Pamper Your Brain

While engaged in learning over the years I've learned a few things that have helped me to do better in my classes. Often overlooked is our sleep and nutritional needs. This holds true for young students as well as us older ones. The fact is, the rested and fed mind works like a well oiled machine, while a neglected mind struggles.

Most people have experienced a time when they've been reading and have read and re-read a given sentence without retaining an ounce of the meaning. The brain is tired! Too often, we expect our minds to continue to function long after we should. Retaining information while in school is a must, to make retention easiest, good food and a good night's sleep is as important as studying.

Sleep deprivation is an issue very close to my heart. It's been a battle for me. I rarely felt like I'd managed to sleep enough, and getting to sleep was a chore. Contrary to the eight hours recommended, I feel much better when I get around 6 hours of sleep. Less, and I'm good for absolutely nothing, more and I drag through the day. I found an interesting page through WebMD that addresses the positive effects of sleep depravation in the treatment of depression. (First link) This may be why fewer hours than recommended work better for me . . .

The general feel out there is that a person needs eight hours regardless. Otherwise the impact of your "sleep dept*," can lead to chronic problems. On the first day of less sleep, alertness reportedly drops up to 32%; which goes to less alertness, less cognitive ability, and a reduction in memory. In the long run, there are a whole host of problems that sleep deprivation can lead to, that can be chalked up to a poor quality of life. The trick is to know what amount best suits you, and take the time make sure you get that amount.

The truth will likely be found somewhere in the middle. Once you've slept, you should awaken refreshed and feel good. If not, you likely aren't getting your personalized dose of sleep, which can be determined by your lifestyle, and genetic disposition.

This logically brings us to the issues of circadian rhythms. This would be the "internal clock" that we're familiar with; our 24 hour cycle. Our bodies have a natural, built in response to our environs that vary in degrees depending on the person in question. It is important for optimized brain function to ensure that you are sleeping through all phases of your sleep cycle without sleeping well beyond them.

I also have a low tolerance to foods high in simple carbohydrates and this wreaks havoc on my sleep patterns. For me, for instance, if I eat a sandwich (two slices of bread!) at noon, I will require a nap in 30 minutes or so.

Overloading a body with simple carbohydrates causes the body and mind to bog down, so nix the chips. I am not an Atkins advocate, nor do I follow the Atkins plan. That being said; don't overload on carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are important, but they should be complex. Complex carbohydrates come in the form of natural foods, or less processed foods. A complex carbohydrate is harder for the body to process, so the body works long and hard to assimilate it. (This is good.) The processed or simple carbohydrate on the other hand, has a slamming effect on the body, too much to handle. Overeating simple carbohydrates will give you that high burst of energy but it gives a faster depletion thereof. Not only will you loose the gained energy, you will drain what little you had before the intake of these carbohydrates, creating a debt of energy. Simple carbohydrates are also great at becoming fat stored in the body. (This is bad.)

With hectic school days upon you, it's paramount to remember to eat . . . and to eat well. I am terrible about forgetting to eat; I personally get so wrapped up in what I have to get done that I neglect to eat properly, so tag a reminder for yourself on your computer. Yahoo Messenger has a reminder feature that works pretty well.

Why eat? Because the brain, like my old Plymouth Fury III, is a fuel hog. It needs a constant flow ofgood fuel to operate smoothly. Complex carbohydrates provide this, as do proteins and some fats. Again, like my Fury III, the wrong fuel would cause it to sputter and stop. Try to keep in mind roughage: The closer it looks to something you've picked yourself the better it is to eat.

For a burst of energy, potassium is a great way to go, grab a banana. Bananas are the perfect food. If you drink coffee to keep going, instead of dumping sugar into it to make it palatable, use honey instead. The taste is somewhat different, but once you've used honey in few cups you may find it more enjoyable. Whole milk is the best milk for the brain. A plate of food should contain a variety of colors. The grains you eat should be whole and brown. Juice is higher in sugar than a soda. Some super foods for the brain are blueberries, nuts, avocados, beans, fresh tea and hurray, dark chocolate.

And, as always, a bit of exercise never hurts. . . in fact it can help grow your brain cells.

So, when your taking pains to gather supplies and find the required textbook, remember that taking care of your mind and body is as essential to higher learning and will make getting those coveted A's easier to attain.