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22 Power Up Your Mind

Brain + Personality = Mind

In this book we will be applying what we know about the brain,
about emotions, about values, and about key elements of personal-
ity. I will use both brain and mind throughout the book, just as
most of us would in our everyday conversations.

BRAIN FOOD
TEAMFLY

If this were a user’s guide to a piece of electrical equipment like a
computer, then early on there would be some advice on setting it up
and looking after it. So, what about the brain? How you should you
feed and care for it?
There are two kinds of revolution taking place on today’s
High Street. The first is the explosion of health and fitness centers
and gyms, the growth of healthy, often organic food, and the carry-
ing of water bottles as a lifestyle item. The second is the burgeoning
empire of coffee shops and the ever-increasing amount of packaged

food with high levels of sugar and salt. While the first of these is
obviously positive for your brain, the second can be unhelpful.
You may be wondering if there is a magic, brain-friendly meal
or diet that will enhance the way you use your brain. Sadly this is
not the case, although there are some useful principles that you can
apply. When Virginia Woolf wrote, “One cannot think well, love
well, sleep well if one has not dined well,” she was only roughly
right, depending on what and when she was eating! Your mind, like
the rest of your body, thrives on a balanced diet.
The three key principles with regard to food are:

1 Hydration
2 Balance
3 Little and often.

The first principle is that your brain needs to be fully hydrated to
function effectively. You need to drink several liters of water a day
for your brain’s “circuitry” to work well, more if you are also eating

®
Team-Fly