Here at Poosh, we’re a bit obsessed with keeping our minds healthy and sharp. Wanna know why you have great ideas in the shower, the best supplements for brain health, or the benefits of neurofeedback? We’ve got you.
So when we heard about Masterclass’ new original series Brain Health, tuning in was—ahem—a no-brainer.
The series dives into all things cerebral with four leading experts, one of whom is Dr. Lisa Feldman Barrett. She is among the top 0.1%-cited scientists in the world for her research in psychology and neuroscience. The first episode in the series tackles the biggest threat to brain health—high levels of stress and anxiety—and the little things we can do to make it easier for our brains to regulate our bodies.
“Your brain predicts the needs of the body and attempts to meet those needs before they arise,” says Dr. Barrett. She says we can think of this as “body budgeting,” where your brain is running a budget for your body.
“It’s budgeting glucose, salt, water, oxygen, and all of the chemicals and nutrients that keep you alive,” she explains. Just like with a bank account, you can make deposits and withdrawals. And anytime you make a withdrawal, it’s important to replenish what you spend.
“Over time, small costs (withdrawals) add up to a big deficit,” she explains, “which puts you at risk for metabolic illnesses like heart disease, diabetes, and depression. It also makes it more likely that your brain is going to struggle with some of the processes of normal aging.”
Good news, though! Small deposits also add up over time.
“If your brain’s most important job is coordinating the systems of your body in a metabolically efficient way, then that means anything you do to make that job easier will benefit you,” Dr. Barrett says.
And there are two super simple deposits you can make that may seem small, but they have huge benefits in the long run.
“They’re so simple that it’s hard to believe,” says Dr. Barrett. Literally though, it’s a little mind-blowing.
So without further ado, here are two things we can do right now for better brain health:
“There’s a lot of hype right now about getting enough sleep,” Dr. Barrett says. “That hype is absolutely 100% correct.” Don’t feel beholden to that whole “solid-eight-hours” thing. She says that what enough sleep looks like for you is different than what it looks like for someone else.
“Maybe it’s seven hours, maybe it’s nine hours. Maybe there’s a break in the middle of the night,” she says. “Whatever it is, you have to sleep enough to feel well rested in the morning.” When you consistently don’t get enough sleep, eventually you won’t feel rested even when you do sleep well. “That’s an indication that your brain is struggling to regulate your body,” Dr. Barrett says.
Like Dr. Barrett said, it’s so simple, it’s hard to believe. But hydration is so important for brain health. Like with sleep, the amount of water that’s enough for you may look different from someone else’s ideal amount.
So how can you tell how much water is enough?
“If your urine is not super dark yellow when you go to the bathroom, it should be enough,” Dr. Barrett says. “It should be enough if you’re not tired during the day. That’s because dehydration doesn’t manifest as thirst. It manifests as fatigue,” she explains.
“So if you’re dragging in the afternoon, it’s much better to have a glass of ice water than it is to have a cup of coffee,” she adds.
And actually, drinking enough water early in the day has its own set of benefits. “If you drink enough water in the morning, you’ll be less likely to have that dip of fatigue in the middle of the afternoon,” Dr. Barrett says.
We learned so much from this series, we couldn’t possibly fit it all into one article, so be sure to stay tuned for more!
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