Post: #1

I've been experiencing a lot of "brain fog" lately. It's almost like it's taking my brain longer to process things than it should and I've found it harder to focus/concentrate than it used to. Even getting laid doesn't help.

Do you guys have any tips on how you keep your mental clarity/focus? Morning exercise? Ginkgo Biloba? I'd be interested in any ideas.

Post: #2

Yes dude there are BIG things you can do that are very healthy to nail this:

-Coconut oil by the tablespoon - 2+ per day really gives me mental clarity and energy. It's full of MCFAs which are quickly absorbed and broken down to ketones which the brain readily uses for energy. Many other benefits too. Try it and see...

-Short sharp cardio - goal is blood flow to the frontal lobes. Morning is good. I like either the Graded Exercise protocol 3x a week (5 min warmup, then 5 min cardio with 2-3 min at 85% heart rate - seems to be a "minimum effective dose" for steadily improving VO2 max and fitness), or sprints twice per week. Weight lifting is important for other reasons, but I dont find it gives that clarity or mental energy, probably due to brain blood flow.

-Paleo diet, getting your carbohydrate load way down. Carbs = brain fog, lethargy, sleepiness. Replace with meat, good fats, dark green veggies, broccoli, coconut oil... you'll be able to think/work/study for hours more.

-N-back brain training. The only brain training so far that has actually been associated with IQ increases in the literature. Increases your "working memory" which many cognitive neuroscientists believe to be the common bottleneck in many cognitive tasks, and is strongly correlated with IQ. See: http://www.bulletproofexec.com/how-to-ad...-training/

-Omega 3 supplements. The brain IS fat and you've gotta feed it the right kind.

-Sorting out your sleep. This is huge. Very dark room, consistent bedtimes (although can be at odds with a pickup lifestyle). Power naps of half an hour (for re-energising) or 1.5 hours for more restorative rest and creativity are awesome, see: http://artofmanliness.com/2011/02/07/unl...f-the-nap/

If you want to take it further and have some $$ to spare, you can use an EEG biofeedback setup to directly train your frontal lobes. Google "peak alpha frequency training". Basic idea = you EEG stick sensors on your head that give you audio or visual feedback when your brain is "working hard" i.e. in a high-alpha state in the frontal lobes. It's basically like lifting weights for your brain - you adapt to the demand by growing new neurons and increasing your cognitive efficiency. They use it successfully to treat elderly people with cognitive decline and delay alzheimers.
You want to see a licensed biofeedback practitioner who will get you set up. You can buy "brainwave entrainment" glasses that supposedly do the same thing, but Im skeptical. I'd rather do all the proven stuff above stuff first, then see a pro if you want to take it further.


BTW this is all healthy, natural stuff before even touching nootropics, and smart drugs. I'd consider messing with them if I HAD to learn something intensively and quickly, like programming or a new language. But I'd approach it like a steroid cycle, i.e. something to get on and get off within a predetermined period, while monitoring side effects (which nootropics do have). IMO it's can't be sensible to be on them year-round like some people are, and especially if you dont have all the natural basic stuff above sorted.

Post: #3

A good diet

Post: #4

I know exactly what you are talking about. In my job i have to understand books of information, memorize chapters of technical specs, memorize the functions of multiple different types of equipment, and be able to respond appropriately in the event of an emergency.

There are days when shit just doesnt come to me as fast as it normally does. Being healthy in general helps the most. Sleep, proper diet, and exercise are crucial. I like to exercise in the morning, wakes me up and gets me alert. Multivitamins help, although im not consistent in taking mine.

I cant stress the sleep part enough. There were some students with me only getting 4-5 hours of sleep a night because they were spending so much studying. I said fuck it and went to bed at a decent time, getting at least 7-8 hours of sleep. My recall was 10x better than the majority, and was job performance was top 10% because of it.

If all else fails: Cocaine, its a hell of a drug.

Post: #5

Doing math problems and studying analytical philosophy clears and focuses the mind.

Or just get high on weed.

Post: #6

(03-03-2012 10:36 AM)RichieP Wrote:  Yes dude there are BIG things you can do that are very healthy to nail this:

-Coconut oil by the tablespoon - 2+ per day really gives me mental clarity and energy. It's full of MCFAs which are quickly absorbed and broken down to ketones which the brain readily uses for energy. Many other benefits too. Try it and see...

-Short sharp cardio - goal is blood flow to the frontal lobes. Morning is good. I like either the Graded Exercise protocol 3x a week (5 min warmup, then 5 min cardio with 2-3 min at 85% heart rate - seems to be a "minimum effective dose" for steadily improving VO2 max and fitness), or sprints twice per week. Weight lifting is important for other reasons, but I dont find it gives that clarity or mental energy, probably due to brain blood flow.

-Paleo diet, getting your carbohydrate load way down. Carbs = brain fog, lethargy, sleepiness. Replace with meat, good fats, dark green veggies, broccoli, coconut oil... you'll be able to think/work/study for hours more.

-N-back brain training. The only brain training so far that has actually been associated with IQ increases in the literature. Increases your "working memory" which many cognitive neuroscientists believe to be the common bottleneck in many cognitive tasks, and is strongly correlated with IQ. See: http://www.bulletproofexec.com/how-to-ad...-training/

-Omega 3 supplements. The brain IS fat and you've gotta feed it the right kind.

-Sorting out your sleep. This is huge. Very dark room, consistent bedtimes (although can be at odds with a pickup lifestyle). Power naps of half an hour (for re-energising) or 1.5 hours for more restorative rest and creativity are awesome, see: http://artofmanliness.com/2011/02/07/unl...f-the-nap/

If you want to take it further and have some $$ to spare, you can use an EEG biofeedback setup to directly train your frontal lobes. Google "peak alpha frequency training". Basic idea = you EEG stick sensors on your head that give you audio or visual feedback when your brain is "working hard" i.e. in a high-alpha state in the frontal lobes. It's basically like lifting weights for your brain - you adapt to the demand by growing new neurons and increasing your cognitive efficiency. They use it successfully to treat elderly people with cognitive decline and delay alzheimers.
You want to see a licensed biofeedback practitioner who will get you set up. You can buy "brainwave entrainment" glasses that supposedly do the same thing, but Im skeptical. I'd rather do all the proven stuff above stuff first, then see a pro if you want to take it further.


BTW this is all healthy, natural stuff before even touching nootropics, and smart drugs. I'd consider messing with them if I HAD to learn something intensively and quickly, like programming or a new language. But I'd approach it like a steroid cycle, i.e. something to get on and get off within a predetermined period, while monitoring side effects (which nootropics do have). IMO it's can't be sensible to be on them year-round like some people are, and especially if you dont have all the natural basic stuff above sorted.

This man knows what he's talking about.

+1.

Post: #7

If you are into new age/zen

how to stimulate & decalcify your pineal gland
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PYHLv44KqXw

Post: #8

Learning to play the piano is something that's helped my focus immensely. Learning instruments in general has helped me to use that focus in other area's of my life.

Post: #9

(03-03-2012 10:36 AM)RichieP Wrote:  Yes dude there are BIG things you can do that are very healthy to nail this:

-Coconut oil by the tablespoon - 2+ per day really gives me mental clarity and energy. It's full of MCFAs which are quickly absorbed and broken down to ketones which the brain readily uses for energy. Many other benefits too. Try it and see...

-Short sharp cardio - goal is blood flow to the frontal lobes. Morning is good. I like either the Graded Exercise protocol 3x a week (5 min warmup, then 5 min cardio with 2-3 min at 85% heart rate - seems to be a "minimum effective dose" for steadily improving VO2 max and fitness), or sprints twice per week. Weight lifting is important for other reasons, but I dont find it gives that clarity or mental energy, probably due to brain blood flow.

-Paleo diet, getting your carbohydrate load way down. Carbs = brain fog, lethargy, sleepiness. Replace with meat, good fats, dark green veggies, broccoli, coconut oil... you'll be able to think/work/study for hours more.

-N-back brain training. The only brain training so far that has actually been associated with IQ increases in the literature. Increases your "working memory" which many cognitive neuroscientists believe to be the common bottleneck in many cognitive tasks, and is strongly correlated with IQ. See:

-Omega 3 supplements. The brain IS fat and you've gotta feed it the right kind.

-Sorting out your sleep. This is huge. Very dark room, consistent bedtimes (although can be at odds with a pickup lifestyle). Power naps of half an hour (for re-energising) or 1.5 hours for more restorative rest and creativity are awesome, see:

If you want to take it further and have some $$ to spare, you can use an EEG biofeedback setup to directly train your frontal lobes. Google "peak alpha frequency training". Basic idea = you EEG stick sensors on your head that give you audio or visual feedback when your brain is "working hard" i.e. in a high-alpha state in the frontal lobes. It's basically like lifting weights for your brain - you adapt to the demand by growing new neurons and increasing your cognitive efficiency. They use it successfully to treat elderly people with cognitive decline and delay alzheimers.
You want to see a licensed biofeedback practitioner who will get you set up. You can buy "brainwave entrainment" glasses that supposedly do the same thing, but Im skeptical. I'd rather do all the proven stuff above stuff first, then see a pro if you want to take it further.


BTW this is all healthy, natural stuff before even touching nootropics, and smart drugs. I'd consider messing with them if I HAD to learn something intensively and quickly, like programming or a new language. But I'd approach it like a steroid cycle, i.e. something to get on and get off within a predetermined period, while monitoring side effects (which nootropics do have). IMO it's can't be sensible to be on them year-round like some people are, and especially if you dont have all the natural basic stuff above sorted.

This is a HUGE help, thanks a lot for taking the time to write this up. I'm going to give it a try. The N-back brain training is very interesting.

It sounds like the key is diet, sleep, and a good cardio regimen. I do get a lot of sleep now, but I really need to focus on exercise and consistency.

Post: #10

I also suffer from brain fog...sleep helps...summer sunshine is helping too....but i suspect I drink too much alcohol for my metabolism so I am experimenting with cutting down!

keen to see how it goes!

Post: #11

Meditation helps a lot. Or napping. I have a half hour nap playlist that i put on quietly, then get my head down. Spend those 30 mins fading in and out of sleep, then when the music stops get straight up and have a cold shower. You feel like the guy from limitless after that.

Post: #12

Brotha I swear to god you need to try Bikram Yoga.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bikram_Yoga

It's yoga in a closed 105 degree 60% humidity studio. I just started doing it a week ago. I've taken five 90 minute classes. I swear to you my clothes are falling off me. I get out of class soaked in sweat and exhausted. I get home and take a cold shower and pass out in bed.

I do very technical IT/Engineering type of work. I'm usually burned out mentally by the end of the day. The past week I've been amazingly clear headed and focused during the day.

The place I went to had a $25 unlimited classes for a week offer. I'm totally sold and signing up for the 3 month plan. I want to tone up and slim down for the summer. This is the ticket for me.

Trust me. Trust me. Try it for a week. You won't be sorry.

Post: #13

Sleep more, do less. Get into nature.

Post: #14

Just occurred to me, Leo Babauta writes almost exclusively on this topic. He's got two blogs, called zen habits and mnmlist (deliberate spelling error). The former is about learning positive habits that increase clarity, focus and peace of mind. The latter goes into building the minimalist lifestyle that supports these habits.

I prefer mnmlist but check both out. Just try and ignore the more pussy shit (lolveganism) and create your own style of manly minimalism.

Post: #15

dulst, I read your blog. I like it alot. I know Leo very well. But he changed lately to become a businessmen. Anyway I love how you combine minimimalism with manliness to the spartan way. We could call it spartanism. Respect, specially as you are only 18 years old.

Mimimalism is also my way. I don´t know if I am hard enough for spartanism. We´ll see.

Post: #16

thanks to this forum i've been taking fish oil with a multivitamin every morning. i down the two with green tea and i've noticed a significant change in my focus.

Post: #17

Eliminating grains (all bread, white rice, etc.), high fructose corn syrup, and most sources of sugar, is good.

Eat red salmon (wild caught canned is still good) AND take salmon oil supps as well.

Take Vitamin D3 (I take a little gel cap with thousands of I.U a day.) a definciency in Vitamin D can cause depression.

Liquid b-vitamins

Eat pure cacao, and drink green tea (which contains both caffeine and l-theanine, and amino acid that helps with concentration).

Moderate exercise (stimulates neurogenesis, the actual formation of new brain cells).

Do all of these things and the results will be synergistic.

Post: #18

Richie's post is pretty good.

Good food, clean water, sleep, smart exercise, meditation. Get those in order before you try any sort of supplements or drugs. Note: Yoga is pretty much meditation... if you wish to do that.

Without those in order, you'll just be bandaging an ongoing problem. Fix the fundamentals.

After that, try some of the supplements others recommended, but do your own research as well. I seem to remember reading that certain B vitamins like B12 and folic acid are important for clarity, and I'm pretty sure alcohol nukes both of them.

Post: #19

Anybody knows where i can download the N-back brain training for free?

Post: #20

Anybody has any hardcore advice for emergency situations like for when an exam is coming in 3 days and you need to study 2 500 page long books or any similar emergencies?

I am looking for natural substances. I take gingko and panax ginseng, drink green tea and take a few basic supplemets, what else? Rhodiola Rosea?

Post: #21

(03-11-2012 01:40 PM)pitt Wrote:  Anybody knows where i can download the N-back brain training for free?

http://brainworkshop.sourceforge.net/download.html

There you go.

D.

Post: #22

(03-11-2012 02:25 PM)mofo Wrote:  Anybody has any hardcore advice for emergency situations like for when an exam is coming in 3 days and you need to study 2 500 page long books or any similar emergencies?

I am looking for natural substances. I take gingko and panax ginseng, drink green tea and take a few basic supplemets, what else? Rhodiola Rosea?

Nothing non-prescription is going to work that fast. Rhodiola is a great adaptogen, but its nootropic effect isn't particularly pronounced.

If you're willing to consider prescription meds, modafinil is great (but ritalin is better). Otherwise you could consider something like an acetyl l-carnitine, caffeine and sulbutiamine stack to give you an instant mental and motivational boost.

D

Post: #23

(03-11-2012 02:34 PM)Dolmance Wrote:  

(03-11-2012 01:40 PM)pitt Wrote:  Anybody knows where i can download the N-back brain training for free?

http://brainworkshop.sourceforge.net/download.html

There you go.

D.

Gracias

Post: #24

(03-03-2012 10:15 AM)Highrise Wrote:  I've been experiencing a lot of "brain fog" lately. It's almost like it's taking my brain longer to process things than it should and I've found it harder to focus/concentrate than it used to. Even getting laid doesn't help.

Do you guys have any tips on how you keep your mental clarity/focus? Morning exercise? Ginkgo Biloba? I'd be interested in any ideas.

For mental clarity and focus, take 1.5-2 grams of Acetyl Carnitine and 3 grams of L-Tyrosine together, once in the morning without food.

Post: #25

Lots of interesting tips here to experiment with.

I think for me what works is half an hour of cardio. Either jogging, uphill cycling or running uphill or up stairs.