Wit and wisdom: 5 things that can smarten you up

There can’t possibly be a worse feeling than when you have a project due and you experience a creative block. If you experience this mental clog more often than not, it may be time to explore ways you can become smarter.

If you wish to boost your brain power and have a creative edge over others, try these tips, as compiled from the Women’s Health, Men’s Health and Forbes magazines, and cracked.com.



Try doodling

We’ve all lazily doodled spirals and figures on notepads. It may just be a product of boredom, but it could be a great practice that helps jumpstart the brain. But it’s not just aimless doodling that does it. What you draw also matters, according to researchers at Tufts University and Stanford University. They found that drawing ‘fluid’ designs can help abstract thinking. Their research also showed that the group that was coming up with the most inventive ideas was the one that had doodled the most fluid, uninterrupted movements like loops. The brain prefers fluid, continuous movements, which make it more fluid in thinking and up your creativity quotient.



Add resistance training

Would you pick up those weights a little more often if you knew it would sharpen your brain? Working your muscles against resistance is part of the exercise equation that enhances stem cell production in the brain and awakens dormant stem cells in the hippocampus, which improves the memory, according to the Scientific American Journal. As an added bonus, learning new lifting techniques requires mental work that builds neural networks.



Try an elimination diet

If you feel mentally lethargic after eating certain foods, you may be experiencing ‘brain fog’ due to food sensitivities or an allergic chemical reaction you’re unaware of. Common offenders include dairy, gluten, eggs, sugar, and nightshade vegetables, such as potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant. If you’re sensitive to them, they could amplify inflammation and your ability to think and create ideas. Try eliminating these common foods for four to six weeks and then gradually add them back in your diet to identify the trigger.



Make hand gestures

Scientists have found that you could improve your memory by associating hand gestures with what you’re memorising and that public speakers use hand gestures to trick audiences into agreeing with them. According to a study published in Psychological Science in 2011, making small physical gestures with both your hands can help increase your creative thinking. The mere act of using your hands to represent different aspects of a problem can help your mind separate and organise ideas.



Spice up your food

Spices are high in antioxidants, which hunt for toxins in the body and decrease inflammation. Richard Carmona, author of 30 Days to a Better Brain, said that excessive inflammation in the body raises oxidative stress, which is detrimental to brain health. Try adding turmeric (haldi) to decrease the formation of amyloid protein deposits in the brain, which show up in many individuals with Alzheimer’s, a disease that compromises memory.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 13^th, 2014.

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