Brain Power

a healthy brain is about feeling good

serotonin (a lack of which is implicated in depression), noradrenaline (which primes the body for action) and dopamine (which plays a vital role in mood, and in our ability to learn and plan). In fact, 50 per cent of our dopamine is made in the gut.8

Similarly, there is no silver bullet. Your best bet for protecting your brain is to take on a combination of the beneficial habits, and let the effects build. This isn’t about a quick fix, but about lifestyle changes that last.

The brain is a hungry organ, consuming about 20 per cent of the body’s energy.

If we have enough ‘good’ bacteria in there, any unwanted pathogens will be outnumbered, helping to protect us from infection. This is one reason why, when it comes to health, it’s important to have as diverse a microbiome as possible. The more skills it can perform, the more it can do to keep us well.

Bad diet is the leading risk factor for death in the majority of countries around the world, claiming more lives than smoking.4

They were surprised to discover that those people who received psychotherapy and those who had the dietary advice saw the same reduction in their chances of going on to develop depression – around 8 per cent rather than 20–25 per cent for those who receive neither.25

Aside from the vagus nerve, the gut can talk to the brain in other ways, including through hormones, the immune system and through our gut microbes.

sun on your face and the influence of nutritious food. When that hap

healthy habits: that can replace the benefits of exercise, a glass of