beginners guide to cognitive enhancement

IntroShift.com – Cognitive Enhancement & Mindset Development


You’re a GeniusFirst off, congratulations. You are already a genius in my book.

Why?

Because you’re one of the few people smart enough to realize the importance of optimizing your brain.

Up until about 20 years ago, it was generally accepted that your brain is static. What nature gave you is what you get. You’re either smart or you’re not.

Then along came this idea that your brain has the remarkable ability to alter and develop its own physical structure throughout your entire life! They called it Neuroplasticity.

To me, this is probably the single most valuable discovery in terms of self development and living a fulfilling and successful life.

So we all have this crazy awesome capability to increase almost every aspect of our cognitive faculty, yet tons of people are oblivious to it.

The average person still thinks that when you kill off your brain cells, you’re not getting any back. Wrong!

Whether you already knew that we have tremendous control over our brain health, cognitive performance, feelings, and intelligence, or you’re just findingout, you are at an extraordinary advantage over the rest of the population.

While they are stressed, unmotivated, fatigued, unfocused, and dragging through life only achieving a fraction of their true potential… there you will be, happy, productive, confident, energized, resourceful, easy-going, intelligent, and above all, wildly successful!

They will wonder what your secret is...???

It’s quite simple; you learned to take care of your brain.


So what will this guide do for me?

This guide is based on the latest advancements in neuroscience and condensed into an easy to read, beginner focused, and actionable cognitive enhancing program.

My mission is to help the hard workers like you to start working smarter.

If you know anything about...

• staring blankly at the screen

• being distracted every 7.4 seconds

• making dumb little errors

• working all day yet not getting anything done

• not being able to get in the zone

• forgetting what you just learned 5 minutes ago

and you don’t know how to start improving, then this guide is exactly what you need. You will learn the essential and fundamental rules to achieving a cognitive edge.

The 3 C’s of Cognitive FunctioningThe headquarters of intelligence, the initiator of body movement, the commander of behavior, and the decoder of all external stimuli... your brain is the most powerful mechanism on earth!

Our brain is one big powerful biological neural network. Yet at the most basiclevel, it’s really just a bundle of neurons connected together forming a huge database of cognitive abilities, sensory sensitivity, motor skills, thoughts, physiological data, beliefs, instant reactions, emotions, and feelings. This can all be rewired!

Now there is no magic pill that is going to just make you know stuff. When


you were born you had a clean slate and everything had to be learned. Thingslike concentration, memory, and reasoning are all habits that you have learned starting from when you were just a tiny baby.

However, these things may have been easier to learn for some because initially, their brain structure may have been more optimized for learning.

So how the heck do you increase your intelligence, memory, and problem solving?

Our goal is to optimize our brain’s ability to learn and retain new information. In other words, we must increase our neuroplasticity.

To do this, we need to focus on the 3 most important areas of cognitive function.

Creation

A neuron is what is generally known as a brain cell. It is very similar to any other cell in the body except that it specializes in transmitting information through electrical and chemical impulses.

Neurogenesis is simply the process of creating new neurons.

Connection

Now in order to be effective, neurons must connect to other neurons. These connections are called synapses.

Synaptic plasticity is the ability for these connections to get stronger and more efficient.

Communication

Neurons connected to each other do little good if they can’t communicate their messages with one another.

The chemicals that transmit signals across the synapses are called Neurotransmitters.


In a nutshell, we need to create more brain cells, build their connections to each other, and increase the efficiency of their communication. Sounds easy right?

Now let’s uncover the strategy to enhance these 3 areas of the brain and helpyou unlock your true cognitive potential…

If You Believe You Can AchieveOur current reality is created by how we relate external experiences to our preconceived beliefs associated with that type of experience. Our beliefs are ingrained in our subconscious, so they are influencing every thought, behavior and perception without us even realizing. They are essentially what determine the quality of our lives.

2 types of beliefs

• Limiting - the defective, inaccurate, and damaging beliefs that severely inhibit our ability to make enlightened decisions.

• Empowering - the beliefs that are in-line with our conscious values and goals. An empowering belief helps you achieve the results you desire.

In order to achieve the goal we talked about earlier, there is one specific belief we need to adopt.

The most important belief

Discovered by Stanford University psychologist Carol Dweck, the growth mindset is the belief that your abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work.

Now a person with a static mindset would believe that most qualities, like your intelligence, are set in stone. Either you have it or you don’t. If you don’t… then oh well, blame mom and dad.

A person with a growth mindset on the other hand, sees their current intelligence as just a starting point. From there, it is their job to increase it.


How do you adopt a growth mindset?

Maybe you already have a growth mindset, at least when it comes to increasing your intelligence. I’m going to assume you do, or you probably wouldn’t even be reading this guide.

However, if you don’t believe me that you actually can develop your abilities, check out how Carol Dweck says you can change from a fixed to a growth mindset. http://mindsetonline.com/changeyourmindset/firststeps/index.html

So basically if you're not a genius right now, you can become one! The first step is truly believing you can. The second step... is choosing to.

Lifestyle ChoicesIf you want to increase your cognitive abilities, you're going to have to make a few changes to your daily life. You’re going to want to develop habits that are in-line with optimal brain functioning and eliminate those activities that are destroying your brain.

Take control of your stress

Now we need some stress in our lives. Stress is what protects us from danger and keeps us alive. However, too much stress is absolutely detrimental to our brain health.

As human beings, what makes us different than other animals, is that we stress out over thoughts. Too much unnecessary worrying and anxiety leads to chronic stress which increases the steroid hormone cortisol.

This hormone decreases activity in the hippocampus (the area of the brain responsible for information consolidation) and severely impairs memory retrieval.

Studies have shown that elevated levels of cortisol can decrease hippocampal activity by up to 40%! If you are chronically stressed, it is absolutely imperative you get it under control if you want to have any chance of improving your brain functioning.

http://mindsetonline.com/changeyourmindset/firststeps/index.html


2 tips to manage stress

1. Dig up the root - The best way to lower your stress is to get rid of the source. If that isn’t possible, at least make an attempt to improve the situation (stress comes from the thoughts, and when you actively try to improve, your thoughts are redirected to something more positive).

2. Find a release - Stressful situations can’t always be avoided, but what’s important is that when you are no longer in that situation, find something that helps you release the stress in a healthy way. This can be anything from pumping some iron, to reading a book, to taking a hike, to playing a (non stressful) video game, to hitting the heavy bag. Find what works for you.

If you’re tired be quiet and go to sleep

As an adult you should ideally get around 7-9 hours of sleep. Now some people may need more and some less. If you know you’re not getting enoughquality sleep, you need to do something about it.

Sleep deprivation increases cortisol, prevents production of new neurons, and weakens the connections between neurons. Also, sleep gives your receptors some rest. When they don’t get their rest, they get very cranky and lose sensitivity which makes it very difficult for your neurons to receive signals.

Some tips to help you get better sleep:

• Establish a schedule that you stick to everyday

• No big meals right before bed

• Read a book right before going to bed

• Take melatonin supplement

• Keep your room dark and quiet - No TV. It helps you fall asleep you say?


Yea well it also ruins the quality of your sleep. Learn to fall asleep

without it.

• Create a routine before bed that lets you wind down

Work out your bod

Our brain uses 20% of the body’s energy. Aerobic exercise helps your brain obtain the energy it requires.

Also, your brain creates a large number of free radicals (loose electrons that are extremely toxic and can alter DNA if they are left alone). Exercise helps your heart pump more blood and thus oxygen to your brain which helps to neutralize these free radicals before they cause severe damage to your brain.

Even more, exercise increases levels of BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor) which protects and aids in the creation of new neurons.

You should try shooting for 45 minutes of aerobic exercise per day for 3-5 days a week. You can always make time for exercise if you make it a priority - which you should!

If you don’t want to commit that much time, then at least climb the stairs, walk fast, move around, or go for some crunches on your office floor. Do something!

Meditate to medicate

The importance of meditation can not be overstated. Practically every high-achiever practices some form of meditation.

An experiment performed by Harvard neuroscientists showed that meditation increases grey matter concentration in some key areas of the brain. http://www.massgeneral.org/about/pressrelease.aspx?id=1329

Another study also showed that 20 minutes of meditation a day can help youimprove your attention and ability to work under stress.

http://www.massgeneral.org/about/pressrelease.aspx?id=1329


http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1361002/

For me personally, meditation has been probably the most valuable activity I ever took part in. Not only did it relieve my stress and help me focus, it brought about many of my most rewarding insights.

If you are new to meditation, it can be a little confusing. Here is a great resource to help you get started. http://www.mindful.org/meditation/mindfulness-getting-started/

Stop getting loaded

Alcohol seriously messes with the ability of your neurons to receive information. So you can have all the neurons in the world sending signals, butif you’re always drunk and none of them can receive any of these signals, what’s the point? If you drink alcohol in excess, you should really consider cutting back.

I’m not telling you need to completely stop drinking, even though that wouldbe the most effective. At least, according to a study by Grethe Jensen, alcohol doesn't kill brain cells like many think. http://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2010/10/alcohol-does-not-kill-brain-cells/

However, alcohol shuts down your ability to create new neurons, which is almost just as bad.

If you really can’t see yourself quitting drinking, at the very least, limit yourself to absolutely no more than 5 drinks in 2 hours.

Quit smoking

So smoking destroys your brain cells and it lowers your IQ. But it’s mostly because the smoke causes very high levels of oxidative stress, which means there are more free-radicals floating around that our brain cannot detoxify. It doesn’t necessarily have to do with the nicotine.

The situation is similar for smoking marijuana. It's not the THC that causes

http://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2010/10/alcohol-does-not-kill-brain-cells/

http://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2010/10/alcohol-does-not-kill-brain-cells/

http://www.mindful.org/meditation/mindfulness-getting-started/

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1361002/


brain damage, but the inhaling of the smoke.

However, THC does block some important neurotransmitters while you are high. So if you are getting high while you’re studying or learning, you’re not doing yourself any good. Yes I know it may relax you, which helps with focus, but your ability to retain info is severely impaired.

If you absolutely must have your nicotine or weed, at least use e-cigs and vaporizers.

Stop taking prescription/OTC drugs that you don’t need

You don’t need me to tell you all the negative side effects of these drugs. Just listen to the 37 minute long list they ramble off during the commercials.

Most of these drugs permanently alter the chemistry of the brain unnaturally,which causes many long term effects on the brain.

Anticholinergic drugs, for example, inhibit Acetylcholine (neurotransmitter that regulates how the brain processes information and is EXTREMELY important in cognitive function), which will cause difficulty in learning and creating memories. The more you take the greater the effect.

There are so many different drugs with so many harsh side effects on the brain that you’d be wise to stop taking them unless you absolutely need them. Of course, this is something you would need to talk to your doctor about first.

Optimized Brain DietThere has been a sweeping trend in healthy eating lately. Which of course, is a good thing. But many of these diets are optimized for the body.

Brain health is still largely ignored. Now there is definately a lot of overlap; many foods and eating habits that are good for your body are also good for your brain. However, that doesn’t mean we are getting our brain enough of what it needs.


You don’t need to completely transform your diet. I’m not going to tell you tocount your calories or measure your food portions. I’m just going to lay out some quick and easy diet tips and general guidelines for eating for your brain and not just your belly.

High quality H20

New research suggests that a whopping 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated(http://www.medicaldaily.com/75-americans-may-suffer-chronic-dehydration-according-doctors-247393). So chances are you are too.

On top of that, approximately 85 percent of your brain is water. You don’t need to be a brain surgeon to realize that your brain probably needs more H20 in its life.

Water serves a whole mess of functions in your brain. Basically, without adequate water intake, your brain will think slower, be less focused, and experience less clarity and creativity.

I suggest drinking a half gallon of water per day at the bare minimum. That may sound like a lot, but it’s very important and your brain will love you for it.

Also, you should be drinking 2 glasses of water as soon as you wake up. If youare getting your 7-9 hours like you should be, then you just went a long time without any water intake. It will give you a nice morning boost too.

Get your Omega-3 fatty acids

Omega-3 deficiencies impair neuronal growth, synaptic plasticity, and serotonin and dopamine transmission, among other other health concerns.

These are essential fatty acids, meaning your body can’t synthesize them. Youneed to get them from food or supplementation.

If you don’t eat fish at least twice a week, there is a good chance you aren’t getting enough Omega-3s in your diet.

Eat more fish and other Omega-3 sources such as walnuts, eggs, flaxseed, pumpkin seeds, kale, spinach, etc.

http://www.medicaldaily.com/75-americans-may-suffer-chronic-dehydration-according-doctors-247393

http://www.medicaldaily.com/75-americans-may-suffer-chronic-dehydration-according-doctors-247393


Completely avoid trans fat

Trans fat is not only horrible for your heart (which the brain depends on to pump blood to it) but it severely inhibits neuron functioning and impairs hippocampal neurogenesis.

The good fatty acids are very prevalent in the brain. They are there to protectyour neurons.

Trans fat does absolutely no good, yet if it’s there, it will replace those good fats! This will severely hinder the functionality of your neurons.

Luckily, trans fat has been phased out of most food. However, there is still some lurking around. Check the nutrition label (especially on tv dinners), and ditch the fast food. Don’t you dare eat McDonalds 4.1g trans fat hotcakes and sausage before going into work!

Eat foods rich in antioxidants

Your brain generates a boatload of free-radicals that are constantly floating around your brain and attacking your brain cells.

You know how some fruits turn brown after being cut open? Well this is kind of what free-radicals are doing to your brain cells. If they are not controlled, they can start a chain reaction of brain cell damage. Antioxidants help neutralize many of these free-radicals.

Plant-based foods are very high in antioxidants. Some foods with the most antioxidants are berries, kale, peaches, corn, spinach, cherries, grapes, apples, beans, potatoes, etc.

Drink green tea

Green tea is a great source for caffeine, which increases responsiveness of neurons, brain alertness, and attention.

What is special about green tea is that is contains L-theanine which increases activity in the alpha frequency band - and thus induces a calming effect in the brain. Basically it counteracts the negative side effects of caffeine so


you’re left with clean and focused mental energy with no crash. It also helps your brain for the long term by protecting against Alzheimer’s.

This is obviously not an exhaustive list because I wanted to give you some of the most high-level and effective guidelines that you can start implementing right away. When you start noticing a difference, then you can dig even deeper into the essential minerals, vitamins, and nutrients that you may be deficient in such as your B-vitamins, magnesium, zinc, GABA, etc...

Brain Enhancing ActivitiesGrowth mindset, proper diet, and a refined lifestyle all optimize our brain’s ability to create brain cells and hone their communication devices. However, they do little for actually strengthening the connections.

So far we have essentially enhanced our ability to learn. So, now the key to building up our neural connections is by willfully learning and practicing.

Can you train your brain with mobile apps and games?

Now I wish I could tell you that there is some brain training app, test, game, or crossword puzzle that would enhance your overall intelligence. However, this isn’t how it works.

According to the Stanford University Center on Longevity and the Berlin Max Planck Institute for Human Development, “scientific literature does not support claims that the use of software-based “brain games” alters neural functioning in ways that improve general cognitive performance in everyday life, or prevent cognitive slowing and brain disease.”

When you think about it, this kind of makes sense. The phrase use it or lose it does indeed apply to our brain, so by constantly working your brain with isolated exercises, like how you do in a brain training game, you are keeping those functions sharp - which is a good thing.

On the other hand… our objective is to strengthen the connections between synapses. Therefore, we are only strengthening the connections associated


with this game. Now this can have some overlap to real world tasks, but it is limited.

With that said, I do think these games may still be somewhat valuable. We should challenge our brain everyday in order to stay fresh, and these games do that. Just because they aren’t raising your IQ, doesn’t mean they aren’t stillmildly helpful.

Just be careful with these games because the flashing screen and happy sounds may end up feeding into an addiction of constantly looking to your phone (instead of to your work) to trigger your brain’s reward system.

How to really boost your intelligence

There is no substitute to real world application. Its effectiveness is much harder to measure because there is so much more involved, but this is kind ofthe point.

Real world application involves human interaction, emotion, taste, smell, humor, connection, sight, sound, fun, the list goes on… This is how we truly expand and strengthen the connections in our brain.

Not to mention, real world activities and experiences are much more intriguing than a phone flashing and playing some music (at least it should be).

There are an infinite amount of real world exercises you can have a go at. All that really matters is that is fulfills at least 1 of these 3 requirements:

1. The exercise must be be intellectually challenging or thought provoking.

2. The exercise must constantly introduce something new.

3. The exercise must engage multiple areas of the brain.

Here are a few examples of common activities that can potentially satisfy these requirements:

• meditate - practice your ability to refocus


• reading - expand your knowledge on a given subject (read as if you are going to have to teach what you are reading)

• play an instrument - keep learning and memorizing new songs

• learn a new language - memorize the vocabulary and embrace the culture behind it

• play chess - try to read your opponent and think multiple steps ahead

• study a new subject - relate the new knowledge to what you are already an expert at

• travel - meet and connect with new people

Remember, simply performing these activities aren’t necessarily going to boost your cognition. You need to consciously turn them into exercises by making sure that they are intellectually challenging, novel, and/or soliciting multiple senses. Come up with a brain exercise in everything you do!

For example, travelling by itself might not make you any smarter, but you canconsciously turn it into an exercise by actively trying to empathize with the culture, understand the language, remembering facts about the landmarks, navigate without Google maps, etc…

This will truly improve your memory, concentration, and thought processes way beyond what a phone app or crossword puzzle would…

For An Extra BoostIf you’ve already started towards your cognitive enhancement goals with the above strategies, but you are still looking for an extra push, Nootropics and other brain supplements might be exactly what you need.

I like to think I’m a pretty realistic guy, so I know that getting your 7-9 hours of sleep every night, eating your fish 3 times a week, and eliminating alcohol, are some of the things that are more easily said than done.

Supplementing with Nootropics can be an effective way of making up for

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certain deficiencies, and further enhancing the effectiveness of a brain optimizing regimen. Keep in mind though, Nootropics are supplements. Key word is supplements.

They are not limitless pills that are going to turn you into a genius overnight. Sorry, but these pills just do not exist.

Many Nootropics may produce a noticeable effect without much effort. But in order to get the full effect, they should be used in conjunction with smart lifestyle choices, proper diet, and brain stimulating activities.

Nootropics are up and coming in the entrepreneurial and startup world, and it is actually refreshing to see people are finally looking for stuff to actually increase their brain health rather than destroy it for the short term benefits ofsome prescription drugs.

So what constitutes a substance as a nootropic? Dr. Corneliu E. Giurgea, the inventor of Piracetam (which we will discuss shortly), states that a nootropic should:

• enhance your learning and memory

• improve overall brain functioning

• protect the brain from injury and damage

• be relatively safe and without serious side-effects

I’m going to give you a high-level overview of a list of the most popular and effective Nootropics based on a survey of two of the largest online Nootropics communities r/Nootropics and Longecity’s Brain Health forum.

Meet the Racetams

Racetams are a group of synthetic compounds that show much promise for improving brain function. Generally, the Racetams work to increase the functionality of Acetylcholine, which is the neurotransmitter in the brain that plays a crucial role in the formation of memories, reasoning, and concentration.

http://www.longecity.org/forum/forum/169-brain-health/

http://www.reddit.com/r/nootropics/


Piracetam

Piracetam is the oldest and one of the most common Nootropics. It is the parent of all compounds in the Racetam family. Piracetam is said to improve learning, reasoning, brain metabolism, capacity, attention, and memory.

Aniracetam

Aniracetam takes it a step further and also affects the Dopamine and Serotonin system which may help with anxiety and motivation. However, it does not facilitate cerebral blood flow like Piracetam does.

Pramiracetam

Pramiracetam not only improves synaptic plasticity, it increases nitric oxide synthase activity which increases cerebral blood flow and thus affects all cognitive function. Research shows it to be much more potent than Piracetam ( needs a lower effective dose ) and may be especially effective forthose that suffered any type of brain trauma.

Oxiracetam

Oxiracetam is a little different in that it actually promotes the production of ACh instead of just improving its functionality. It increases PKC (membrane-bound protein kinase C), which plays a key role in learning and memory. Oxiracetam may also help prevent against cognitive decline.

Noopept

Noopept is very effective at increasing NGF (nerve growth factor) and BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor) which greatly improves neurogenesis. It also has strong neuroprotective properties and helps rehabilitation after braintrauma.

I wouldn’t recommend taking more than 2 racetam Nootropics at the same time. Since they all work in a similar way, things can get weird. If you want to try more than one, consider rotating them.

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Nutrients

Choline

Choline is an essential nutrient that is required for the synthesis of Acetylcholine. Without Choline, there is no ACh. Piracetam uses ACh at a faster rate so more Choline is needed to keep up. Therefore, these two Nootropics work together and should be taken together.

The most popular type of Choline is Alpha-GPC. This type is the purest and it easily crosses the blood brain barrier, so it is very efficient.

Acetyl-L-Carnitine

Involved in energy metabolism and mitochondrial protection, ALCAR can helpincrease alertness, mitochondrial capacity, and provide support for your neurons. It is especially effective for people with mild cognitive impairment.

Omega-3

EPA and DHA ( 2 of the most common ) both play a role in maintaining propercognitive function. Sizeable chunks of your brain are made up of Omega-3 Fatty Acids. These fats facilitate neuron growth, synaptic plasticity, and neurotransmitter transmission. Omega-3s also contain many anti-inflammatory properties that serve a wide variety of other health benefits as well.

Creatine

Although Creatine is much more popular amongst weight lifters, it is also very effective nootropic. Creatine helps to rapidly produce energy (ATP) to support cellular function during times of stress. This increases power output and enhances cognitive performance on demanding tasks. It is also known to enhance cognitive control in sleep deprived individuals.

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Herbs and Plant derived compounds

L-Theanine

Theanine is an amino acid found in green tea. It is known to help reduce stress and improve mood. Theanine also increases alpha brain waves, which helps reduce the perception of stress and slightly improve attention. It is essentially a relaxing agent that is not sedative. Thus it is very effective in taking the edge off of stimulants, such as caffeine.

Bacopa Monnieri

Bacopa Monnieri has a few different mechanisms of action such as preventing against the chemical effects of stress, increasing cerebral blood flow, and promoting neuron communication. It appears to be effective at reducing anxiety and improve memory formation.

Ashwagandha

This herb is known to reduce cortisol concentrations and provide some neuroprotection. It is very effective at reducing the symptoms of stress and anxiety, which in turn improves cognitive function. Ashwagandha is also thought to specifically improve the formation of memories.

Rhodiola

Rhodiola is known to be very effective at reducing fatigue and improving symptoms of stress in fatigued individuals. This of course helps improve cognitive functioning. It is also thought to be highly neuroprotective against toxins.

Vitamins

B Vitamins

One of the main functions of B Vitamins is to synthesize the stress-fighting neurotransmitters. Your body constantly needs to replenish B Vitamins through your diet (especially if you drink alcohol). If you don’t keep up, your

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cognitive performance will take a hit.

Vitamin D

Whether it is because people are trying to avoid the sun (the primary source) , or they aren't eating the right meats, many people are deficient in Vitamin D. Deficiency in Vitamin D causes chronic inflammation of the brain which can cause a wide range of problems.

Be careful not to get too much Vitamin D though, because it can cause toxicity. If you are getting your Vitamin D from the sun however, your body has a mechanism that regulates the amount it takes in. So don’t worry, sunbathing won’t cause you to overdose.

Acetylcholinesterase Inhibitors

Huperzine-A

This supplement helps increase Acetylcholine by preventing its breakdown. Huperzine-A may also facilitate memory and learning in healthy individuals aswell as fight against cognitive decline.

BYOS (build your own stack)

Most of the time, Nootropic buffs opt to incorporate a number of different supplements into their daily routine in order to hit their brain from all angles.

Now keep in mind, more does not mean better. They key here is to strategically choose a combination that works synergistically.

This means you want your supplements to each serve a purpose, whether it isoptimizing one specific function, mitigating a potential side effect of another,or filling in any deficiencies with your diet.

You don’t want to have 5 supplements all boosting your acetylcholine, for example.

Now everybody’s neurophysiology is different and therefore will have different results with certain stacks. You must find what works for you.

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So as a beginner, what you should do is start with the basics, see what works and what doesn’t, and alter your stack as you see fit.

So what’s a basic stack for beginners?

Below is a stack comprised of some of the most safest, effective, and commonly needed substances to get you started.

The absolute beginners stack

1.Piracetam

Piracetam is the oldest and most researched drug of the racetam family. It has the most relevant research in its favor for cognitive enhancing effects and safety.

Suggested dose: 1,600mg 2-3 times per day

Get it here

2.Fish Oil

Supplementation with the Omega-3s DHA & EPA is most likely necessary for anyone that doesn’t eat fish regularly. You need to keep your Omega-3 levels close to your Omega-6 levels (which is abundant in the average diet). Fish Oil also has loads of other health benefits aside from brain functioning.

Suggested dose: 1,000mg DHA, 500mg EPA

Get it here

3.Caffeine and theanine

Most of us already consume caffeine. And although caffeine may directly or indirectly improve concentration, reaction time, and cognitive performance, it’s not without the side effects of anxiety, nervousness, jitteriness.

Add theanine to the mix, and caffeine’s negative aspects are mitigated, and it’s positive aspects are enhanced. L-theanine appears to be both very safe and effective.

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Suggested dose: 100mg caffeine, 200mg theanine taken before a mentally demanding work session

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4.Creatine Monohydrate

Creatine is a thoroughly researched supplement and is know to be very safe. Small amounts of creatine is found in meats, eggs and fish. If you don’t consume a very high amount of these foods, oral supplementation can help boost energy production and cellular support.

Suggested dose: 20mg per day for 2 week loading phase, 5mg in the morningafter that

Get it here

5.Multi-B

B-Group vitamins are the most important vitamins for your brain. Also, they are water soluble, so your body does not retain them like many other vitamins. You need to constantly replenish them.

Suggested dose: follow the suggested use on the Multi-B label

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6.Bacopa Monnieri

Bacopa Monnieri is one of the most well tested, safest, and effective memory enhancers. Consistent supplementation appears to reliably and effectively improve memory.

Suggested dose: In the morning take 300mg if 50% bacosides or 750mg if 20% bacosides

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This is a very basic, but solid stack. From here can choose to replace Piracetam with another Racetam, add in a cholinergic compound such as Alpha-GPC, or take an anti-anxiety supplement such as Ashwagandha.

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Always go slowly and don’t go overboard. Remember, more is not necessary better!

Although most of these supplements are generally safe at the correct dosages - you should always consult your doctor before taking any supplementation.

Now go out there and do smart stuffIt really all boils down to making good lifestyle choices, optimizing your diet, and consciously taking on the mental exercises of everyday life.

There is nothing that is going to make you a genius overnight. It takes time, effort, and good decisions.

Even the slightest cognitive edge can make all the difference in your business, success, and life. And now that you are equipped with the basic knowledge of true cognitive enhancement, you can use this knowledge to gain more knowledge!

Brandon VillanoFounder & Owner, IntroShiftEnhance your mind. Enhance your life.

beginners guide to cognitive enhancement

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