By Do this if you want to develop your brain to its full potential
Who wouldn’t want to keep their brain active, alert and in top shape well into old age? It’s not a particular food or activity that will give it to you — quite the contrary; not eating for some time is what makes a significant difference to your brain’s capacity. But, doesn’t “not eating” decrease your body’s ability to function, especially your brain? Not if you know what you are doing. Not eating for some time regularly, Is called intermittent fasting. Going without food for a certain amount of time or even a day increases your brain’s natural growth factors, which supports the growth of new neurons. Metabolic switching between glucose and ketones is best for cognition and decreasing your chances of developing degenerative diseases. A recent paper from Nature Reviews Neuroscience puts it, “Metabolic swinging” impact multiple signalling pathways that promote neuroplasticity and resistance of our brains to injury and disease.
So if you want to use your brain in peak condition, what would be the best way to go about this?
You fast either 2–3 times per week or every single day. Allow your body to experience hunger for a certain amount of time so that it can do the necessary inbuilt repair during food scarcity. This isn’t to be confused with caloric restriction — which leaves you starving all the time. Instead, we stop eating for a specific timeframe so that we force our bodies into burning fat reserves. The exhaust from this — called Ketones — will keep your brain going through those periods, improve your cognition, and start to grow new connections between neurons whilst starving off potential brain degeneration. How awesome is that?
How to fast
Skip breakfast or lunch. It’s that simple. Most people would prefer to skip breakfast but use your hunger signals to judge what is best for you. As I’m not hungry in the evening, I miss dinner, but this is my natural body clock talking. Take a moment to listen to your hunger queues, which will tell you the right time to fast.
Outcome
As you start getting used to fasting, it will become second nature. During the hours you aren’t eating, your brain activity will become heightened, and you experience laser focus. There is no tiredness or hunger as you may have previously expected. You will feel better than ever during this time. It’s pretty easy to become hooked on how much of your potential it can draw out. I find this brain phenomenon very hard to explain to those who haven’t fasted. So this is the time I do my best work.
Who shouldn’t fast
Anyone who takes insulin shouldn’t — but do speak to your doctor if you want to use this method for weight loss and increasing your brain function. Pregnant women shouldn’t fast either. If you are in doubt, ask your doctor.
Key takeaways
I have used fasting as a weight loss and cognitive strategy for years. Without fasting, I wouldn’t have the capacity to work & train at the level I currently do — not to mention my side hustles which I make time for every day. If you want to be a peak performer, who is always on top of the game of work and life, I highly recommend you try fasting. Initially, the first few weeks will be very challenging, and you will battle lethargy, but I promise that you will become reborn again when those few weeks come to an end. It’s fascinating how my brain has developed into a problem solving and memory recalling machine. At age 43, I believe my brain is increasing its potential rather than declining in its capacity (as most people assume happens when they age). Here is some research you might want to look into: Brain’s increase in neuroplasticity If you would like to read more articles like this or start writing your own, please sign up via my link. I’d love to see you on the other side. Sign up here for your medium subscription. I get a portion from your monthly fee at no extra cost to you, and it will go a long way in supporting me as a writer.
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