Getting Active for Life

An active lifestyle leads to a more efficient brain – one that can

respond better to stress, remember information, and be more

attentive. From what you eat, to what exercise you do, to how

much sleep you get and the amount of caffeine you drink – all

these affect your brain. Understanding how your daily decisions

in these areas could be making a big difference to how your brain

works is important. So before you take another bite of your sand-

wich or drink another glass of wine, find out what really is best for

your brain.

Here is a quick overview of tips and strategies you can find in

this book:

 ✓ Eat for your brain. Chocolate to boost your brain? Juice to

help your memory? Steak to help your attention? Eating the

right brain food doesn’t mean that you end up eating lettuce

and flavourless food. On the contrary, many delicious and

wonderful foods are packed with nutrients that are fantastic

for your brain. Read Chapter 12 before you start cooking so

that you can eat the best foods for your brain.

 ✓ Get help from stimulants. Caffeine, alcohol, and medication –

they’re all a double-edged sword. In some instances stimulants

can help your brain work better. But many of these stimulants

come at a price. Not all stimulants are equal – and you could

end up harming instead of helping your brain. Read Chapter 13

to make sure that you know what you’re getting into before it’s

too late.

 ✓ You’ve got to move it! If you think that Chapter 14, which is

all about exercise, is going to make you feel guilty for not get-

ting a gym membership, don’t worry. It won’t. Instead, you

find out how even the brain responds to physical activity,

how you can keep depression and memory loss at bay, and

even how to help your body heal faster. Chapter 14 is also

about rest – the importance of sleep to ensure that your brain

is in great working shape.

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