On average, a human adult brain weighs about 3 pounds (1,300-1,400 g), which is roughly 2% of your total body weight (not counting excess body fat). Your brain is responsible for almost every function in your body. This includes anything that has to do with regulating hormones, breathing, circadian rhythm, muscle control, heart beating, coordination, critical thinking, emotions and much more.
It goes without saying that the brain is one of the most energy demanding organs in your body. Itâs estimated that the brain by itself eats up almost 20% of your bodyâs total calorie intake. And that number can vary based on age, gender, size and how much brain power you actually use throughout the day.
Since the brain is responsible for so many things, youâll want to have it work at its optimum performance until The Big Sleep. The following are ten common practices you may be doing that go against that goal.
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1. Boredom
Neuroplasticity is the ability of the brain to think in different ways, make new connections, and retain memories. Without intellectual stimulation, your brainâlike any other organâwill atrophy2. No Breakfast
Itâs not just something your mother used to nag you about: breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Without it, not only will you feel sluggish but your brainâthatâs revving up for another busy dayâhasnât been fed in many hours. (1) Running on empty without proper nutrition day after day will cause your metabolism to slow and your brain to shut down some functionsâpermanently.
In addition, a Japanese study found that people who routinely skip breakfast are thirty-six percent more likely to suffer a brain hemorrhage. (2) Many studies support the observation that the brain performs better if properly nourished every morning; from a professor of pediatrics at Duke University:
âWithout glucose our brain simply doesnât operate as well. People have difficulty understanding new information, [they have a] problem with visual and spatial understanding, and they donât remember things as well.â
