Is there a revolution going on? Apparently so…. A FOOD revolution that is. Even though it was only a 6 week series, Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution won an Emmy this past Saturday at the Creative Arts Emmy Ceremony in Hollywood.
Jamie Oliver is a British celebrity chef turned health activist, especially for the health of our children. He is using the success of his show to publicize the launch of his petition to change the menus in public school lunch halls and reign in the obesity epidemic.
What I found interesting was the passion and persistence this man had for the kids of America. His mission is to change the menu of the school lunch programs across the nation (if not the WORLD) from packaged and processed to fresh and healthy. Not an easy undertaking by any means.
I was shocked at all the obstacles, opposition and red tape he encountered along the way. However, it seems he had a lot of fun too. This was one of my favorite parts of the episode.
Boosting your brain power with creative thinking can be a challenge. There are many things that can deter and distract the process. Here are just a few ideas to bust down those road blocks to creative thinking.
1. Learn to think for yourself
Often times productivity is valued over creativity. People who live or work in an environment that does not value creative thinking will most likely think only what they are told to think or what others think. When others ask you for your opinion, be as open and honest as you can.
2. Don’t be so dramatic
Watch out for those mood swings. Going from a very positive mood to a highly negative one will always block creative thinking. It’s like being a yo-yo: up one minute, down the next. It’s much better to not let your emotions get the better of you. Remember, things are rarely as good – or as bad – as you think they are.
3. Don’t be presumptuous
When you make presumptions, you are actually being lazy in your thinking. By simply not waiting to get all or enough information, you most likely will not come to the correct conclusions. There is a story of a customer who goes to the bank to cash a check. Shortly after he leaves, he returns and says: “Excuse me, I think you made a mistake.” The teller responds with “I’m sorry, but you should have counted your money before you left. There’s really nothing I can do, because once you walk away, we are no longer responsible.” The customer then says: “Oh, ok. Well then, thanks for the EXTRA 20 bucks!”. Look before you jump to conclusions.
4. Get Rid Of other lazy thinking habits.
Lazy thinking habits can be a major stumbling block to creative thinking. Try this experiment. Write down the Scottish surnames Macdonald, Macpherson, and Macdougall and ask someone to pronounce them. Now follow these with the word Machinery and see what happens. Most people are likely to mis-pronounce it. This is because we tend to think in patterns or in habitual ways. Obviously this kind of thinking can lend itself to a lack of creativity. Don’t think that, just because things happened in a certain way once before, that they will happen like that again.
5. Think Like A Child.
It has been shown that the neurological connections in a child of the age of two are often greater than those in the average adult. This is possibly because a small child has no limits to their thinking, as adults often do. If we use our brain like a child, without limits, we can actually begin to halt and reverse the brains aging process. With the right stimulus and a passion for learning, you can actually boost your brain’s ability to function more creatively.
By making some simple changes in your habitual thinking patterns, you will probably be amazed at how easy it will be to come up with some new, exciting, fresh ideas and solutions to many of life’s challenges.
More brain power is an essential key to success in nearly every area of life. Your brain is much like a muscle. As the saying goes; use it or lose it. Many experts agree that you can grow your mental focus and intelligence quotient as much as you want. Here are nine nice and easy to do tips to improve brain power:
1. Develop a regular exercise routine
Exercise benefits your brain cells by supplying high doses of much needed oxygen. When you exercise, the blood vessels in the brain begin to dilate. With the increased blood flow, more oxygen is transported to various parts of the body, but most importantly the brain. Physical activity and exercise not only allows more oxygen to flow, but other vital nutrients as well. Toxins are more readily eliminated through sweating also. Beachbody Fitness is my favorite as far as fitness programs go because they have a huge selection and variety of workouts programs that you can do right in your own home.
2. Mind games
Since the brain is a muscle, it too must be used. Brain games of thought and concentration like cross word puzzles, word search, sukudo, or even a game of chess can improve mental clarity and intelligence all at the same time.
3.) Deter the Distractions
On the other hand, distractions are an enemy to maximum brain power, so you must learn to calm your busy mind. When you notice things that bother you, try to deal with them as soon as possible, rather than dwelling on them. Whether it is a phone call, paying a bill, or writing things down on your to do list so that you won’t forget, just get it done. Doing these things will come easier with practice, especially as your thinking becomes more sharp and your brain power boosts.
3. Eat (or drink) the best breakfast.
Eating a healthy breakfast (one void of sugary carbs and high in protein) is one of the best things you can do for your brain. Likewise, skipping one of the most important meals of the day will affect your brains ability to cope, reason and function. Besides breakfast, aim to eat (or drink) plenty of live raw fruits and veggies and their juices throughout the day. Fruits and vegetables have the ability to detoxify the body and nourish your brain with important nutrients and essential antioxidants that help protect your brain from the harmful effects of free radicals. Beachbody also offers the most power packed nutritional drink called “SHAKEOLOGY the healthiest meal of the day” that is easy and delicious. See what the Doctors have to say.
4. Drink LOTS of water.
Besides fat, your brain is comprised of almost 80 percent water. This means that the brain is a lot like a sponge; when it is well hydrated it will perform more effectively. Dehydration, even in the slightest amount can raise the stress hormone levels in the body, which can damage the brains tissues over the course of time. A good rule of thumb is to drink at least 84 ounces of water a day. Pure clean water is best but if your like me you enjoy variety so you can add a bit of fresh lemon juice and stevia for a delicious and nutritious way to stay hydrated. You can also drink herbal, non-caffeinated tea. White or green tea are packed with antioxidants and other phytonutrients that are very beneficial for health of the brain.
5. Keep journals and Lists
Writing down your thoughts and ideas are a great way to clear the mind of it’s clutter from the day. When you write your thoughts onto paper, you are able to think about them in a more powerful and creative way. Keeping a To Do list will also help you mind stay focused and less forgetful. This is a great way to improve your brainpower.
6. Think about things in a positive way.
Thinking positively is not some “pie in the sky” mentality. It is just another way to enable your brain to think more clearly and creatively. When you are thinking about positive things, your mood and feelings will follow. This alone will allow your mind to function more smoothly. Ask yourself questions like What am I most grateful for right now?. The attitude to gratitude is one of the most powerful ways to boost brain power.
7) The beauty of sleep
Research shows that someone with sleep deprivation is equivalent to someone who is legally drunk. Make sure you sleep at least 7 hours of sleep. Research also shows that the best hours of sleep are from 10:00pm to 6:00am. Your body and your brain in particular, repair and rejuvenate during these sleep hours. Sleep also helps your brain to process new memories, practice new skills and solve problems.
8. Develop your creativity and your intuition.
Creativity gives power to your thinking. Raw computation can be done by computers now, but humans provide the creative thought that shapes our world. Intuition can be an important part of brain power. Einstein and others have relied heavily on their intuitive hunches.
9. Make a brain power commitment.
Studies show that it takes about twenty to thirty days of repetition to establish new habits. So be patient with yourself. This means that you should plan to use these techniques such as exercise, eating healthy, staying hydrated and sleeping well for at least three weeks for the habit to form.
You can use many of the brain boosters here and get immediate results, but it is creating new habits that will give you the most brain power boost.
Mellisa McJunkin
Extreme Health and Wellness Activist
1. Go for a walk.
Walking is a great way to clear your mind and improve your quality of thinking. Science has yet to prove this fact but why wait for science to catch up with what we already know. Besides, walking has many other benefits as well.
2. Nix the sugar addiction.
If you want to test the theory that sugar has anything to do with foggy thinking, try eating a big fat doughnut, wait twenty minutes then do some math equations. You will probably find that not only will you have brain fog, but you will most likely have a bad headache as well. At the very least, stay away from sugar and most carbohydrates when you need to think more clearly. Which should be most of the time, right?
3. Keep your space organized and your mind will follow.
Some people may say that they can still think straight amidst all the clutter, but it’s rare that this is actually true. Being more organized means you mind will not be distracted with thoughts such as “where is that ___________”.
4.Try to get enough quality sleep at night.
The amount of sleep you need can vary from person to person, but the bare minimum for optimal thinking is no less than five hours. Some people actually need eight a night or their thinking will suffer. Second to the number of hours you sleep, the quality of sleep is also quite important to brain function.
5. Meditation helps clear the mind of clutter.
No time? Just close your eyes, relax, and watch your breath for a while. Naturally your mind will want to wander or race, but choose return to a main thought or action, such as your breathing pattern. Just five minutes of meditation can give you a boost in brain power.
6. Learn to resolve the things that are causing or your mind to race.
Perhaps subconciously there is something bothering you that you need to take care of. Pinpoint the stressors in your life, do something about them, then let them go. Make a note of what needs to be done, then your mind will be free to let it go for the moment. Needless worry can cause your thinking to go askew. Identifying a problem and realizing, it is out of your control will help clear up your thinking.
7. Put that drink down.
Drinking too much alcohol will fog your thinking very quickly. Some say that drinking helps them to think more creatively, but there is a lot of scientific evidence that says it’s not good for the overall, long term health of your brain.
8. Don’t get “Analysis Paralysis”.
Being more decisive and making decisions quickly will help clear your thinking. If nothing else, decide when you’ll make the decision.
9. Breath in some fresh, clean air.
This should go hand in hand with “go for a walk”, but if you don’t have time for the walk, just go outside and take a few deep breaths through your nose. With a change of scenery and a good dose of oxygen to the brain your mind should clear quickly.
10. Keep your basic physical needs met.
It’s hard to think clearly when your are tired, hungry, thirsty or even too hold or too cold.
Starting today, you too can think more clearly.We have talked about only ten ways to help improve your thinking, but certainly there are more ways to accomplish this as well. You really only need to make a few of them a habit to have a more powerful brain. Why not try one or two right now?
A friend sent this to me yesterday so I checked it out. Since the company is too new to effectively research and review, it is a challenge for me to confidently recommend it. However, because they are offering a F*R*E*E product just for signing up, I feel it’s a safe enough venture at this time.
The product is FOOD. Food that’s prepackaged and good for emergencies, difficult economic time, hunting, backpacking, hiking, or whatever.
I read this under the Products section of their website …”With Sundance Global products, we took health food quality ingredients and blended them into our proprietary recipes to create ready to eat meals that taste like gourmet restaurant cuisine, yet have a guaranteed 15+ year shelf life.
If you want ready to eat meals that only require you to boil water and simmer for 10-20 minutes, then you will want to order “Sundance Gold,” the Sundance Global Premium Food line. Sundance Global products have ultra high quality ingredients, incredible taste, easy preparation along with convenient portions and packaging. Sundance Global products are used for days when food preparation time is limited or when mobility and convenience are important such as emergencies, camping, fishing, backpacking, hunting and other activities.”
I encourage you to take a look around AND sign up to receive a free sample of the food. You can’t lose a thing.
