7-day brain power program

Benefits of brain power

Whether you are smart or just a regular human being, as you age your brain gets old too. It means that, somewhere along the way, you will end up losing some of your youthful abilities such as having a great memory, being able to work for longer hours, having bright ideas, etc. That is perhaps something we all have to accept (as sad as it may sound).

Now, the good news is that you can still preserve a healthy and working brain for long by using the right brain stimulating techniques and of course, living a healthy lifestyle. All these activities briefly quoted above are meant to give you more “brain power”.

With brain power you will enhance your concentration at work, school, home, in other words, with just about anything you put your mind into. Your memory will be much better, you will feel more alert and lucid and your enthusiasm will also be stimulated.

A 7-day brain power program is just what you need if you sometimes suffer from memory loss, cannot focus on a task because your brain cannot organize things for you anymore and that is probably because you do not stimulate your brain enough (which is technically a muscle which needs to “work” in a sense that you have to constantly activate it).

Before we begin the 7-day brain power program, let us see what else should be taken into consideration (apart from brain activities) for a healthy and performing brain.

Some useful tips that you can use while following this program

The most important thing with your brain is memory. When you are worry free and eat the right nutrients you will be able to maintain a healthy brain. So food and a healthy lifestyle are important. When you will go through your 7-day program remember that you will also have to readjust to a new lifestyle in order to promote success with the techniques you will learn.

We have prepared for you below, a brief guide to lifestyle and nutrition for brain power.

What to eat in order to promote brain power?

You have food that specializes in the promotion of a healthy brain like:

-Whole grains: They bring energy to your brain, which in turn allows you to concentrate and focus during the day. You can find them in whole grain cereals, granary bread, rice, and pasta. Go for whole grains with a low GI, especially if you suffer from diabetes.

-Oily fish: Food like oily fish, flaxseed, soya beans, pumpkin seed, and walnuts. Fats are important for healthy brain functions. Eat food like salmon, trout, mackerel, sardine, and pilchards. It is very funny that most of us were told when young that we should eat more fish to be smarter, turns out this advice has always been confirmed by science.

-Blueberries: Some studies conducted at Tufts University suggested that the consumption of blueberries would help in delaying short term memory loss. So, indulge in it in your morning smoothies, with your cereals or as a snack.

-Tomatoes: Antioxidants like lycopene help protect against the kind of free radical damage to cells that can lead to dementia. So, you know what to do, eat as much as you can have them chopped up in a salad or as a snack during the day.

- B vitamins and folic acids: They can reduce levels of homocysteine, a compound in the blood responsible for cognitive impairment and Alzheimer.

- Blackcurrant, which is rich in vitamin C, which can help increase mental agility and protect against age-related brain degeneration like dementia and Alzheimer.

-Pumpkin seeds: They are rich in zinc, which is essential for memory enhancement and thinking skills.

-Broccoli: It is rich in vitamin K which is known to enhance cognitive functions and improve brain power.

-Nuts: They are rich in vitamin E and help prevent cognitive decline.

These are food stuff that you are certainly familiar with, try to insert as many as possible into your diet or make sure your diet consists mainly of these foods this week.

-Teas and infusions that work as natural brain boosters: Most of the natural alternatives that you can find to help you improve your memory or brain performance are found in the form of teas or infusions. They all have these exotic names and it’s not a surprise since most of them come from Asia. The first on our list is the Ginkgo biloba leaf. The Ginkgo biloba leaf has been used in Chinese medicine for centuries. Its benefits range from better blood flow to the brain to helping with memory problems caused by dementia.

Next, you have the Matcha green tea from Japan. One cup of Matcha green tea is said to be the equivalent of 10 cups of regular green tea. So, if you were already addicted to green tea it turns out that Matcha tea is even better since it not only enhances your mood but, also helps with concentration.

Periwinkle and Ginseng, are other familiar names on our list. A study conducted by the University of Northumbria in Tyre, England showed that when you mix them together to be drank as an infusion, they can improve your cognitive functions.

Gotu Kola is another herb originating from Asia. It is said to boost your brain power and is considered to be an adoptogen that helps combat stress.

The last on our list is green tea. Many of us are very familiar with it and for those who didn’t know, this very popular tea can help you focus and it is rich with ingredients like theanine which helps increase alpha-wave activity (also called berger’s wave in memory).

The good thing about these plants is that they do not make you dependent or turn you into a zombie when you run out of it. They should be taken daily when really necessary helping you focus and make your brain more alert. So make sure you buy some this week (buy them in their most natural form which is grounded leaves).

What type of lifestyle is favorable to brainpower?

-Sleep more: Sleep professionals like DR. Jessica Payne, who is a cognitive neuroscientist and assistant professor at the University of Notre Dame, recommends adding 20 minutes to sleep at night (added to the recommended 7 to 8 hours of sleep at night). According to her, this can boost performance at work up to 2 to 3 times.

-Exercise: It turns out that exercise is also good for your brain. Specialists like Nicola Gates a clinical neuropsychologist from the university of New South Wales center of healthy brain aging, says that aerobic activity combined with resistance and flexibility training makes most of the exercises brain boosting effects. What he means is that when you are active your heart pumps just enough blood to your brain, allowing it to function better.

So, if you want to be effective mentally wise, it is about time you did the right thing and adjust your lifestyle.

-Some interesting notes about nootropics:

For most people, drugs for memory enhancement is something that is unheard of. If you were to mention it to your friends or coworkers they’ll probably think that these types of drugs (that are legal by the way) only exist in movies. Well, such drugs exist and they are called nootropic, smart drugs or cognitive enhancers. They can be in the form of supplements or drugs and can help you improve your cognitive functions weather you have problems with your memory, struggling with your creative faculty, motivation or with executive functions.

The word nootropic was first created by a Romanian Psychologist named Corneliu. E. Giurgea, to describe the main function of these drugs (or supplements) which is to “bend” or “turn” your unfavorable intellectual situation into a more favorable one.

Nootropics are mostly used by students to help them cope with their studies and all the demands that come with it. They come in the form of Amphetamine, Methylphenidate, Eurogeroics, Xanthines(caffeine) and Nicotine, to name a few. They can be prescribed by a doctor when necessary, but the main concern, as you might have guessed it is the side effects. As you know it, like with any other drugs you might end up being dependent on these drugs or

again, sometimes go beyond the prescribed amount. So, before thinking of buying some nootropics, we would advise you to consult with a doctor to determine which ones are more compatible to your needs and are safe to use.

Let us now begin our 7-day brain power program.

***

This article is not intended as a substitute for the medical advice of physicians. The reader should consult a physician prior to starting this program in matters relating to his/her health and particularly with respect to any supplements or drugs mentioned in this article that might cause any complications. We recommend that each readers or persons susceptible to pursue such program take their responsibilities and meet with a doctor for advice or recommendation, as the authors will not be held liable for any complications encountered after using one the drugs mentioned in this program.

Day 1, It’s time to “reshape” your brain and refocus it: Practice clear thinking

Clear thinking allows you to reason and interpret things in your own terms. This is perhaps where the brain is truly used as the muscle it truly is. But, when did we start using clear thinking to promote brain power? Well, if you think about the Greek philosophers and all the scientific inventions in the ancient world, the answer would be always. But, it was inserted in the educational system and reinforced in the 20th century.

As most of us know it, science and access to disciplines that involved logic was reserved to the “Elite” for a long time, especially in Western Societies. In English-speaking countries like Australia, for instance, learning English literature were said to be enough to be considered a smart person (or if you preferred educated). It is only in 1939 that two Australian scholars, namely; Wadham and Wright, who were members of the Melbourne University School Board that things began to change. What they did is to request that English literature and expression be separated and the rest history.

So, clear thinking actually consists of stimulating your brain as you will if you were solving a math problem. Let’s now go through it, step by step:

Step 1: Always use your brain stimulating exercises in the morning before you start with any activity. Start your day by eating one of the foodstuffs listed in our section about lifestyle and food for brainpower.

Step 2: Keep in mind that clear thinking and using some stimulating natural supplements like Ginkgo biloba or Matcha green tea combined with any technique should become a routine. Take 15 minutes to use the clear thinking as a way to stimulate your brain:

- Make sure it is calm around you. Breath in and out once, close your eyes and start thinking about 3 clear thoughts you have at this very instant.

Step3: Analyze the thoughts one by one and ask yourself why you are thinking the way you are. For instance, if you are thinking about firing an employee or skipping class you should ask yourself why you are thinking this way.

Step 4: Answer your own question. This will be like you are coming out of your body and having a conversation with this other you.

This brain exercise will keep your mind alert. And the more you will practice it in the morning, the more it will become a habit.

This is not all for today, you will have to use clear thinking as a state of mind, throughout the day for decision-making purposes, for instance. This state of mind will help you have clear thoughts and ideas throughout the day without any distraction because you are dealing with the core of your thoughts.

Day 1, is like a warm up or a day to learn to have your mind focused on what really happens in your mind (with clear thinking). Let’s now move on to day 2, with something more palpable.

Day 2, Use sounds for more focus during the day: Brain entrainment with light sounds:

-Some interesting facts about light sounds and brain entrainment:

Most of us know the soothing sensation we feel when we hear rain drops on our rooftop, at night. This sound is so soothing that it helps us relax, think positive and mostly go to sleep. This is part of the brain’s electrical response to pulses, sound or light also called rhythmic sensory stimulation. Entrainment, on the other hand, has to do with the synchronization of 2 or more rhythmic cycles. This process can be achieved with the help of light sounds which actually helps your brain stay alert as long as the sounds emit waves to your brain. It was Japanese Professor Tsuyoshi Inouye of the department of Neuropsychiatry at the Osaka University Medical school who established the link between photic stimulation (in this case light sounds) and cerebral synchronization.

Here, you have an example of a light sound for brain stimulation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b9nooPrbCCA

These light sounds are also called binaural beats. They come in different frequencies ranging from high frequencies (above 40 HZ) to lower frequencies (lower than 4 HZ). Each frequency ranges correspond to different types of waves with different types of brain stimulations (or functions).

-Frequencies above 40 HZ emit Gamma waves that are used for problem solving, fear, perception and consciousness.

-Frequencies that are between 13 and 39 HZ emit Beta waves that are meant for active/anxious thinking, concentration, cognition, paranoia and arousal.

-Frequencies between 7-13 HZ emit alpha waves that are good for relaxation, pre sleep, dreams and pre wake drowsiness.

-Frequencies that are between 4 and 7 HZ emit Theta waves and are used for deep meditation and relaxation.

-Lastly, frequencies that are lower than 4 HZ emit delta waves that are used for deep dreamless sleep and loss of body awareness.

Throughout the week, you will use these different beats to give you more brain power.

To make the task even easier, we’ve elaborated a list of Binaural beats that will make up your brain entrainment playlist for the week:

1-Gamma waves: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=clwVxrQ3vFo

2-Beta waves: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-tf5Iu5io8

3-Alpha waves: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPni755-Krg

4-Theta waves: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CreU9g302yU

5-Delta waves: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=txQ6t4yPIM0

*Note that these light sounds might be long (sometimes more than an hour long), but you don’t need to go through the whole track. Just play the sound when you need focus and concentration during the day and stop when you are done.

Let’s now go through our brain entrainment session for the day.

-How does it work?

-Step 1: Day 2 will begin with your brain boosting breakfast. You don’t need any natural stimulant for now but you can have a cup of regular coffee or any tea of your choice if you want. (The waves will do the job that these stimulators actually help do, which is to keep your senses alert by going through your brain and automatically making you alert, all day).

-Step 2: Download one of the links provided on the brain entrainment playlist to your smartphone or other devices you can use to listen to music:

1-Gamma waves: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=clwVxrQ3vFo

2-Beta waves: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-tf5Iu5io8

3-Alpha waves: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPni755-Krg

4-Theta waves: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CreU9g302yU

5-Delta waves: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=txQ6t4yPIM0

*Remember that you should only pick one of the sounds according to what you wish to accomplish for the day. For instance, if you have tasks that demand higher mental activity, for today, you would then go for the Gamma waves or if it’s for relaxation while you are awake you would pick the sounds with Alpha waves, etc.

Step3: Close your eyes and play the light sound to prepare your brain for the day. Listen to the light sound for 10 minutes.

Step 4: During the day, during your lunch break or whether you need to focus alone, put your headphones on and listen to the light sound as long as you are busy and need motivation.

Make sure your daily diet is based, once more, on food that specializes with brain power.

There’s no specific way to use light sound for brain power except for listening to it, in the morning before starting up with any activities and of course during the day whenever you need to read a text and concentrate, work on a project which demands your full concentration and some creativity, so as to maximize your brain abilities and perhaps wake up the next day with some fresh and new ideas.

Day 3, Learn to focus your brain, by doing some writing exercises

Day 3 will be about brain entrainment mixed with another technique like writing. It might come as a surprise for some, but writing has some benefits for your brain too. Read the following section to learn all about them.

-Some brief facts about writing and its role on the brain:

There have been many debates as to whether abandon writing to favor typing for elementary school. Which would mean that your grandchildren (or children) would know nothing about using a pen and a piece of paper. The thing is, new studies have demonstrated that writing with a pen and a piece of paper uses more complex brain power than simply typing, for the simple reason that it combines a visual aspect (which concerns what you are seeing on paper in front of you), a cognitive aspect (like remembering the shapes of letters) and a motor aspect where you use your motor skills to form the letters and make words on the piece of paper.

-How do you combine it with brain entrainment?

Just like the previous day, today will be about stimulating your brain, first thing in the morning.

You will first eat your breakfast made up with healthy nutrients for the brain.

Next, pick your track for the day. Remember to think about the purpose of each type of beat, which means that if you want to be more concentrate at work today, you should pick a beat that emits Beta waves. So you would in that case pick this beat: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-tf5Iu5io8

Now, the next step would be to write about whatever comes into your mind with a pen and a piece of paper. Try to write full sentences and at least 10 lines of words. This means that you really have to give full and clear details about your thoughts. Make an effort to make few grammatical errors.

Between lunch-time and 4PM take a cognitive enhancer infusion (it could be ginseng, Matcha or Gingko tea, whichever you prefer) to preserve your concentration levels.

Throughout the day, use the beats that can help you focus with a task. You may not need to combine it with writing (unless writing is one of the tasks of the day) because your hands might be busy doing something else (like gestures during a meeting or lifting things up, etc.)

Back home you can use Alpha waves for relaxation of the brain while awake, as they are used before sleep. This is good for destressing and getting prepared for the next day. For keeping your brain healthy you can combine these “light sessions” with a few lines of writing, before bed. This way, you are training your brain to be alert and not to shut down drastically because of fatigue and exhaustion.

Day 4, Next step: Learn to use both sides of your brain interchangeably

On day 4, you will get to learn more about your brain and how it really functions so you can really take control of your potential. The common belief was that the left and right parts of the brain had 2 different functions, where the left brain was responsible for logic and science while the right brain was responsible for arts. To be more precise the left part of the brain is responsible for your logic, analysis, sequencing, math, language and facts and the right part of your brain is responsible for creativity, imagination, intuition, arts, rhythm, feelings and visualization. People used to think that you could either use one or the other portion of your brain effectively, meaning, for instance, that you were either good in science or gifted when it came to arts.

This came to change when in 2008, Robert Epstein, Ph.D., and a psychology researcher published a study which showed that by developing 4 core areas like capturing new ideas, engaging in challenging tasks, broadening knowledge and interacting with stimulating people and places, mean that someone can easily shift from one side of the brain to the other. Which is somehow interesting judging by the fact that this faculty promotes innovation and better problem solving.

Which is, we believe most of us want, so to begin have your energy brain-boosting breakfast for the day (use one of the foodstuffs discussed earlier in our previous sections). Take your nootropic supplement or drug (prescribed by a doctor) after breakfast to awaken your senses and in the same process your brain.

Next, play with two types of beats. Begin with the Gamma waves by listening to this beat: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=clwVxrQ3vFo

This will stimulate the left side of your brain which is responsible for logic, science and math (remember the functions of the gamma waves). Listen to it in 10 minutes (which means you should stop the track after 10 minutes).

-Next, do a little mind exercise before you do anything. Complete the crosswords below to help jump start your brain for the day. At the same time, continue playing the gamma waves while you complete the crosswords. This should take at least 10 to 15 minutes.

Instructions:

There are ten words in the table above. Use the hints below to help you complete this exercise in less than 15 minutes:

1-It’s a fruit used to make our favorite breakfast drink.

2-When the sun is out, it is said to be….…

3-The opposite of walking.

4-A mature person should know the difference between right and ……

5- The opposite of in.

6-It is used to write a verb in the infinitive.

7-When you give it your all you give your……

8-It is used to measure a candidate’s popularity during the elections.

9-We need it to go to work.

10-Something that never ends.

The next step should be to awaken the other side of the brain which is the right side, which is responsible for your creativity.

Choose the Beta waves on your playlist (do you remember what it is for?): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-tf5Iu5io8

Listen to the track for 10 minutes and then stop (when you reach the 10 minutes).

After that do the following exercise:

Describe the landscape below. Here’s how you will proceed:

-First describe what you see. Write a maximum of a 100 words.

-Then, describe the material used to complete this painting (for instance, did the writer use water paint or oil paint?). Write a maximum of 50 words.

-Lastly, try to express what the picture inspire you (does it remind you of a personal memory, or do you aspire visiting such a place one day? Wrote a maximum of 200 words.

During the whole process listen to the chosen light sound (beta waves), until you are with the session.

*You will notice that not only you have pushed your brain to solve a problem by completing a crossword, you are also conditioning it to find words to express a piece of art. These two exercises are done one after the other, which forces you to use both sides of your brain interchangeably.

Again, like the previous days, use your light sound to help you focus during the day.

When using the binaural beats, you can explore the abilities hidden in your brain and become polyvalent (someone with a flexible intelligences) through time.

Let’s now move on to day 5.

Solution to exercise 1 (crosswords):

Day 5, Your brain has been stimulated in many complementing ways this week, let us put it to the test with speed reading:

Back in the days, we were told that reading was a good thing because it could help us improve our grammar, which makes sense given the amount of new expressions and terms used when you read different genres of books. It is also believed that reading can relieve tension and stress (which are brain cells killers) because of the faculty it has to make you use your imagination as a reader. When it comes to brain power, things are even better, because studies like the one conducted at Emory University, USA, revealed that reading a book could cause a heightened connectivity in the brain as well as neurological changes that persist in a similar way to muscle memory.

Now, today, you will concentrate on speed reading to really work your brain like the muscle that it is. It is said that people read on average 250 words per minute, with speed reading you can double or triple that number, better grasp the structure of an argument and understand the bigger picture of what you are reading.

Today, start your day with your chosen breakfast for brain power. Have some Matcha tea to keep you awake and alert (a sort of way to prepare your brain for what is to come), or take one of the prescribed nootropic supplements we spoke about earlier.

Look at your Binaural beats playlist and pick the track that will mostly suit a brain activity such as reading. In this case, it should be the track that emits Beta waves (for active concentration, etc.). Begin your session by listening to the track for 2 minutes to kind of jumpstart your brain.

By now, your brain is ready for the reading activity, so read the text below by scanning through it (this will stimulate your brain by forcing it to quickly identify the main points). Follow this scanning methodology:

-First, Read in a linear way. This allows you to scan the content much better and faster.

-Second, look for titles and subtitles, to better get an idea of what the text is about. This is essential to the scanning process as it will help you put the pieces together as your progress with the reading.

-Next, look for bullet points and words in bold, as they most of the time summarize ideas or important points.

Remember to keep on listening to your beta waves throughout the whole session.

The whole task shouldn’t take more than 15 minutes.

When you are done reading, carry on (with the Beta waves still playing) and write one sentence of what you think the text is about.

Try to take in consideration the fact that you might feel that you are putting a lot of efforts figuring out if you can quickly scan through a text and still figure out what it is about and also the fact that you might want to go through the text once more to really understand it. If that’s the case it’s not a problem, but it simply means that you are not used to applying this technique yet, but trust your instinct and write down whatever you think the text is about.

Before bed, and that is optional, you can double check what text was about by reading through it (entirely this time). You can prepare your brain for rest, by playing alpha waves (taken from your playlist) while your read through the content once more.

Day 6, Learn a new habit: good thinking or the problem-solving technique

Good thinking is more or less positive thinking, and those who choose this path (good thinking with all circumstances), are able to solve problems faster than the ones who let themselves be overtaken by grief, sadness or anger. This is not just something that is said for the fun of it. In fact, in 1890 William James an American Philosopher and Psychologist had already figured out that our thoughts could change the structure and function of our brains. This theory implies that our brain can adapt endlessly because, well, it’s a dynamic organ. This theory was very popular these last few years, and psychologists (or should we say people in the scientific world in general), have encouraged people to focus on positivity no matter what. The consequences are less stress, which means less depression, more hope, which implies a problem-solving attitude and most important of all, it helps regenerate your brain cells instead of killing them (like we’ve said earlier in the previous days).

So, how do you use good thinking in the morning to help optimize your brain functions?

Early in the morning, complete this “ritual” before you start up with anything:

-Count 1 and tell yourself: “It’s a new day with new challenges, I have to look and feel my best”

-Count 2 and tell yourself: “I will use my morning routine before work (or school, etc.) as the jumpstart point to the rest of my activities (in here, you are pushing yourself to better prepare yourself for the day, before you leave your house or begin any activity).

-Count 3 and tell yourself: “Whatever happens outside of this house, I will solve with optimism and determination”.

-Count 4 and tell yourself: “Nothing is meant to be perfect, but perfection is in problem-solving and not losing control of myself during the day”.

-Since it’s about problem solving today, put your track with the Gamma waves on for the 10 minutes before you leave on, so that your positive affirmation kind of stick to your mind, almost as if you were stamping them on your forehead with the light sounds.

Then, you are good to go; eat your breakfast enriched with brain-friendly nutrients, prepare yourself for your day (get your bag and documents ready, etc..) and go on motivated with a positively stimulated brain.

During the day, when you feel tired or during break time, you can repeat:

-1 “the day is not over yet, but I still need to give my best”

-2 ”I have a great routine that I will repeat tomorrow, I shouldn’t deviate from its purpose (which is to prepare you to give your best).

-3 “ I can still face challenges before the day ends”.

-4 “Nothing is meant to be perfect, but perfection is in problem-solving and not losing control of myself during the day”.

Then again, listen to your Gamma waves to let these affirmations become more palpable.

So, whenever you feel tired during the day (which can lower your motivation levels), repeat the positive statements (choose between the ones made for early in the morning or the ones made for the rest of the day) mixed with your Gamma waves.

Day 7, Brain exercises. It comes last, but it’s a classic solution that always works.

Today it’s day 7 and this 7-day program wouldn’t be complete if we didn’t dedicate at least one day to playing (by playing here, we mind dedicating some time to some mind games). An interesting fact is that mind exercises are said to be good to prevent Alzheimer. A recent study published in the journal of American Geriatrics confirmed it, by asserting that cognitive exercises helped adults (especially older ones) hold an improvement in their reasoning skills and processing speed for up to 10 years. So, why wait for when you get older to start engaging in mind exercises regularly?

This is what you will do today:

-Have your breakfast before starting up with anything. Have some Matcha green tea for focus.

-Then, start up your day with these two mind exercises. Complete them before you read the newspaper, read about the news on your tablet or PC or even turn the TV on. And to make it

even faster pick the Theta waves beat from your playlist: (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CreU9g302yU )

1-Table 1. Complete the table below horizontally to make up words and reveal the keyword in the golden cases.

Row 1: It describes a leaping movement upwards.

Row 2: Her last name is Kane.

Row 3: It’s a country situated on the Iberian Peninsula.

Row 4: It’s something that you develop through time and can form part of a routine.

Row 5: Also known as part of Ancient Nubia.

Exercise 2: Complete this math exercise without using a calculator:

333x2+ 10 000=

555+ 5X 5 x2=

2x2x2+2+2-2=

1/3 +30x2=

100x100x100+30=

Solutions:

Table 1

Exercise 2:

333 x 2+ 10 000 = 10 666

555 + 5 x 5 x2 = 605

2 x 2 x 2 + 2 +2 – 2 = 8

1/3 +30 x 2 = 60.33 (or 181/3)

100 x 100 x 100 + 30 = 1 000 030

Try to solve these problems as fast as you can, like in no more than 10 minutes.

-Midday, try another mind exercise like this one (This time because it’s the middle of the day and you may be more active, raise the frequency and play the Gamma binaural waves, from your playlist https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=clwVxrQ3vFo

):

*Note that with that exercise, more than two words can be linked, in that exercise.

Solutions to the mind exercise:

Before bed, try and do this one last mind game, online (this time come back to a lower frequency with Theta binaural waves https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CreU9g302yU :

http://www.puffgames.com/bullettime/

Pick the one you like the most. These games might be similar to video games, but they require technique and quick thinking. They have nothing to do with the gory video games most of our teens deal with.

Remember that even though this is day 7, you are still required to eat the brain boosting foods (the foods which specialize in brain health). Whether you are working or resting today, mind games are essential to keep your brain active, healthy and effective for longer.

When you are about to get to bed you should close the week by insuring that you sleep well on this day 7. This might become a ritual from now on, so, while you sleep play the Delta binaural waves on your playlist (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=txQ6t4yPIM0), this will ensure that you have a deep dreamless sleep so as to help your brain rejuvenate today, after a week of intensive brain activity.

Some last recommendations for the weeks or years to come:

You should not let technology take over your brain’s role. Your brain cannot be replaced by a machine, it’s still part of your body, so you will have to take care of it no matter what. Here’s a list of guidelines for you to read and integrate into your life or routine from now on:

1- Always balance between technology and good habits. As you’ve read throughout this program, some habits like putting words to paper will never be replaced. They stimulate your brain in a good way which in turn, makes you more alert and smarter (it encourages you to dig for ideas and apply discipline with the right grammar, while you write).

2- Always, eat food that promotes a healthy brain. This means to eat healthy meals (especially breakfast) and focalize on the food that will give you natural energy like the glucose provided by whole grain.

3- Capitalize on natural supplements rather than the ones that are enriched with too many chemicals. Both play the same role, but the thing is with enriched supplements and the non-natural ones, is that you develop a certain dependency meaning that you will not be able to perform as you wish when you don’t have them. Instead, invest in healthy infusion or teas like the Matcha green tea or Gingko Biloba and any other natural brain stimulant you can find out there, they work, they are healthy and you don’t have to take them all the time.

4- Instore most of the techniques you’ve learned this week as routines for now on. This means that if you want your brain to function as your wish, wake up 20 minutes earlier from now on and apply clear thinking on your first day of the week, from day 2 use your binaural beats for concentration throughout the day. From day 3, combine it with writing on day 3(invest in a journal if your wish). On day 4, pick again a track on your playlist to help you awaken both sides of your brain (as you know studies have shown that you can actually use both interchangeably). On day 5, mix brain entrainment with speed reading. Day 6 should be about practicing the problem-solving technique by boosting your brain with positive affirmations (with binaural beats again). Finally, day 7 should be about engaging in mind exercises. The trick would be to apply each one of these techniques before you begin your daily tasks (like you did this whole week).

5- Remember to sleep for at least 7 hours. Your brain needs you to rest just enough, so that it can regenerate itself. Take naps if you can afford to as they are also good for brain regeneration.

Overall, each week should be about brain retraining. It’s not about exploiting your brain and using it as long as it can serve your means, but it’s more about promoting a healthy brain by introducing good and healthy habits into your daily life. You’ve seen throughout the article that we’ve mentioned many times Dementia and other brain degenerating diseases. Be sure, that from now on, by following this program every week, you can end up avoiding these diseases and keep a healthy brain for longer.

The brain so essential, but taken for granted…

Our brain can make us the envy of our community when we seem to have the best ideas, manage to be well spoken and make so much sense as soon as we open our mouths. But, even the best of us can lose these abilities because, well, the brain can age, which is normal, but one thing that needs more control is our lifestyles. Sometimes we forget to sleep, we omit to eat enough fiber, healthy oils and the fruits and veggies that our brain needs to complete the simplest tasks.

Our brain needs exercise and to be stimulated just like any other muscles in our body. It’s all about understanding how the brain functions. This big muscle depends on how we live our lives and it doesn’t really ask for much, but just 20 minutes of your time every morning. Combine clear thinking, writing, speed reading, brain entrainment, brain stimulation, brain exercise and positive thinking with the right food and lifestyle and you’ll see an improvement in your cognitive skills in no time.

Your brain is like a treasure, something that reveals your level of education or overall comprehension of the world, so take some minutes to really stimulate and better preserve it, and good luck!