Being a natural medicine enthusiast, i'm constantly researching new Supplements, Herbs, Techniques and Lifestyle Tweaks that can significantly improve overall health, well-being and the performance of the Human Mind. I have researched Mental Performance extensively as I myself am fascinated with Human Psychology and all the amazing things we are all capable of. Today I've decided I'd write up a quick article on tips and tricks I've researched and practiced in my own life to maximize health and mental performance to the greatest extent through Diet, Supplementation, lifestyle tweaks and techniques.
So first and foremost, we must make sure we have the foundation, so that we have a solid base to build on, in which will allow our Mental Prowess to truly flourish.
Diet
Diet
For most people, simply changing your diet will work miracles in your health, happiness, focus and well-being. Ultimately, we are all different people, with different genetics and different routines. Some people may thrive on a Mediterranean Diet, while others may do best on a High Carb Vegan Diet. Some people may do best eating the complete opposite, eating more according to the Paleo Diet.
Personally, I have experimented a lot with diet. Through trial and error, I have tried many variations of Veganism, Vegetarianism, an Asian Diet, and ultimately at the moment i've found a Grain-Free, High Fat Paleo Diet to work best for my body. Personally, I eat a low carb Paleo Diet. I eat a lot of Lamb, Turkey, Grass-fed Beef, Fish, Fish, Fish, and chicken. I eat a lot of Grass-fed Butter, Olive Oil, Flaxseed Oil, and Avocados for my main energy sources. I eat raw vegetables at every meal. A lot of nourishing fruits like Papaya, Bananas, Mango, Strawberries, Blueberries, Raspberries, Blackberries, Grapes and Citrus fruits.
Personally, I have experimented a lot with diet. Through trial and error, I have tried many variations of Veganism, Vegetarianism, an Asian Diet, and ultimately at the moment i've found a Grain-Free, High Fat Paleo Diet to work best for my body. Personally, I eat a low carb Paleo Diet. I eat a lot of Lamb, Turkey, Grass-fed Beef, Fish, Fish, Fish, and chicken. I eat a lot of Grass-fed Butter, Olive Oil, Flaxseed Oil, and Avocados for my main energy sources. I eat raw vegetables at every meal. A lot of nourishing fruits like Papaya, Bananas, Mango, Strawberries, Blueberries, Raspberries, Blackberries, Grapes and Citrus fruits.
Probably the most unique and beneficial characteristics of my diet, include my huge emphasis on Herbs, Teas and Spices. I eat about 2 tblspns of Turmeric with black pepper at every meal. Turmeric is one of the most well studied and trusted Natural Anti-Inflammatory in the world. Turmeric works with the body to decrease inflammation, kill pathogens, kill cancer cells, heal the liver, nourish the digestive system, balance hormones and nourish the brain. Black pepper has been shown to increase its absorption by up to 2000%. Therefore, just like in Ayurveda Medicine, I combine the two to get excellent results.
I also like to include Raw Garlic and Cayenne Pepper with every meal. Raw Garlic has been used by the Russian military as a natural antibiotic to heal the body of infections when they ran out of Penicillin. Raw Garlic is one of the most potent natural antibiotic herbs on the planet. Eating it with meals significantly helps your digestion. Cayenne Pepper is also a very popular Natural Antibiotic, and helps clear sinuses, increase circulation in the body, improve digestion, and boost immunity as well as energy levels. Many claim cayenne pepper placed under the tongue during a heart attack can pull somebody out of shock instantly.
Tea
I also consume a lot of High Quality Green, Black and White Teas. Green Tea has been shown to provide quite an impressive variety of substantial benefits. Green Tea is ranked as one of the highest sources of Anti Oxidants on the planet. Green Tea contains powerful compounds that have potent Anti-Cancer and Antibiotic properties. These compounds in Green Tea are probably in the top 15% most potent medicinal plant chemicals in the world.
Furthermore, Green Tea is a potent source of L-Theanine, an amino acid shown to improve focus, mental clarity, mood, relaxation and overall well-being. It has also shown to boost serotonin, gaba and dopamine in the brain. Theanine has also been claimed to be neuroprotective, and in turn helps nourish the brain and nervous system. Shaolin Monks have used Green Tea traditionally for thousands of years to enhance meditation, help digestion and help increase energy and focus during bouts of intense training. Samurai Warriors also traditionally drank Green Tea in abundance. Traditionally the Samurai drank a special powdered green tea during ceremony known as "Matcha". Matcha Green Tea is extremely beneficial, as it is being consumed as the ground up whole plant compared to simply drinking a water extracted tea as most teas are. This means more vitamins and compounds are consumed when drinking Matcha. Green Tea also has been shown to lower estrogen, lower cortisol and increase testosterone.
Black Tea has also been shown to contain an abundance of health benefits including Antioxidants, Catechins and potent antistress compounds. Black Tea has been shown to decrease estrogen and boost testosterone significantly. Black Tea has also been shown to lower cortisol, increase focus, lower blood pressure, boost the immune system and provide balanced energy that helps increase focus, awareness and mental sharpness, while obviously not causing any jitters or crashes.
White Tea hasn't been studied nearly as much as black or green teas, but has also been shown to lower estrogen and stress in the body while increasing immunity. White Tea is the least processed of all three, wich means it could be hypothesized to contain more nutrients.
Oolong Tea is probably my favorite. And while I cant provide any science at this time, i've noticed the most significant Brain Boosting and Mood Enhancing effects from Oolong Tea. Oolong Tea really helps balance my mind, relax my body and provide a feeling of infinite creativity and inspiration. I love oolong tea and highly recommend a High Quality Oolong Tea to anyone looking to increase mental well-being.
Yerba Mate is another amazing tea with a substantial amount of medicinal properties. Yerba Mate contains all essential amino acids, its higher in antioxidants than green tea, contains almost all essential vitamins and minerals needed to sustain life and promotes balanced energy and mental sharpness while reducing stress and nourishing the brain, adrenal glands and body at the same time. Yerba Mate has compounds that have been shown to possibly help prevent and treat colon cancer. Yerba Mate has been used as an effective remedy to treat digestive disorders, and I personally love to drink large amounts of strong yerba mate if I feel a little constipated. And it works excellently.
Medicinal Herbs
I am a huge fan of Natural Medicine, but only on top of a truly healthy diet, as diet lays the foundation in wich we can further build and enhance our health upon. Only after we have our healthy optimal diet that works best for our individual unique physiology locked in, then we can add Herbs and Supplements on top to obtain some even more substantial amazing results. Herbs and Supplements really make the difference from average and mediocre, to boosting our mind and body to be at its most effective state possible.
Maca Root, is one of my favorite herbs for boosting Motivation, Ambition and Drive. And therefore, Maca Root boosts mental clarity, focus and wellbeing. Maca Root has been used traditionally to restore youth, increase vitality, balance the hormonal system, boost libido and enhance focus. When I take Maca, I feel motivated, driven, amped up, confident, focused and overall I tend to be more productive on days I take 3-6g of Maca. This works best if taken for weeks at a time as some people experience the effects more gradually and slowly than others. Definitely an herb best taken upon waking, as Maca boosts energy and can make you feel too inspired to be able to fall asleep.
He Shou Wu, is an Adaptogenic Tonic herb heavily praised in Chinese Medicine as the fountain of youth and longevity. He Shou Wu helps build health and wellbeing on all levels. He Shou Wu is one of my favorite herbs for sleep, relaxation, memory, learning and overall wellbeing. He Shou Wu helps build healthy hair and has been used for thousands of years to reverse grey hair in Humans and restore hair to its natural color. He Shou Wu has been shown to contain longevity compounds even more potent than Resveratrol for increasing lifespan and boosting immune function. He Shou Wu boosts one of our bodies most important antioxidants, Superoxide Dismutase, which in turn significantly boosts immunity. He Shou Wu is also a significantly powerful tonic for enhancing Memory, boosting our focus and learning ability and nourishing our brain, body and nervous system in a much more calming manner. He Shou Wu is also an extremely potent tonic for sexdrive as it helps build sexual fluids and potency, as well as boosts the sex drive. He Shou Wu is essential for anyone seeking to boost mental ability, nourish the brain and nervous system, nourish the sex drive and to help improve sleep all in the same amazing Tonic Herb.
Rhodiola, is another excellent herb that promotes youth, mental ability, health and overall lifeforce. Rhodiola lowers cortisol, raises serotonin and therefor helps us feel calm, balanced and focused. While also helping us build energy while nourishing the nervous and immune systems. Rhodiola promotes mental clarity, wellbeing and sexual vigor as well as immunity. Rhodiola is one of my favorite herbs to reduce stress, help me sleep and increase clarity of thought significantly. Probably one of the best herbs for anxiety and stress of all kinds. Amazing benefits for the mind.
Techniques
There is an abundance of herbs I could mention for mental performance, and I plan to make an extensive list in the near future, although for many people, simply adding in a few simply techniques such as deep breathing or meditation can make all the difference.
Meditation, has been shown to increase focus time and time again through studies and tradition. Meditation comes in many forms and can be practiced by anyone. Essentially, Meditation is the practice of just being. Letting go of all thoughts and relaxing into the here and now. Complete detachment. It is so simple, it can be difficult to achieve or understand. With practice, one finds great peace in Meditation. Just laying down comfortably and focusing on your breath is a form of mindfulness meditation. Personally, I participate in many flow activities. Flow is a state of consciousness best described as getting lost in the moment. Completely detached from the future, and completely detatched from the past. Flow is commonly seen in musicians, athletes, martial artists, and practictioners of all kind. It is like Dynamic Active Meditation and it makes me feel so alive, healthy and focused. To achieve a flow state, one can simply find an activity that is easy yet just challenging enough that you are engaged and focused. When you let go into the experience, and become one with the experience, as if you aren't even thinking, yet you are acting, this is called a Flow State.
Meditation helps us build ambition, focus and willpower by forcing us to completely detach ourself from all entertainment and stimulation. Thus, meditation disciplines the mind to focus and function on command.
Aerobic Exercise, has been shown to help the body regenerate cells in the brain, boost neuroplasticity and build neurons. This means it boosts our ability to learn, boosts mental clarity and is absolutely essential for enhancing Mental Performance.
I can not even begin to explain, (or can I?), how many times my mind has been tied up in insane knots of confusion, then while running for 45 minutes, I can literally observe thoughts in my mind seemingly working themselves out, then when I'm finished with my run, Ive somehow found solutions to all the issues i was struggling with before I began my run. Makes sense after looking at the scientific studies showing how Aerobic Activity substantially boosts brain function.
Reading, a book a week can significantly boost our focus, intelligence, cognitive ability, communication skills and our overall ability to learn and process new information. Reading psychology and philosophy is my favorite pastime, as im not just forcing my mind to engage and focus, but im also filling my mind with more mature and deep concepts, which require critical analytical thinking and processing skill. Scientific Studies have shown, the more people read, the more likely they are to make more money than the average person who does not read. And this can be further reinforced by considering the many successful people who mention self-education as a key to their success.
As the saying goes, "The more you learn, the more you earn."
Conclusion
So, as you can see there are many excellent ways in wich we can all significantly boost our performance and help substantially boost our Mental Ability to maximize our results in life and everything we do. I could easily make an entire book with different herbs, supplements, diet tweaks, lifestyle changes, and techniques that effectively boost performance on all levels including Mental, Physical and Emotional.
In this post, I've mentioned the most effective, studied and essential practices to increase results in our pursuits that I believe will give the most benefit to anyone who puts it all into practice. However, there are sooooo many more things I plan to add to this in future posts. This is just the beginning my friends.
Thank you for reading! Please post a comment and let me know that you've read my post. Feel free to criticize or add anything at all.
- Wolfgang V. Lizana