Listen To Your Body

We now know that our body and brain are inextricably linked. What happens in the body is felt in the brain and what happens in the brain can manifest in our body. 

As science and research continues to investigate our brain, we are learning so much more about these close links. Mostly, 'they' are just confirming what we already knew or suspected to be true.

Here are some things that we all suspected about the links and have now confirmed;

Butterflies in the stomach - This is the result of the flight or fight reaction, when we get nervous stress hormones are released into the stomach which stimulates these nerves and sends signals to the brain to be aware of the danger ahead.  

Dry mouth - When we are nervous, our stomach shuts down so that the food inside the gut can be burned for energy to run away. Our mouth dries so that we do not consume food to ensure that the stomach can concentrate on burning what it already has inside it.

Inability to talk - When we are emotional we sometimes have difficulty in talking, we choke. This is caused by the nerves in the oesophagus being over-stimulated therefore constricting.

Diarrhoea - The stress reaction also results in the vagus nerve to over stimulate in our gut resulting in runny pooh! This is also a way of disposing of unused adrenalin.

Feelings in your heart - Some feeling sensations that we have in our heart sends signals to our brain, rather than the reverse. Hence, always say what is in your heart when you are confused as to what to say.

Gut feeling - This has been confirmed as accurate. The nerves in your gut have become a small 'brain' through evolution. Go with gut instinct as it will keep you safe.

Stress – When we are under pressure and feeling stressed, often it will be felt in the body. Sometimes we will have a sore neck, back or shoulder. Anywhere in fact close to the spine from where the brain sends and receives messages to and from the body.

The brain is a wonderfully complex organ, however it doesn’t always get things right. 

Eat Dark Chocolate

We have all known that chocolate has been good for us right? Well, not all chocolate is good for us, but you know what I mean. Recent studies have shown that dark chocolate, which contains less sugar than white or milk chocolate, has many benefits including boosting your brain power while protecting you from heart disease and some cancers.

Eating about 30 grams of dark chocolate per day improves blood flow which allows your brain to think faster and reduces blood pressure.

Here’s some other reasons to eat a SMALL piece of dark chocolate each day;

·        The magnesium in dark chocolate decreases the coagulation in our blood which enables more oxygen to get to the brain.

·        It contains monoamine oxidase inhibitors (good stuff) which allows the dopamine and serotonin levels (good chemicals) to remain for longer periods in your brain.  

·        Dark chocolate is rich in antioxidants (good stuff) which consume free radicals (bad stuff) in your blood.

·        Brain foods such as spinach, broccoli and raspberries are out done by dark chocolate ten-fold.

·        Dark chocolate increases your brain speed faster than caffeine does.

·        The PEA contained in dark chocolate activates the neurotransmitters in your brain that control alertness and concentration.

·        Dark chocolate produces similar endorphins to those produced immediately prior to and following sex.

As if you needed any other reason, eat dark chocolate for your brain.

I wonder how many of you read the entire post before deciding to eat dark chocolate, I would have started straight after reading the headline.

You’re welcome!

Just Back Off Type-A, Or Else!

Maturity (old age) brings with it wisdom. Often we find ourselves needing wisdom much earlier in our life to protect us. Sometimes wisdom comes to us and we don't see the value in it until it is too late.

Researching as I have over the last 15 years as to why I went mad, I found that there are many factors involved in 'burnout'. I discovered for me a major factor was my Type-'A' personality. 

I was a typical Type-A guy who had the three common traits; competitiveness, time urgency and hostility. Throw into the mix perfectionism and that equals a high tendency towards burnout and depression.

Here's what I try to do more of these days to successfully avoid going down a path that leads to nothing but darkness;

Competitiveness - I am still very competitive in my business, doing everything that I can to provide the best service possible to my clients and to promote my work. I still work long hours, keeping busy, continually looking for that additional edge that I can offer.

But this time I compete with myself instead of those around me. Previously I competed with those around me and I would do whatever it took to succeed. I simply wanted to beat them. If I did not 'win' in the competition, I felt terrible and self-deprecated for days or weeks afterwards.

Now if I do not succeed as I thought I should have (and it is just that, my own thoughts) I dismiss it and move on to the next challenge. There are plenty of challenges to take up my time without adding regret into the mix.

Time Urgency - I wanted to be the best, to be number one, and to get there immediately. As a builder I had to be the best tradesman, then as a construction foreman I had to be the one who was admired, then as a cop I wanted fast promotion, then as a Detective I had to get to Detective Inspector rank, and as a crisis negotiator I had to be the National Advisor. No matter what I did I had to get to the top as fast as I could.

Once I got what I wanted I never took the time enjoy the moment, I moved quickly on to the next desire. "What's the next move up from here and how fast can I get there?" I would ask myself. And when I didn't get there within a short timeframe I held jealousy foremost in my mind for those who got there first.

These days I know that there is no such need for urgency. It will happen when the time is right, when I have learned enough, when I am ready.

Perfectionism - I have always wanted to do everything just right, and to an extent I still do. I still give everything to be at my very best and if someone feels it is not quite good enough or isn't what they wanted, I change to what they want. 

I now know that perfectionism is a self-assessment. What is the very best in my view may not be good enough from another's viewpoint. I will give 100% and know that I have done all that I can. If it is not up to my standard and I can't do anything about it to get it there then I move on.

Hostility - Research tells us that Type-A's often display high levels of anger, envy and a lack of compassion. The first two were certainly the case for me, compassion is something that my mother gave to me and for which I am very grateful to her. 

Previously I often displayed anger. When I feel anger swelling inside I now take a long, slow, deep, quiet breath and once I have filled my lungs completely I count to five while holding my breath.

Anger starts with a psychological reaction which leads to a physiological reaction. The quickest way to overcome this is to use a physiological (deep breath and hold) and psychological (counting inside my head) response.

Saying ‘No’ – I added this one into the mix because I found that I was unable to say ‘no’. Because of this I was always busy, both at work and at home. I will never be able to say ‘no’, I know that. I want (need) to be busy, I want to help, and I want to succeed.

Now I say ‘no’ by reducing the things that aren’t so important. Home and work will always be important to me and will always come first, in that order.

But now I spend less time trying to fit so much into every day. The lawns can wait, that car needn’t be pristine, I don’t need to run 10 kilometres each day, I can phone someone instead of sending an email, I can take 30 minutes out between business meetings.

I wish I was this wise when I was much younger, but then I guess I would never have learned so much about myself.

10 Things That I Do to Keep Myself Well

I am currently working overseas with my wife. She is my business partner, my 'numbers' guru, and my carer. The trip is for business and pleasure. (More the former than the latter for me.)   

I asked my wife, what topic should I post about on Linked In today? Her response, "Do you never stop?" It made me think, am I heading down a path that I have been down before which ended badly.

Many years ago I was so busy at work that I never really looked after myself. The result, my brain failed and I had a 'little' meltdown. Burnout can hit anyone if we don't look after ourselves. Trust me on this.

I am working harder now than I ever have. And I don't really switch off these days, running your own business does that to you. I often find myself caught in the trap of responding to emails immediately, researching on the latest trends, developing new programmes, etc., etc.

So how do I know that I am not going to have another meltdown? I do things differently today than I did 15 years ago and I now ‘listen’ to my body (and brain). Here’s what I do to keep myself sane in these busy times;

1.      I respond to emails three times a day. This allows me to relax knowing that I will answer all emails within 24 hours and there is nothing outstanding when I go to bed. And I can work in-between the emails.

2.     I go to bed earlier rather than later. Sleep is the most important thing that you can do for yourself, bar none. If I miss out on sleep through the week I take a ‘Grandpa” nap in the weekend. Importantly, if I can’t get to sleep because my brain is racing flat out at night, I don’t panic. I might be tired the next day but it is not the end of the world, I will get through the day.

3.     I exercise as regularly as I can. The benefits of exercise are endless and helps both your body and brain. Thirty minutes is a minimum, 45 minutes is the maximum. (I used to exercise for 1.5 hours every day)

4.     I eat better than I used to. I have cut out refined sugar (almost), I eat more vegies, and I eat regularly. I drink lots of water but not too much so that I am flushing out the essential nutrients in my body.

5.     I use lists, lots of them. This stops me from worrying that I might miss something the next day. Plus, writing something down engages the logic brain and removes emotions.

6.     I talk, a lot. Socialisation is what we are supposed to do and don’t do enough of these days. (I used to converse with my boss via email, he was in the office next door.)

7.     I have stopped worrying. Well, as much as I can stop worrying. The universe seems to work better when we don’t worry or panic. I works as hard as I can and know that I have done all that I can.

8.     I listen to my body and brain. If I have an injury or get sick, I rest or go to the doctor to get it sorted. If I ‘feel’ like I should do something, I do it. Our body and brain are linked, and we need to listen to both.

9.     I say sorry when I make a mistake.

10.   I try to be as humble and polite as I can be.

Brain Food

I often get confused as to what I should eat to keep my brain working well, protein or carbohydrates. And what about sugar and fats - should I have some or not. Here's what I can make out of the latest research;

Protein - Eating protein increases mental alertness. It has something to do with the supply of neurotransmitters. Strawberries, blueberries and spinach has been shown to reverse the deterioration of our thinking ability. Even better still, dark chocolate has 10 times the flavonols of these 'mind foods'. (I know what I am going to eat but remember, it does have sugar.) 

Carbohydrates - You need some of these but only in the morning because you need slow release Carbs to keep your energy levels up across the day. Unprocessed carbs are the best.

Fats - Eliminate as much saturated fats as you can as these clog your arteries. You do need some for your brain, low-fat diets have been found to increase accidents, depression and suicides.  Unsaturated fats are needed to keep your brain functioning, without them your brain cells will actually die.

Sugar - We crave sugars when we are tired or over-anxious. Refined sugar is fast acting therefore the calming effect is immediate. Unfortunately processed sugars produce excessive amounts of insulin and that is not good for you. It also increases your craving of sugar! 

So where does this leave you, cringing at what you should and shouldn't eat like me? Here's a quick guide for brain food;

·        Start breakfast with whole grain toast and an egg - the processed carbs will release slowly across the day and you need protein at every meal.

·        Eat complex carbs in the morning - fruit, salad, raw vegetables and proteins like fish or poultry.

·        For extra brain power – eat eggs, oily fish such as salmon or mackerel and stewed unsweetened fruits.

·        Graze all day - rather than have three square (huge) meals a day, have three moderate meals and snack in between on protein foods such as yoghurt, cheese, nuts and seeds.  

Remember, eat smaller portions more often. If you are still confused, join the club. The suggestions above are to help your brain - which is my area of interest.

A good guide for me is to eat food that is as close to natural as possible.