RECOVER: February 7, 2014

The Battle of the Brains.....

Spoiler Alert - things that drain our bodies, drain our brain....but things that restore the body, restore the brain too.

Everyday a battle is being waged right inside your skull. It's a classic power struggle - where the winner gets to call the shots.  It's a pretty big deal, a prize worth fighting for....since calling the shots (i.e. "winning" this battle) essentially means control over your actions.  Yes, every action, every choice.....the battle rages on.  In one corner is the "thinking" side - a function of the most advanced portions of the brain, where analysis takes place and logic reigns supreme.  In the other corner is "reacting" - a function of the most primitive structures of the brain (and possibly the gut, but that's a post for another day), where emotions have the power.  When the emotional-brain wins and the result is something fun or exciting we call it "spontaneous" or "uninhibited"- but when the result is not so wonderful we might call it "impulsive" or "irrational". When the thinking-brain wins and the result is a good thing, we call it "sensible" or "rational".....when the outcome isn't as good we might find ourselves using phrases like "unimaginative". 

As long as we use the right brain for the job, everything goes well......but what if things get mixed up?  What if instead of thinking through big decisions, like how much to save for retirement or the best way to complete a job, we just go with the first thought that pops into our head?  Sort of like leaping before looking, it might not pan out well.  Of course, the opposite is also true - if we painstakingly labor over decisions like what radio station to listen to, we might not get much done in a day.  But what if the mix-up happens in a situation that's more critical - like our ability to stay healthy and safe?  What if instead of thinking about the potential dangers in a situation we just jumped in and hoped for the best?  Or what if instead of letting years of training and experience guide the split-second decisions of emergency personnel, they pulled out the manual and started on page 1 after you called 911....just to make sure?  At the very minimum, mistakes & delays would be more common.....and of course the worst-case could be a disaster.

So how do we set ourselves up for success?  If you've been reading these for a while and you figured that it MUST tie back to maintaining a balance of MOVE, FUEL and RECOVER somehow......you're absolutely right.  Things that add stress to our system can trigger an emotional brain takeover when we least want it; they can also cause us to bog down in the details when what we really need is action.

Why do some people hit a heavy bag when they're stressed? Why do others go for a run?  Physical activity can be like a chemical reset button for the brain; assuming you stop before true fatigue or injury, it can provide the clarity and focus needed to give the "thinking brain" the edge again. 

A diet rich in fruits and vegetables and other low-inflammatory foods can improve performance and reduce the risk of several forms of disease including those that impact brain function.  One interesting recent study out of Canada (abstract here) showed that high fruit-vegetable intake was associated with a significantly lower risk of distress, anxiety and depression.

And adequate rest has not only been linked to a clearance in an important brain byproduct (a toxic protein called beta-amyloid) which is associated with diseases like Alzheimer's.... it is also well known to lower errors and compromised safety.

The good news? Just like an imbalance of MOVE-FUEL-RECOVER can throw us off our normal axis, small investments in those same areas can bring us back in balance.

It might seem easiest if we could just stop the battle altogether......but we do need both sides as conflicted as they might be.....the trick is to arm them when it's their turn to win, and disarm them when it's not - and that can be simpler than it might seem.  Let us know if we can help.

Have a great week,

Mike E.