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Unpacking Your Mind 23

food that is diuretic. Many people are, in fact, permanently living
in a state of partial dehydration in which their brains work consid-
erably below their capacity. It is difficult to power up your mind if
its circuitry lacks the water it needs to function effectively. A study
by Trevor Brocklebank at Leeds University in the UK found that
schoolchildren with the best results in class were those who drank
up to eight glasses of water a day.
When I was interviewing business leaders for this book, I
asked them various questions about how they look after their
brains. Jayne-Anne Gadhia, managing director of Virgin One
Account, has noticed improvements in performance since she and
her senior team started drinking more water.
Secondly, you need a balanced diet. Not surprisingly, differ-
ent foods have different effects. Proteins such as egg, yoghurt, fish,
chicken, and pork contain the amino acid tyrosine. This is broken
down to create two useful chemicals called neurotransmitters,
norephrine and dopamine, which both promote alertness and the
effective functioning of memory. More complex carbohydrates such
as vegetables, rice, and fruit create the amino acid tryptophan,
which slows the brain down.
Fats produce acetylchline, which, in reasonable amounts, is
good for your memory and for the overall health of your neural net-
works. We tend to eat too much fat. We also eat too much sugary
food. Simple carbohydrates such as sugars give you a quick burst of
energy, although, as those who take care how they combine their
foods will know, it depends what you have with them as to exactly
how they affect you. A popular form of sugar is chocolate. This also
contains the chemical theobromine, which causes short-term
arousal, possibly why it is commonly enjoyed after a late meal!
Salts are essential to the healthy functioning of all cells.
Specifically, there needs to be a balance between sodium and potas-
sium salts. However, most people eat too much sodium, typically in
crisps and processed foods. Salty food, in its turn, produces the
need to drink more water.
Caffeine, taken from coffee or tea, is widely enjoyed the
world over. It is a stimulant, producing an effect not unlike the
release of cortisol when your adrenal gland is working strongly. The