental image of what the series of digits looks like.
The worst thing that might come of this is that you will have to to consult your contact list for the numbers anyways…
49. Motivate yourself. Motivation is as important to mental tasks as it is to any other. Learn a few easy methods for self motivation.
50. Avoid too much stress. A Neuro-psychologist from the George Washington University indicated bluntly that stress causes brain damage. Extended periods of stress have repetitively been shown to damage the brain as well as the rest of the human body. By mastering a few stress cutback techniques you can lower your stress level.
51. Become educated. Scientists have acknowledged for some time that people with less education are more likely to fall victim to Alzheimer’s. Learning in any region of study appears to make the mind stronger.
52. Practice information often and “over-study”. Go over what you have covered the same day you learn it, and do so regularly afterwards. Research shows that spaced out learning over time is more effective than just “cramming” information in a rush. Always “over-study” by learning more than you think you will need to know. With familiarity comes expertise.
53. Avoid fatty foods. In scientific studies, animals without fail learn at a slower rate when they are eating high fat diets. Non-saturated fats found in Olive oil are what you should stay with. Saturated fats have been revealed to in fact arrest the development of brain cells.
54. Eat less. Eating too much has the initial consequence of redirecting more blood to the digestive tract which leaves less for the brain. Over time it can be responsible for arterial blockages that permanently decrease blood flow to the brain. In one particular examination, rats on a calorie-restricted eating plan had more brain power.
55. Avoid suspicious foods. There is substantiation that these foods can be horrific for your mind: synthetic food colorings, artificial sweeteners, soda-pops, corn syrup, frostings, other highly sweetened beverages, hydrogenated lard, sugars, white bread, and any white-flour products.
56. Eat breakfast. When kids who don’t normally eat breakfast begin regularly eating it, studies found that their math scores went up a whole grade on average.
57. Evade diabetes. The progression of diabetes corresponds with a reducing of IQ test results. So if you want to prolong your brain power, pursue your doctors’ nutritional advice for steering clear of or treating diabetes.
58. Eat foods with lots of antioxidants. Antioxidants defend all your cells, as well as brain cells. Several of the foods containing high levels of antioxidants are: raisins, blueberries, blackberries, cranberries, strawberries, spinach, garlic, kale, and raspberries. In one analysis, rats had age-related mental turn down inverted by eating the same as a 1/2 cup of normal blueberries every day.
59. Drink wine. In restraint, red wine can be fine for the brain, it seems. It is endowed with antioxidants, which work to guard brain cells. A glass of wine each day for women and two for men is typically considered a harmless and sensible amount.
60. Always drink alcohol responsibly. Research at the University Of Indiana School Of Medicine, indicates mature light drinkers (less than 4 drinks each week) had superior tests scores relating to thinking capacity than non-drinkers. Those who drank 10 drinks or more a week had poorer scores. It is recognized that alcohol is capable of killing brain cells, so self-control is always the key.
61. Folic acid. According some research, the quantity of folic acid found in 3/4 cup of cooked spinach, helps with depression and repeals memory loss.
62. More brain foods. Other foods that can be excellent for your brain are: Avocados, oatmeal, bananas, lean beef, peas, eggs, flaxseed oil, potatoes, soybeans, brewer’s yeast. broccoli, wheat germ, brown rice, brussel sprouts, cantaloupe, cheese, chicken, collard greens, oranges, peanut butter, romaine lettuce, salmon, spinach, tuna, turkey, and yogurt.
63. Vitamin E. Many intelligence researchers recommend taking up to 400 I.U.s of vitamin E each day. Vitamin E is an antioxidant, and diminishes the obstruction of blood vessels, including those that lead to your brain.
64. Vitamin C. Found in orange juice and other citrus fruits, ingestions of vitamin C has been found to increase IQ test results in young children.
65. Selenium. 100 micrograms of selenium has been proven to have mood-elevating effect. Your mind tends to function more efficiently when you are happy. Foods rich with selenium incorporate Brazil nuts and garlic.
66. Alpha-lipoic acid. Alpha-lipoic acid (10 to 50 mg per day) progresses recollection and care for nerve cells.
67. Inositol. This natural and organic substance is grouped in with vitamin B. Inositol brings stress levels down and helps to clear your mind. It furnishes energy production, and helps to wake your mind up. Animals in lab tests showed a calculable enlargement in physical motion for nearly five hours after using Inositol.
68. Huperzine A. This is a composite extorted from Chinese club moss. It has been used to treat Alzheimer’s in Israel and the United States. It applies to the memory and learning parts of the brain and appears to be safe to use.
69. Question everything. Its’ an important step in keeping your brain fit. Get into the routine of asking questions about everything that is new to you. Why are skyscrapers built so high? What do worms eat? Ask whatever thing that pops into your head and examine the possible solutions.
70. Smell basil. This could be another herb that could be beneficial for your mind. That isn’t any research to prove it but many believe that the odor of basil is good for the brain.
71. Climate. A lot of people have taken into consideration that they are more capable thinkers when the room temperature is just right. Generally, it seems as if cooler temperatures, though not unbearably cold, tend to encourage better thinking. Try testing it for yourself to observe what warmth facilitates your comfort the best.
72. Rainy days amp up brain power. Studies from Australia have indicated rainy and gloomy conditions may help the brain’s capacity to store memory. A University study surveyed customers at a major shop in Sydney, Australia. They discovered that people achieved higher scores on recollection exams during rotten weather when customers felt depressed.
The conclusions, available in the Journal of Experimental Psychology, reflect earlier examinations that showed students who were feeling down achieved higher scores than students were in high spirits.
When you are happy, you tend to think in a more worry-free style that encourages you to overlook details and be less aware of the worlds around you.
73. Use systems. From Since I was a child the way to find 12 times 49 was to multiply 12 by 50 take away 12. It is much simpler to find the solution in your mind by doing this. I received no acclaim for my special algorithms at the time, but they are advertising these kinds of tricks on infomercials now, because they are effective. You can discover many simpler methods for doing math or other intellectual tasks in your head. Or you can find out about them in literature.
74. Create a brain power diagram. Many Doctors will advise you it takes roughly twenty to thirty days of recurrence to create new routines. This indicates that when you form your diagram for better brain power, be positive you arrange to use that new-fangled problem solving system, or devour those new intellect foods for a minimum three weeks. You can make use of numerous of the brain elevators here and get instantaneous outcomes, but it is harboring new routines that will grant you the majority of your brain power.
75. Apply new knowledge to things you already knew. Connect new data to information you already remember, whether it’s new material that builds on previous knowledge, or something as simple as an address of someone who resides nearby someone else in your life.
April 23rd, 2009 at 9:19 pm
Awesome blog post! You mentioned game play to increase intelligence. I would say some games more than others. I am actually playing one now that is meant to teach Java FX to the players, http://www.pietheory.com. Not only are there Java Challenges, there are codes to break, riddles to solve, ancient languages to translate, talk about broadening your mind through game play…
April 24th, 2009 at 7:31 am
[...] MindCafe.org put an intriguing blog post on 75 Amazing Ways to Maximize Your Brain PowerHere’s a quick excerptYou all must be aware of the fact that exercise keeps your brain fit, “jog” your memory and boosts your brain power . In this article, we will try to describe every possible scientific, psychological and logical way that can help you to capitalize on brain power. Brain power, according to dictionary definition, is somebody’s mental or intellectual ability. You wish to improve Brain power – Not Higher IQ Scores!? Well, maybe you want higher IQ scores too. The American Heritage Dictionary [...]
April 24th, 2009 at 4:15 pm
Great article. Thanks.
April 25th, 2009 at 5:33 pm
Amazing post! Thanks for sharing. I was wondering if you would mind, letting me highlight this post in my blog E.Y.D
I would give a short intro and just choose a couple of my Favourite and then state your blog as original author and link back to the original post for anyone interested in reading the entire article.
This is exactly the kind of material my readers like, so I think it should give you some great link traffic
Jonathan
April 27th, 2009 at 12:17 am
[...] MindCafe.org added an interesting post today on 75 Amazing Ways to Maximize Your Brain PowerHere’s a small readingYou all must be aware of the fact that exercise keeps your brain fit, “jog” your memory and boosts your brain power . In this article, we will try to describe every possible scientific, psychological and logical way that can help you to capitalize on brain power. Brain power, according to dictionary definition, is somebody’s mental or intellectual ability. You wish to improve Brain power – Not Higher IQ Scores!? Well, maybe you want higher IQ scores too. The American Heritage Dictionary [...]
April 27th, 2009 at 7:58 pm
@ Jonathan- Sent you a brief reply. Thanks.
May 18th, 2009 at 9:32 pm
A must-read for everyone who want a better living.
May 24th, 2009 at 10:07 am
[...] 75 Amazing Ways to Maximize Your Brain Power – browsing this on MindCafe.org, think I’ll give speed reading a try [...]
May 28th, 2009 at 6:49 am
this is an Amazing Blog !!!
June 5th, 2009 at 9:22 pm
Insert amazing agreeable information here!
June 13th, 2009 at 6:47 am
cool list but were the fuck is marijuana?
July 3rd, 2009 at 5:12 pm
yeap most of the points are quite true.
i’ve tried it myself.
thx for sharing this.
July 29th, 2009 at 8:46 pm
RE: #60
Alcohol killing brain cells is a myth. http://www2.potsdam.edu/hansondj/HealthIssues/1103162109.html
August 4th, 2009 at 12:51 pm
Great post, but I just can’t get past the fact that it keeps saying things like “increased blood flow to the mind”… The mind isn’t an organ, its the stuff that’s going on… you can’t have blood flowing to consciousness.
August 17th, 2009 at 5:24 pm
[...] 75 Amazing Ways to Maximize Your Brain Power | MindCafe.org 75 Amazing Ways to Maximize Your Brain Power | MindCafe.org. [...]
August 22nd, 2009 at 4:59 pm
Nice list.
September 5th, 2009 at 7:31 am
#36
Fish also contains Mercury and PCB, so I ain’t totally sure about that one …
September 10th, 2009 at 7:27 am
this all seems like great information, but it’s horribly organised, and some of it is redundant. where are the extra 5 things to make 75? there are numbered things, plus a few extra paragraphs at the top. so should it be ’70 amazing things…’?
so, what if i want to adjust my diet systematically? i’ve got to sift through all this guff to isolate those things i should start taking, and those i should avoid. it’s a hassle. this info should be roughly grouped according to dietary, behavioural, attidudinal/psychological, for ease of use.
for example;
oh, before putting the example, i’d add numbers 76 and 77
76. list everything in point form
77. reduce complex ideas and procedures to easily remembered numbers such as 75, as in ’75 amazing ways..’ etc
73 Techniques to Improve Brainpower
1. Brain foods. Avocados, oatmeal, bananas, lean beef, peas, eggs, flaxseed oil, potatoes, soybeans, brewer’s yeast. broccoli, wheat germ, brown rice, brussel sprouts, cantaloupe, cheese, chicken, collard greens, oranges, peanut butter, romaine lettuce, salmon, spinach, tuna, turkey, and yogurt.
2. Fish is Brain Food. Consuming fish truly increases the speed of your brain waves, and picks up attentiveness. Researchers have also discovered a nearly faultless relationship between eating of fish and decreased levels of depression in an assortment of different countries. Americans are 24 times as likely to suffer from depression as the Japanese, for example, who eat a significant amount more fish.
3. Go Nuts. Educational Scholars at the universities in many South American countries often consume large quantities of brazil nuts before a test, convinced they improve brain power. The facts are starting to corroborate this. Many types of nuts that have raw materials and amino acids that are valuable to the intelligence include almonds and walnuts.
4. Olive oil. Olive Oil is surprisingly high in mono-unsaturated fat which has been known to develop better memory retention. A less expensive option is canola oil, but there are limited studies supporting its’ value.
5. Eat foods with lots of antioxidants. Antioxidants defend all your cells, as well as brain cells. Several of the foods containing high levels of antioxidants are: raisins, blueberries, blackberries, cranberries, strawberries, spinach, garlic, kale, and raspberries. In one analysis, rats had age-related mental turn down inverted by eating the same as a 1/2 cup of normal blueberries every day.
6. Drink wine. In restraint, red wine can be fine for the brain, it seems. It is endowed with antioxidants, which work to guard brain cells. A glass of wine each day for women and two for men is typically considered a harmless and sensible amount. Always drink alcohol responsibly. Research at the University Of Indiana School Of Medicine, indicates mature light drinkers (less than 4 drinks each week) had superior tests scores relating to thinking capacity than non-drinkers. Those who drank 10 drinks or more a week had poorer scores. It is recognized that alcohol is capable of killing brain cells, so self-control is always the key.
7. Caffeine. Students who knock back coffee prior to major exams score higher on testing. My chess playing improves. Too much caffeine has been shown in research to cause decreased decision-making abilities. Caffeine affects you in your own way, and has some malicious long-term side effects for a few of us, but short-term – it does the trick!
8. Fiber is your friend. It is not only what is going in, but what is coming out that is vital to brain ability. Toxic swelling in the body and brain can cause poor brain function. People frequently report improved thinking as one of the perks of curing their constipation.
9. Using Phosphotidyl Serine (PS). Shown in medical studies to boost clarity and rate of education, this supplement activates cell-to-cell communication, helps normalize cell expansion, increases the functioning of the unique receptors seen on cells, and prepares cells for movement. That means it can aid your brain power. It’s also considered to repeal memory refuse. Phosphatidylserine has no identified unpleasant side effects.
10. Using Vinpocetine. Derived from an alkaloid discovered in the Periwinkle plant, this extract is used as a cerebral vasodilator. It amplifies the flow of the blood stream to the mind, which advances its oxygenation and in doing so raises psychological awareness and insight. Studies imply it may also be the most dependable memory enhancer accessible today.
11. Take Gingko Biloba. The foliage belonging to this tree is confirmed to augment blood flow to the mind. The trees are regularly found in parks. My associates and I used to eat a small amount of leaves when we required a extra dose of mind power. It is also fairly cheap, if you get the pills or tea bags at any health food outlet.
12. Try Some Saint John’s Wort. This is a ordinary wild plant that may be budding in your own backyard. Although it’s mind power improving components aren’t as widely acknowledged (research does document it’s helpfulness for treating clinical depression), Countless people affirm by its temporary mood-elevating effect, and our common sense tend to improve in function when we are in high spirits. It is easy on the pocket, but I would frequently just collect it in the wild and make my own tea. (Hyperacum Perforatum is the botanical name if you care to research on your own).
13. Vitamin supplements. In research, children tended to have higher scores on tests when on a routine of daily vitamin supplements. Phonies will tell you that while eating a balanced diet, you don’t require vitamins, which, given way we live our lives day-to-day, is nothing but a sales pitch for vitamins. Who in this day and age eats a wholly balanced diet?
14. Creatine. This is a complex originating in meat. Athletes use it to assist muscle growth. New substantiation is now showing that it facilitates brain growth also. Recent research showed progress in operational memory and common intellect following creatine usage. The quantity used in the experiment was grams each day. This is roughly the amount used to improve athletic performance, and is as much as you’d usually get in four pounds of meat.
15. Huperzine A. This is a composite extorted from Chinese club moss. It has been used to treat Alzheimer’s in Israel and the United States. It applies to the memory and learning parts of the brain and appears to be safe to use.
16. Folic acid. According some research, the quantity of folic acid found in 3/4 cup of cooked spinach, helps with depression and repeals memory loss.
17. Vitamin E. Many intelligence researchers recommend taking up to 400 I.U.s of vitamin E each day. Vitamin E is an antioxidant, and diminishes the obstruction of blood vessels, including those that lead to your brain.
18. Vitamin C. Found in orange juice and other citrus fruits, ingestions of vitamin C has been found to increase IQ test results in young children.
19. Selenium. 100 micrograms of selenium has been proven to have mood-elevating effect. Your mind tends to function more efficiently when you are happy. Foods rich with selenium incorporate Brazil nuts and garlic.
20. Alpha-lipoic acid. Alpha-lipoic acid (10 to 50 mg per day) progresses recollection and care for nerve cells.
21. Inositol. This natural and organic substance is grouped in with vitamin B. Inositol brings stress levels down and helps to clear your mind. It furnishes energy production, and helps to wake your mind up. Animals in lab tests showed a calculable enlargement in physical motion for nearly five hours after using Inositol.
22. Smell basil. This could be another herb that could be beneficial for your mind. That isn’t any research to prove it but many believe that the odor of basil is good for the brain.
23. Rosemary. Inhaling this familiar herb may have a positive effect on the brain. The studies have not yet come to light, but several people believe that just breathing in rosemary awakens the mind. It seems harmless, so if you have rosemary kitchen, give it a whirl.
24. Eat breakfast. When kids who don’t normally eat breakfast begin regularly eating it, studies found that their math scores went up a whole grade on average.
25. Avoid sweets. Ingesting useless carbohydrates can cause “brain blocks”. On occasion referred to as the “sugar crash” as well, this lethargic reaction makes it difficult to reason effectively. Insulin hurrying into the bloodstream to offset the sugar rush is to blame for this feeling. Stay away from starchy pasta, sugars, white bread and potato chips before any essential psychological responsibilities.
Avoid food which can cause allergic reactions. This may include corn, wheat, diary products or even peanuts. Be careful if you react to these foods as they trigger digestive troubles and mental haze in certain individuals.
26. Avoid fatty foods. In scientific studies, animals without fail learn at a slower rate when they are eating high fat diets. Non-saturated fats found in Olive oil are what you should stay with. Saturated fats have been revealed to in fact arrest the development of brain cells.
27. Avoid suspicious foods. There is substantiation that these foods can be horrific for your mind: synthetic food colorings, artificial sweeteners, soda-pops, corn syrup, frostings, other highly sweetened beverages, hydrogenated lard, sugars, white bread, and any white-flour products.
28. Evade diabetes. The progression of diabetes corresponds with a reducing of IQ test results. So if you want to prolong your brain power, pursue your doctors’ nutritional advice for steering clear of or treating diabetes.
29. Eat less. Eating too much has the initial consequence of redirecting more blood to the digestive tract which leaves less for the brain. Over time it can be responsible for arterial blockages that permanently decrease blood flow to the brain. In one particular examination, rats on a calorie-restricted eating plan had more brain power.
30. Sleep well. Your body needs a specific amount of sleep – most likely at least five hours – the value seems to be more essential than the amount. Also, small naps in the mid-day appear to assist in rejuvenating the mind for some people. The trick to sleeping more effectively is to sleep LESS and have MORE energy by augmenting your sleep cycle in order to produce a wealth of vigor in your life.
31. Take a deeep breath. Increased airflow means heightened oxygen levels in the blood and, as a result, in the mind. Breathing through your nose and you’ll observe that you use your diaphragm more, drawing air deeper into your lungs. Numerous deep breaths can also help to relax you, which is beneficial to clearer thinking.
32. Sit up straight. Carriage affects your judgment process. Demonstrate it to yourself by doing arithmetic in your head while slouching, looking at the ground and letting your jaws dangle open. Then do the math in your head while sitting nice and straight, with a closed mouth and look forward or slightly up. You’ll realize that it’s easier to think with the second posture.
33. Go Walking. Physical activity has been proven to benefit the intelligence, and walking is one of the finest exercises for a lot of people. It is easy, and the recurring nature of it puts you in a state that is very favorable to comprehensible thought. Why not carry a paper and pen or a tape recorder and use your 15 minute walk to work out problems.
34. Work Out. Exercise over an extended period can heighten your brain power, that is to be expected. Positively affecting your physical health should also positively affect your mental health. Modern studies, however, reveal that cognitive function is enhanced instantly after only a few moments of low impact activity. If you require a brain refreshment, you could try walking up and down the stairway a few times.
35. Spend time on things you take pleasure in. This can be a great way to both decrease stress and kick start your mind. The solution is to accomplish something proactive. Watching TV doesn’t count. Whether it is playing a mentally stimulating game or something constructive like woodworking, when you are energetically occupied in an activity that you get pleasure from, you are concerned less about things and you begin to think more effectively.
36. Go out and play. Exciting the brain triggers significant differences in the organization of the brain. New neural pathways are established and fresh brain cells are developed. Intellectual games, as well any activities involving hand-eye coordination motivate the brain.
37. Avoid too much stress. A Neuro-psychologist from the George Washington University indicated bluntly that stress causes brain damage. Extended periods of stress have repetitively been shown to damage the brain as well as the rest of the human body. By mastering a few stress cutback techniques you can lower your stress level.
38. Laugh it up. Laughter triggers the release of endorphins and lowers stress levels. It is good for long term brain fitness. Laughter also tends to leave you feeling unbolt towards new ideas and views.
39. Increase your Imagination. Inventiveness gives command to your judgment. Unprocessed calculation can be completed by computers currently, but people provide the creative notions that characterize our society.
40. Expand your sixth sense. Natural perception can be a vital component of mind power. Einstein and others depended greatly on their instinctive hunches. Man is given instincts to help him decide what is best.
41. Meditate. An easy meditation technique you can accomplish presently is to just close your eyes and listen carefully to your breathing. Tensing up your muscles and then relaxing them to start may be of assistance. When your mind wanders, just bring your concentration back to your breath. This will help unwind you, clear your mind, and leave you more prepared for any intellectual undertaking.
42. Make use of quiet time. This is down time that is usually wasted or just not usually spent wisely. Driving the car, time used up in waiting quarters, or even time spent cleaning your house can be incorporated here. If you have a normal walk-man or tape player and access to a library you can use this time to listen to educational audio books. You could spend 200 hours in your car each year. What might you become skilled at in that time?
43. Become educated. Scientists have acknowledged for some time that people with less education are more likely to fall victim to Alzheimer’s. Learning in any region of study appears to make the mind stronger.
44. Learn a language. Mastering a new tongue has been revealed to halt the age-related refuse in brain function. It also better acquaints your brain to fresh concepts and new methods of looking at things (in English we are frightened, in Spanish we have fear). It is one of the greatest brain training methods.
45. Reduce distractions. Concentration and clear thinking are more or less mechanical once you eradicate interruption. Learn to impede and observe your hectic mind. As you observe things that are delicately annoying you, work these small things out. This could mean making a phone call you have been putting off, or adding things to a to-do list so you don’t need to worry about them for a while. This will make you a more powerful thinker and, with some time will begin to come more naturally to you.
46. Write. Writing is beneficial to your brain for many different reasons. It helps’ you memory understand what is most useful and makes it easier to access later. It is a way to elucidate your thoughts. It is a way to keep fit your imagination and diagnostic capability. Writing in a journal, composing poems or verse, taking notes and writing stories are all ways to use writing to enhance your mind power.
47. Listen to Classical Music. Investigations at University of California, explained that kids who studied music by learning an instrument or learning to sing, were greatly superior at solving puzzles, and when examined, scored 80% higher in spatial intellect than the non-musical crowd. In a different study, 36 students were prearranged three spatial analysis experiments on a typical IQ test. Just before the primary examination, they would listen to Mozart’s sonata two piano sonatas, K.448 over a period of ten minutes. Prior to the subsequent test, they listened to a relaxation recording. Prior to the third, they did not listen to everything. The standard scores for all 36 of them:1 st examination: 119. 2nd examination: 111. 3rd examination: 110. A Student who listened to classical music saw an increase of nine points.
48. Sing out loud. When you are driving alone, try singing about something that is going on. This utilizes the right side of your brain: The Creative Side. Have you ever noticed it is easier to rhyme words when you sing them than it is to write them down? This is due to the right brain’s ability to notice patterns. Singing often will train your mind to slip over to the right brain more effortlessly. Being able to switch in this manner will help you to become a more accurate problem solver. If you are skeptical about the differences between the brain hemispheres, just observe a person who stutters. They may not be able to tell you how they feel without stuttering but ask them to sing and they will suddenly be able to stop.
49. Audio Hypnosis. The influence of implication is genuine, and one way to exercise it is with hypnosis recordings, Compact Discs or digital format. This type of “brainwashing” has more substantiation for it than subconscious implication.
50. Speed-read. Contrary to popular belief, your understanding of material increases when you learn speed-reading techniques. You will learn and obtain more knowledge in less time.
51. Make-believe Friends. Chatting to and receiving guidance from characters in your head is a surprisingly good technique for accessing the information in your subliminal psyche. See in your mind’s eye a discussion with someone who has an assortment of awareness in the area you need to work on.
52. Study more competently. When you make a decision to learn a little, take annotations from the get-go. Take home with you from each educational endeavor a inquiry or two, to produce eagerness and inquisitiveness. By taking short breaks you create more starting and ending points in your lessons. The start and ending points of any lesson are always recalled with ease
53. Use procedures for lucid thoughts. Chaotic workspaces and offices can encourage messy thinking. Systematize a space for cerebral labor. Prepare yourself for a task by sighing, stretching and taking a deep breathe. Organize some time for brainstorming without distraction.
54. Brain wave stimulation. The most recent mind wave stimulating products are great utensils for shifting your mind function. Some of them work to relax the mind where others get your brain to stretch its’ muscles before a real work out.
55. Speaking. Speaking is only beneficial to the mind if you are in fact exercising it. If you try to explain something that you have an okay understanding of in your own words you will observe that the procedure of explanation will lend a hand to illuminate your comprehension.
56. Intelligence Aerobics. Do math in your head while you are working at other things. Think of a new application for everything you see. Habitual use of the brain has been proven to spawn new neuronal growth, and even stop the decrease in mental abilities that are experienced when we get old.
57. Solve puzzles. A great way to exercise your mind is by solving word puzzles, lateral thinking puzzles, and even the odd riddle. You can toil on them even as waiting for a meeting or prior arrangement such as a Doctor’s office, or on the transit, if you need to really squeeze it in.
58. Play Video Games. That’s right, research has uncovered that video games can advance mental adroitness, while working on our hand-eye coordination, depth acuity and pattern Video game players also benefit from higher attention spans and information processing ability than most other people. Ask a person to spend one week playing video games and watch as their visual-perception skills improve. Believe it or not, video games could actually save your life. Operating Room Surgeons, who play video games, even just for a few hours a week, make one-third fewer errors during surgery than the doctors who don’t play games. Don’t be quick to judge gamers as reclusive or outsiders: one investigator found that white-collar professionals who play video games are more self-assured and social.
59. Force yourself not to forget. Sometimes you want to recall the title of a song that you heard or the name of an old friend that you bump into. It is there, right at the very tip of your tongue but you still can’t quite spit it out. What did you usually do when caught in that position? Most likely ask some close by buddy for the name, and upon the shock you will even holler triumphantly, “Oh yeah! That’s right.” The next time this occurs make yourself to memorize that name. The mind can be exercised similar to your muscles and the further you work out the better it will become. Do not border yourself to recollection of names. Do you rely on your cell phone to keep track of phone numbers? Don’t use an address book even on paper – you can learn by heart all the numbers you need to know. Attempt to visualize the keypad of your mobile phone in order to produce a mental image of what the series of digits looks like. The worst thing that might come of this is that you will have to to consult your contact list for the numbers anyway…
60. Use systems. From Since I was a child the way to find times was to multiply by take away It is much simpler to find the solution in your mind by doing this. I received no acclaim for my special algorithms at the time, but they are advertising these kinds of tricks on infomercials now, because they are effective. You can discover many simpler methods for doing math or other intellectual tasks in your head. Or you can find out about them in literature.
61. Create a brain power diagram. Many Doctors will advise you it takes roughly twenty to thirty days of recurrence to create new routines. This indicates that when you form your diagram for better brain power, be positive you arrange to use that new-fangled problem solving system, or devour those new intellect foods for a minimum three weeks. You can make use of numerous of the brain elevators here and get instantaneous outcomes, but it is harboring new routines that will grant you the majority of your brain power.
62. Apply new knowledge to things you already knew. Connect new data to information you already remember, whether it’s new material that builds on previous knowledge, or something as simple as an address of someone who resides nearby someone else in your life.
63. Practice. Simply making use of a problem solving method for a number of weeks and it will develop into a routine. Revamp everything you observe for a period of time, and that will grow to be a custom. You can build up countless good thinking habits with a little bit of work, and then be more capable naturally from then on. Employ the power of practice.
64. Practice information often and “over-study”. Go over what you have covered the same day you learn it, and do so regularly afterwards. Research shows that spaced out learning over time is more effective than just “cramming” information in a rush. Always “over-study” by learning more than you think you will need to know. With familiarity comes expertise.
65. Question everything. Its’ an important step in keeping your brain fit. Get into the routine of asking questions about everything that is new to you. Why are skyscrapers built so high? What do worms eat? Ask whatever thing that pops into your head and examine the possible solutions.
66. Keep on learning. This goes hand-in-hand with exercising your mind. You can do this in your spare time by listening to educational audio books.
67. Be Self Aware. This may perhaps not appear key to brain power, although it is. As soon as you identify yourself better, you know how to steer clear of the typical effects of sense of self and feeling in your apparently “logical” thinking. Otherwise you can at least take it into consideration. Look at yourself, mainly as you clarify things or dispute.
68. Motivate yourself. Motivation is as important to mental tasks as it is to any other. Learn a few easy methods for self motivation.
69. Find a role model. Seek out people who are inspired, intellectual, or exceedingly industrious. Try to mimic their actions and think in the manner that they think. This is a huge standard in neural-linguistic encoding (brainwashing). However, you should use caution when taking their recommendations. Successful individuals frequently don’t in fact recognize why they are doing well. Act the way that they act, but do not do what they tell you to do.
70. Adjust your beliefs. Believe you more intelligent and you will become more intelligent. Self-Affirmations such as actually telling yourself you are getting smarter may help, but showing yourself actual proof is more helpful. Write down all of your successes. Say to yourself, “Wow, that was really ingenious,” and recognize when you do something innovative. Write down your good ideas. Put together the proof of your good ideas and look back on them to see your improvement.
71. Pass up pointless arguments. When we use an excessive amount of strength to support a point just to “win a fight” or “prove a point” your self-image comes into play. This isn’t favorable to the reception and application of fresh information. This means that you place your brain in a rut, and you only proceed to put it in deeper with every squabble. Healthy debates can be a helpful thing, but when the sense of self takes over, the mind can begin to narrow. This is not a formula for healthier thoughts.
72. Climate. A lot of people have taken into consideration that they are more capable thinkers when the room temperature is just right. Generally, it seems as if cooler temperatures, though not unbearably cold, tend to encourage better thinking. Try testing it for yourself to observe what warmth facilitates your comfort the best.
73. Rainy days amp up brain power. Studies from Australia have indicated rainy and gloomy conditions may help the brain’s capacity to store memory. A University study surveyed customers at a major shop in Sydney, Australia. They discovered that people achieved higher scores on recollection exams during rotten weather when customers felt depressed. The conclusions, available in the Journal of Experimental Psychology, reflect earlier examinations that showed students who were feeling down achieved higher scores than students were in high spirits.
When you are happy, you tend to think in a more worry-free style that encourages you to overlook details and be less aware of the worlds around you.
also, there is some inconsistency. it seems we should do things we take pleasure in, yet not be too happy, in order to be more intelligent. hmm laugh it up, but at the same time try to preserve the sense of depression provided by rainy weather
meanwhile, a few stumbles ago was a long collection of cited articles correlating the effects of caffeine with depression and anxiety.
salt is required. massive grains of it, all this to be taken with
September 28th, 2009 at 3:26 am
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