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Blink 3 of 8 - The 5 AM Club
by Robin Sharma
Listen to the Intro
Biohack Your Brain summary
Kristen Willeumier
How to Boost Cognitive Health, Performance and Power
22 mins
Brief summary
Biohack Your Brain by Kristen Willeumier is a research-backed guide to optimizing brain function and improving overall health through diet, exercise, and behavior modification.
Table of Contents
Biohack Your Brain
Summary of 7 key ideas
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Key idea 1 of 7
The brain is as complex as it is essential to human life.
The human brain is a mind-bogglingly complex thing.
Every second, billions of messages are sent between brain cells called neurons. This neuronal activity generates real electricity – enough, in fact, to power a low-wattage light bulb. Give it 70 hours and the brain could charge a smartphone.
The brain also stores vast amounts of data. On average, it holds the equivalent of 2.5 million gigabytes of digital memory. If all that storage space were taken up by recordings of television shows, you could watch TV continuously for three centuries.
The brain isn’t just a passive storage device, though. It regulates every part of your conscious and unconscious life, from the loftiest thought down to the tiniest twitch.
The key message here is: The brain is as complex as it is essential to human life.
The adult brain contains 100 billion neurons. Each one of these brain cells is connected to around 10,000 other cells. Neurons transmit, or send, messages to each other through this network using gaps known as synapses. All in all, there are about 100 trillion individual connections between neurons.
To put that into perspective, that’s more than 1,000 times the number of stars in our galaxy. As physicist Michio Kaku puts it, the brain is the “most complicated object in the known universe.”
Now, the brain’s neuronal activity regulates all the things you do – all of your physical, mental, and emotional operations.
Some operations are intentional. What you say and how you say it, for example, are deliberate cognitive acts. Others are automatic. You don’t consciously regulate your heart rate, but it happens anyway. Both kinds of operation are possible because neurons are firing messages across synapses.
The brain coordinates these operations by “translating” sensory stimuli.
Eyes, ears, noses, and tongues pick up information from the external world, but the brain controls what you see, hear, smell, and taste. This data is relayed from the body to the brain through the spinal cord, which is the second component of the central nervous system (the first component is the brain itself). Once this information has been processed, new messages are generated that allow your body to perform conscious and unconscious operations.
The brain, in short, is a vital tool, which is why you need to look after it. Like a knife, it works best when you keep it clean, sharp, and well-honed.
So how do you do that? That’s just what we’ll be exploring in these blinks.
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What is Biohack Your Brain about?
Biohack Your Brain (2020) is a guide to caring for your most essential organ – the brain. Drawing on the latest neuroscientific research, it’s packed with actionable advice on everything from optimizing your diet for brain health to stimulating your gray cells and beating stress. Along the way, it sheds light on how you can start protecting yourself against cognitive diseases like Alzheimer’s.
Biohack Your Brain Review
Biohack Your Brain (2021) is an essential read for those interested in optimizing their brain function and enhancing cognitive performance. Here's why this book is worth your time:
- Offering a plethora of practical techniques, it empowers readers to improve memory, focus, and overall brain health through biohacking methods.
- By merging scientific research and expert insights, the book provides a comprehensive understanding of the brain's potential and how to unlock it.
- Through fascinating case studies and real-life examples, it effortlessly captures and holds the reader's attention, ensuring an engaging and entertaining reading experience.
Who should read Biohack Your Brain?
- Thinkers and tinkerers
- The stressed and anxious
- Self-improvers
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Biohack Your Brain FAQs
What is the main message of Biohack Your Brain?
Biohack Your Brain offers insights and strategies to optimize brain function and enhance mental performance.
How long does it take to read Biohack Your Brain?
The reading time for Biohack Your Brain varies. However, you can read the Blinkist summary in just 15 minutes.
Is Biohack Your Brain a good book? Is it worth reading?
Biohack Your Brain is a valuable read. It provides practical ways to improve brain health and unlock your cognitive potential.
Who is the author of Biohack Your Brain?
The author of Biohack Your Brain is Kristen Willeumier.
What to read after Biohack Your Brain?
If you're wondering what to read next after Biohack Your Brain, here are some recommendations we suggest:
- Smarter Tomorrow by Elizabeth R. Ricker
- The Science and Technology of Growing Young by Sergey Young
- Brain Rules by John Medina
- Your Brain Is Always Listening by Daniel G. Amen
- Building Your Money Machine with ChatGPT by Larry Wheeler
- The Art of Reading Minds by Henrik Fexeus
- How Work Works by Michelle P. King
- The Telomere Effect by Elizabeth Blackburn and Elissa Epel
- The 4-Hour Workweek by Tim Ferriss
- Peak Performance by Brad Stulberg and Steve Magness