Brain Archive

Discover how to enhance mental performance, beat brain fog, increase IQ, decrease cravings and boost mental health with foods, supplements, gear, training and more.

Secrets of the Superhuman Food Pyramid: Pros and Cons of Grapes

grapes

Grapes have long been a part of the human diet. The fruit has been cultivated for at least as long as it has been fermented and turned into wine which is a practice that goes back 8,000 years.

Currently around 75,800 square kilometers of land from around globe is being used to cultivate this fruit. About 71% of production is for wine grapes, 27% for table grapes and 2% for dried fruit. This clearly shows the commercial importance of this fruit.

The nutritional profile of grapes has received much attention from researchers. Various phytonutrients from the common beta-carotene to less frequently occurring substances like resveratrol have been identified. The health benefits of the latter have been the focus of recent studies regarding the fruit.

Along with the benefits, some health risks also need to be considered in order to effectively take advantage of what the fruit has to offer. Continue reading and find out the pros and cons of grapes. Read More . .

Secrets of the Superhuman Food Pyramid: Benefits of Bananas

sweet bananas and plantains

Bananas are just one of those fruits that are so apparently beneficial to the human body that it isn’t surprising how long it has been cultivated and distributed widely across various parts of the world.

It is said that the fruit was brought to the American continents from West Africa by Portuguese sailors in the 16th century. But long before that, possibly as far back as 5000 B.C., bananas had already been domesticated in Southeast Asia. It is in this region as well as in some parts of Africa that numerous varieties of bananas originated and some of them still thrive today.

The Superhuman Food Pyramid fully recommends bananas because they can help keep your heart, brain, and stomach healthy. Continue reading to learn more about the benefits of bananas. Read More . .

Secrets of the Superhuman Food Pyramid: Negative Effects of MSG

MSG

MSG is short for monosodium glutamate. It is a food additive that is commonly used in condiments such as soy sauce and is also a constant flavoring ingredient in Chinese dishes.

The term umami is a Japanese loanword that roughly means “savory” and is the word used to describe the taste of MSG or any dish that is laden with this distinct flavor. The taste is ascribed to the glutamate component of this food additive. The tongue actually has receptors for this specific compound which differentiates umami from the other basic tastes.

In the early years of its production MSG was made by hydrolyzing wheat gluten. A second method used afterwards was direct synthesis of MSG component substances through the use of acrylonitrile, a chemical used in the fiber industry. Today the food additive is made through bacterial fermentation. The glutamate is filtered from the amino acids secreted by the bacteria and then sodium is added at a later stage.

The Superhuman Food Pyramid recommends that you avoid including MSG in your diet. Despite its tempting flavor, there are certain health risks that MSG components can present.

Read on to know about the negative effects of MSG and why it won’t help you Become Superhuman. Read More . .

How To Have Superhuman Nerves And Avoid Choking When Under Pressure

Missed putt

You may or may not be a golfer, but here’s an example of why what you’re about to learn in this article is important…

Just image you’re in a high-stakes golf tournament.

Make this two-foot putt and you win your first major tourney.

You walk up to the ball and you tell yourself to relax. You focus on getting your grip just right. You’re thinking about all the things your coach said. You’re thinking about your grip, your stance, and you’re worried about all the bad things that are going to happen if you miss this shot.

You’ve practiced this putt thousands of times, but now the pressure is on and everyone is watching you. You’re sweating and freezing up. You swing the club. “SMACK!”

The ball goes flying 6 feet past the hole. “Choke!”

Read More . .

Get Early Bird Access to the “Become Superhuman” LIVE Event with Ben Greenfield!

Superhuman conference with Ben Greenfield

For the past two years, I’ve been secretly planning a live conference where you can come learn from the best-of-the-best in the realm of health, fitness, nutrition – and discover how to truly look, feel and perform the way you’ve always wanted to.

And I’ve got good news – the conference is officially scheduled for March 8 & 9, 2013, in Spokane, Washington as the “Become Superhuman” LIVE Event with Ben Greenfield.

That’s right -  I’ve lined up a world-class series of speakers in performance, fat loss, recovery, digestion, brain, sleep and hormone optimization to descend upon the Pacific Northwest for the most epic health and fitness conference ever. Since I’m still finalizing contracts, I can’t yet reveal the speaker identities, but let’s just say that you’re going to get to personally learn from some of the biggest doctors, experts and gurus that have ever been on my podcast – up close and in-person.

Read More . .

Get Peak Mental Performance By Protecting Your Brain From Electromagnetic Radiation

electromagnetic-radiation

I’m just now finishing the book “Zapped” by Anne Louise Gittleman.

While I have for some time been aware of concepts such as electric radiation, dirty electricity and, electric pollution and electromagnetic radiation, I’m really floored by some of the well-researched concepts in this book, and taking some definite steps to protect myself and my family.

I can’t believe how much of this stuff flies under the radar, pun intended. I’m going to get Anne onto my podcast, but in the meantime, you can take this free quiz to see how much radiation exposure you actually get.

Her book has some fairly impractical advice. But some of it is practical and easily implementable.

So here are some of the steps I’m taking, with a total investment of about $500-600 to shield myself from nasty effects of electrical fields, such as fuzzy thinking, joint aches, and cancer risks:

Read More . .

Mind Hacking Motivation Tactics For Improving Your Workouts & Your Life.

focused-mind-energy-350x211

We’ve all been there before – your training plan for the day calls for a tough exercise session, but you’re just too mentally exhausted to workout.

Perhaps you had a stressful day at work, a tough day with the kids or too many exhausting mental tasks to handle.

Maybe you actually do make it to your workout, but your thinking is so fuzzy and your brain is so tired that all you can do is slog away junk mileage on the treadmill or bike, or swim lazy laps in the pools.

This lack of motivation isn’t a figment of your imagination.

Studies have actually shown that the type of exhaustion that accompanies difficult mental tasks (i.e. a hard day at work) can indeed decrease exercise motivation and performance. This problem can be compounded if the neurons in your brain are sluggishly transmitting signals due to fatty acid deficiencies; your motivating neurotransmitters like dopamine and glutamate are low due to underproduction of a compound called acetylcholine; or your mind is simply not trained to handle complex tasks.

But the good news is that by using practical lifestyle tips, supplements and brain training, you can hack your mind to not only become smarter, but also to improve exercise motivation.

In this article, you’ll learn about how to get your brain to operate at peak efficiency so that you can not only get yourself out to the door to exercise, but also live your entire life at peak mental efficiency.

Read More . .

Secrets Of The Superhuman Food Pyramid: How To Use Cinnamon

cinamon

Since I first published the Superhuman Food Pyramid, I’ve received many questions about why the pyramid is structured the way that it is.

So in this series, you’re going to learn every detail that you need to know about how choosing the right types of foods can help you Become Superhuman, and why certain foods appear as “eat”, “moderate” or “avoid” on the pyramid.

Rather than rushing through the entire pyramid without getting into detail, we’re going to take our time with this series, and focus on  practical aspects of one specific food component at a time.

Although you can certainly take every recommended food on the Superhuman Food Pyramid and add it to your diet immediately, you don’t necessarily have to use that approach. Instead, you can simply implement foods that pique your interest as you read this series over the course of the next year.

Here is how the series will go, from the apex to the base of the pyramid:

Part 1: Herbs, Spices & Sweeteners

Part 2: Fruits

Part 3: Grains & Legumes

Part 4: Proteins

Part 5: Vegetables

Part 6: Fats

Part 7: Drinks

In each part, you’ll learn which nutritional components to eat, which to moderate, which to avoid and the details of each.

So let’s get started with the first recommended component of the Herbs, Spices & Sweeteners section: how to use cinnamon.

Read More . .