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TOP DIEIS..
DECO
IATTHY y fixes
Which one really work
OUTSMA
HABITS
ffi
with brain science
ls diet food
MAKING
YOU FAT? Fat-free frenemies
HEAITH
YOUR
MIND
Willpower's posse, ond hypnosis? Phwww The key to breoking (or moking) q hobit, minus fingernoil morks in the couch, is o broin re-wire. Angela Tufvesscn discovers the mind-chonging science hat would you
of way
most like to change
developinS the power of
about your health
your brain over your lileLime.
behaviou rs?
I
-
rather, by actively
ntrod uci ng neu roplasticity,
Periaps you'd liLe to dr.nk ess,
where your thoughts can
smoke less, exercise more, cut
change the structure and
back on caffeine or eat less of
function of your brain, he ping
the sweet stufi Or all of the
you to live a happier, healthier
above. brain. And not in the old-
life. The power of positive thinklng is more than just a personal traininS catchphrase
fashioned, think harder kind
it's a scientific reality.
The solution? Use your
wryrlw.womenshealthandfitness.com
.uu
-
49
HEALTH
j
TRAIN MY BRAIN
4
,j
Three reoders seek qdvice from neuroplosticity expert Suson Peorse
j j
rii
j
on rewiring their minds to boost heolthy hobits.
The breakthrough
opposite. lt explains that the brain
can llterally change your mind and
The impact
As far as scientific breakthroughs
continues to adapt and change throughout Iife. Like plastic
the way it works.
That the brain is changeable
recently as the '1970s and for 400 years prior, scientists believed
(fantastic).
response to every experience,
that the brain was static - as in unchanging in a'do the best with what you're given' kind of
reflects ihe lives we have led so
go, this one is a biggie. Rs
"You change your mind in
The structure of the brain
fa[
and its capabilities alter in line with our decisions, skills, behaviours
thought and action," says Susan Pearse, founder of Mind Gardener and co-author of Wired for Life. "Not only are
progressive loss of knowledge.
that your brain has cells 'to lose'.
Coined by Us-based psychiatrist Dr Norman Doidge
lnstead, the scientific community
from neuron, meaning brain cell,
think, say and do changes the brain
and plastic, meaning malleable, neuroplasticity posits quite the
and shapes your life. Which means
your beliefs, perceptions and views changed, but your brain's physical structure also changes. We have been training our brains slnce the day we were born and laying down the pathways for
someihing quite powerful
how we experience life."
way
-
and that damage led to the
50 *.*on
and feelings. Forget the old adage
now knows that eveMhingwe
enshealthandfitness.com.au
-
you
rather than static has had
a
dramatic effect on the full health care spectrum. lt's altered the way doctors treat patients with brain injuries,
informed our understanding of the development of anxiety disorders and proven the power
Neuroscience Research
of motivation in even the most ardent of exercisers. Professor Peter Schofield, executive director of
reorganise does not appear to
that our attitudes, beliefs and expectatlons play an enormous role in our wellbeing, especially
made by stroke patients over
be limited to a certain period of
as we age." Think happy, be
time
time."
happy. Get it?
Australia , says the principles of neuroplasticity explain the continual mental improvements
new and different areas. The capacity for the brain to heal and
"lvlany stroke patients are unable to talk directly after their stroke because the part of the brain responsible for speech is damaged," he says. "But over time - days to weeks or months - patients are able to regain the use of speech and can begin
talking again. "This could be because the brain has been repairing itsell either by generating new neurons in the damaged areas, causing neurons from other areas to grow and reach towards the damaged area, or because the brain has re-allocated some of the funciion of speech to
Dr Helena Popovic, CEO of
other people walk, then a long time developing the muscles for walking by crawling. They then practise by holding on to furniture and then finally begin
Choose Health: Better Living
The practice
taking steps, often a single one
for Busy People and author of
Whether you're a recovering
at a time.
ln Search of my Father, says
stroke patient or wannabe healthy food connoisseur, training your brain is much like a gym workout. The areas of the brain you train will get bigger;
because our mental capacity
isn't a passive victim of our genes, we have the capacity
to sharpen our thinking, improve our concentration and memory, expand our creativity and increase our learning and problem solving skills. ln the long term, this can help "reduce our risk of developing
depression, anxiety
d
isorders
and Alzheimer's disease," she says. "ln terms of our overall health, neuroplasticity has shown
those you don't will remain the
and result in structural and functional changes that equip the brain and body, slowly and over time, for the act of walking."
neuroplasticity equivalent of
The results
the right parts.
The brain uses habits to
"Your brain does not disiinguish between what is good for it and what is harmful,"
maximise efficiency
says Pearse. "Your brain adopts
whichever habits you have focused on and practised throughout your life. lt is just
- you'd
be exhausted ifyou had
to consciously think about everything you do each day. Research suggests that it takes as many as 66 days to cement
a
practised at being unhealthy as
new habit, although our experts warn that scientists have not been able to confirm these
it is to become well practised at
findings with confidence. ln any
to become very well
being healthy." Research has found the
most powerful determinant of success in changing any habit is
finding a compelling and
motivatinS reason for wanting
to change. Dr Popovic says when we find a reason that excites us and compels us into action, we release three potent brain chemicals: dopamine,
acetylcholine and adrenaline. "Dopamine opens our minds and gives us a pleasure hit that compensates for the deprivation we experience when we give something up,"
case, training your brain will take
time. Pearse says repetition and
motivation should be combined with the development of new thoughts and behaviours rather than simply layering a new healthy mindset on top of old unhealthy thouShts.
"lf you are constantly thinking 'don't smoke', for example, you're firing the same network that is already there in relation to smoking, which reinforces your need to smoke." lnstead, Pearse says you'll get faster results by focusing on the health
she says.'Acetylcholine enables us to focus on our goal and
benefits you're working towards,
consolidate changes in our brains that occur when we learn a
clearer lungs.
new skill or take on a new habit, and adrenaline fires us up and improves our strength, stamina, alertness and energy levels." Along with motivation, Prol
**otenshealthandfitness.com.au
'All of these behaviours and experiences change the brain
flabby. But ii's important to train
as easy
52
spend couniless hours watchlnS
like reduced risk of illness and Also crucial is an oldfashioned dose of discipline. Time dedicated to letting the grey matter do its thing. "Just like we know we should exercise for 30 minutes a day, you should also
Schofield says one of the keys to change is repetition. "Think
exercise your mind daily," says Pearse. Simple but powerful, we
of a baby learning to walk. They
thinks.
r