Food for Thought: Top 10 Nutrition Facts That Everyone Agrees on

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Hacking Concentration: The Complete Guide to Getting Into the ‘Zone’

By WakingTimes November 14, 2014        

Deane Alban, Contributor
Waking Times


Learn how to improve your concentration to get more done. Get many simple lifestyle tips and techniques, including the single best way to get in the zone …
It’s been said that the greatest power of the human mind is its ability to focus on one thing for an extended period of time.


If you’ve ever held a magnifying glass in the sun, you know how scattered sunlight can be focused to start a fire.


Imagine if you could concentrate your brain power into one bright beam and focus it like a laser on whatever you wish to accomplish.  But most of us struggle to concentrate.


And when you can’t concentrate, everything you do is harder and takes longer than you’d like.
You may be looking to improve your concentration to perform better at work, to ace your exams, to increase reading comprehension, or simply to make everyday life easier.
If you can’t concentrate, you may think that’s just the way your brain works and that there’s not much you can do about it.


But anyone can learn how to concentrate better. It’s a skill you can learn, just like playing the piano. It’s one we should have been taught in school.
We’ll show you how to improve concentration by removing distractions, properly nourishing your brain, and using some simple concentration techniques.

Overcome Distractions

Being easily distracted isn’t all bad. In fact, in the right circumstance it can help you survive.
Being hyper-aware kept our ancestors from becoming a sabertooth tiger’s dinner.
But they didn’t have Facebook, mobile phones, emails, text messages, or the 5,000 ads we see every day all vying for our attention. (1)

Stop Multitasking

One of the worst things you can do for your concentration and focus is to multitask.
Multitasking is a myth. You don’t actually do several things at once, your brain quickly toggles back and forth between tasks.
You can do unconscious tasks such as walk and talk at the same time, but once it gets more complicated than that, you are sacrificing the efficiency of one task for another.
As unrelated as it may seem, lack of mindfulness in the present has been found to promote brain aging by shortening protective end caps on your chromosomes called telomeres. (2)

Get Rid of Clutter

Brain MRIs show conclusively that clutter affects your ability to concentrate and process information. (3)
Having an organized environment can make you more focused and productive. You’ll remember information better. It can even improve your mood.

Find Your Perfect Sound Environment

Not everyone responds the same to noise.
Some people need complete silence while others concentrate better in the buzz of their favorite coffee shop.
Classical music, especially Mozart and Baroque music, is often cited as the top brain-boosting music.
Johns Hopkins School of Education has compiled a list of the best music to increase concentration and memory.
The music streaming service Spotify has classical and environmental music, along with white, pink, or brown noise that you can listen to for free.
If you concentrate best in total silence, consider getting a pair of noise cancelling headphones.

Feed Your Brain

If you can’t concentrate, it’s possible that your brain isn’t getting the nutrition it needs.
Unfortunately, most diet and nutrition information is focused on shrinking bellies, not feeding brains!

Eat Right for Your Brain

To eat the right food for your brain, keep these simple principles in mind.
Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables. They are high in vitamins, antioxidants, and phytonutrients your brain needs.
Avoid white sugar and refined carbs which send your blood sugar level on a roller coaster ride. Your brain needs a steady supply of blood glucose since brain cells don’t store energy.
Avoid MSG, aspartame and other artificial sweeteners. These chemical additives are known neurotoxins.
Use a wide variety of herbs and spices to make your meals delicious and brain-healthy. Rosemary and turmeric are particularly good for the brain. (4, 5)
Buy wild salmon and grass-fed meat for their brain-boosting omega-3 essential fatty acids. (6, 7) Regular supermarket fish and meat can’t compare.
Your brain is largely made up of fat, so eat plenty of healthy high-fat foods like nuts and avocados. Low-fat diets haven’t made us thin but they have been a disaster for our brains! They may even contribute to Alzheimer’s. (8)
Avoid vegetable oils like canola which are highly inflammatory. (9) Use coconut oil instead. It contains medium chain triglycerides that uniquely feed the brain. (10)
Treat yourself to dark chocolate. Flavonoids, caffeine and theobromine work together to improve memory power and concentration. (11)

Address Nutritional Deficiencies

You might think that nutritional deficiencies are a thing of the past, but this is not the case.
The three most common deficiencies that can wreak havoc with brain function are DHA, vitamins B12, and vitamin D. (12)
Docosahexaenoic acid, or DHA, is an omega-3 essential fatty acid that is a major building block of the brain. Deficiency has been linked to many brain problems and psychiatric disorders.
Memory loss, depression, mood swings, dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)  have all been found to improve with DHA supplementation. (13)


Vitamin B12 is the most common vitamin deficiency in the US, particularly among seniors who often have poor absorption. People who eat little or no meat are particularly at risk, since animal foods are the only dependable sources of B12. (14)
Vitamin D can lift your mood, improve memory, and increase problem-solving ability. Yet it’s estimated that only 25% of Americans get enough. (15) In the US, if you live north of Atlanta, it’s almost impossible to get all the sun exposure you need year round.
Recommended:
BioTrust OmegaKrill 5X | Fish and krill oil omega-3 fatty acids supplement
Native Remedies Vitamin B12 Methylcobalamin | B12 is essential for good mental performance

How to Improve Concentration with Dopamine

Neurotransmitters are chemicals that brain cells use to communicate with each other.
One of the most important is dopamine.
Dopamine provides your “get up and go.”
If you have trouble concentrating, you probably are low in dopamine. (16)
Low energy, motivation, and libido are all signs of low dopamine. So is needing pick-me-ups like caffeine, sugar, chocolate, or other stimulants to get through the day.
A protein-rich diet is an excellent source of the amino acids needed to create dopamine. Besides all animal products, foods that promote dopamine formation include avocados, apples, bananas, beets, sea vegetables, green leafy vegetables, oatmeal, chocolate, and coffee. (17, 18)
The top supplements to improve concentration by boosting dopamine levels are tyrosine, phosphatidylserine (PS), and Ginkgo biloba.
Tyrosine is an amino acid which converts into dopamine.
Phosphatidylserine (PS) is a phospholipid that’s found in particularly high concentrations in the brain.
It acts as your brain’s “gatekeeper,” regulating which nutrients get in and how waste gets out of your brain.
Studies have found it can improve memory, concentration, learning, and ADHD. (19, 20, 21)
Recommended:
Wellness Resources PhosphatidylSerine | Potent memory supplement
Ginkgo biloba is one of the most widely used herbals remedies in the world.
It’s widely touted as a “brain herb” and is traditionally used for a variety of brain-related problems — poor concentration, forgetfulness, headaches, fatigue, mental confusion, depression, and anxiety. (22)
Physical exercise also boosts dopamine production.
You don’t need strenuous exercise to get brain-boosting benefits.
Taking walks, or doing gentle, no-impact exercises like yoga, tai chi, or qi gong all provide powerful mind-body benefits. (23, 24, 25)

Blast Stress, Increase Concentration with Meditation

If you’ve ever been under the gun to get an assignment done on time, you may have found that stress can improve concentration and focus for short periods of time due to a burst of adrenaline. (26)
But relying on this rush to get work done is damaging to your brain in the long haul.
Chronic stress can lead to depression, anxiety, poor decision making, sleeplessness, and impaired memory.
When facing chronic stress, your brain undergoes biochemical and structural changes that cause your brain to prematurely age and literally to shrink. (27)
The best technique to reduce stress and improve concentration is meditation.
Over 1,000 studies have been published demonstrating the health benefits of meditation. (28)
Meditation can make you happier, smarter, and more resilient regarding life’s ups and downs.
Regular meditators experience improved concentration and memory, greater creativity, stress reduction, and better sleep.
Research shows it can actually decrease your biological age by 12 years! (29)
Over 20 million Americans meditate regularly.
The US Marines use meditation to help troops deal with stressful situations they face on the job. (30)
Corporate executives at General Mills, Target, Google, Apple, Nike, HBO, Procter & Gamble, and Aetna Insurance use it to maximize their brain power.


However, the traditional practice of meditation can take a long time before you feel like you’re getting real benefits.
Using brainwave entrainment technology makes the practice of meditation faster and easier for many.
Recommended:
Inspire3 Zen12 | Get benefits of meditation quicker with brainwave technology

Boredom: When You’re Just Not That Into It

Let’s face it — some topics are just boring and so are some people!
When you’re bored, your brain is disengaged and your motivation to concentrate flies out the window.
If you’ve ever sat through a class or meeting that was deathly boring, or had to read a truly mind-numbing report, you know how hard it can be to concentrate.
Here are some tips to help improve your concentration when you’re “just not that into it.”

Chew Gum

When I was a kid we weren’t allowed to chew gum in school. I hope that’s changed because students who chew gum have better test scores.
Chewing gum boosts accuracy rates and reaction times while increasing ability to concentrate and focus.
It’s believed that gum increases the flow of oxygen to regions of the brain responsible for attention. (31)

Eat Mints

Eating mints has a similar effect to chewing gum.
Especially if they are peppermint.
Just a whiff of peppermint improves concentration, memory, and attention span. (32)

Doodle

Doodling has been shown to not only exercise your brain, but helps you concentrate, grasp new concepts, and retain information. (33)

Make Memories Sticky

Sometimes it’s hard to concentrate because you’re being exposed to new ideas that have nothing to “stick” to.
Memorize a few basics about a topic. This foundation will make new information on this topic more interesting and likely to stick.

Work with Your Biorhythm

If you have to do a task that’s not very inspiring, don’t make matters worse by going against your natural biorhythm.
Do them when you are most alert.
Scientists have found there is a best time to do everything and that includes concentrating.
While everyone is different, most adults do their best thinking in the late morning as their working memory, alertness and concentration reach their peak. Then from noon to about 4 p.m. most people become more easily distracted once again. (34)

Get Enough Sleep

If you didn’t get enough sleep last night or suffer with low-level chronic lack of sleep, you’ll have a hard time concentrating (or even stay awake!)
Insomnia has become a modern life epidemic.
Our circadian rhythms gets confused by too little natural light and too much exposure to unnatural light in the evening.  (35)
The worst kind of light is the blue light emitted by TVs, computers, iPads, and smartphones.
Blue light mimics natural daylight, signaling your brain that it’s time to be alert and awake.
Here are some tips for minimizing blue light exposure before going to bed.
Download f.lux software to your computer. This free program automatically changes the quality and quantity of light of your computer screen to sync with the time of day.
Or grab a pair of Uvex Skyper orange tint glasses which have been proven to improve sleep and mood by blocking the blue light coming from all your electronics. (36)
Since the blue light emitted by your electronics reduces your natural melatonin production, you might want to supplement this natural sleep hormone. (37)

Stay Hydrated

Drinking water may be the easiest way to improve memory and concentration. (38)
Water makes up 75% of the brain but most of us are chronically dehydrated. (39)
Even mild dehydration results in shrinkage of brain tissue and temporary loss of cognitive function including concentration and memory. (40)

Get the Right Amount of Caffeine

A little caffeine can help you get through a boring morning meeting.
It boosts blood flow to the brain to improve concentration, mood and alertness. (41)
Experiment with various sources of caffeine — coffee, tea, green tea, and yerba mate — to determine your perfect brew.
And keep in mind that the half life of caffeine is 5-6 hours, so you may have to stop drinking caffeine by early afternoon so it won’t keep you up at night. (42)

Do Yoga

Doing yoga can boost your brain power even more than doing conventional aerobic exercise.
Even one session of yoga significantly improves working memory and concentration. (43)
The top yoga poses for better concentration include the plow, the camel, the cobra, the tree, and the corpse pose.
Recommended:
ShapeShifter Yoga | Evidence-based approach to yoga

Knocking on the Door of Life

“Knocking on the Door of Life” is a qi gong exercise that takes only 3 minutes. Unlike yoga, it’s done standing up.
It moves qi (energy) up to your head to promote clear thinking, balance emotions, and calm a racing mind.
America’s foremost qi gong expert, Lee Holden, teaches this simple exercise in his free video series Qi 101.
Recommended:
Mindvalley Modern Qi Gong | Combines benefits of meditation and exercise

Don’t Forget to Breathe

Your brain needs oxygen — brain cells can live only a few minutes without it.
Yet counterproductively, many people hold their breath while concentrating!
There’s even a term known as “email apnea” since 80% of us forget to breathe when reading our emails or using our electronics. (44)
While there’s no app to remind you to breathe (at least that I know of), you can increase your oxygen intake by improving your posture and breathing properly. (45)
Most people breathe shallowly. Practice breathing deeply from your diaphragm as illustrated below.

Our Favorite Concentration Hack

Pomodoro is Italian for “tomato.”
It’s also the name of a favorite concentration and productivity hack.
The “pomodoro technique” was developed by an Italian graduate student as a study aid.
It works like this.
Pick a task you want to concentrate on — one that needs your undivided attention.
Remove obvious distractions (like turning off your phone).
Get comfortable.
Tell those around you not to disturb you … unless the building is on fire!
Set a timer for 25 minutes then give the task at hand your all.
If your mind starts wandering snap yourself back and remind yourself you only need to keep up this level of concentration for a few more minutes.
When the 25 minutes is done, take a 5-minute break.
Walk around. Grab a cuppa. Do some stretches.
When you’re ready, you can do another “pomodoro” — a block of 25 minutes of intense concentration.
You’ll be surprised at how effectively this improves concentration and how much you’ll get done.
You can use a real kitchen timer or a virtual one. Tomato shape is optional.
TomatoTimer.com has a desktop version that’s easy to use and can be set for 5, 10, or 25 minutes.
With each pomodoro, you are doing more than just spending 25 minutes in a state of highly productive focus.
You are actually training your brain to block out distractions to increase concentration and focus for extended periods of time.

The Next Step

We’ve given you a lot of ways to improve your concentration and memory. Let’s do a quick recap.
Make sure you’re giving your brain the basics it needs to function its best.
This includes brain-healthy foods, sleep, and mind-body exercises like yoga or qi gong.
Reduce stress and halt brain aging by meditating and giving up multitasking.
Boost your dopamine levels and address nutritional deficiencies with the right supplements.
Use concentration tips and techniques. (Here are some more ways to increase your focus and concentration.)
And don’t forget to breathe!
If you feel like you’ve tried everything but still can’t concentrate, you may have an underlying health condition.
Hearing problems and vision problems can affect concentration, especially in older folks.
Sometimes the answer can be as simple as getting a pair of reading glasses.
If you haven’t already done so, rule out issues that can affect brain function such as ADHD, fibromyalgia, and thyroid disorders.
Recommended:
BioTrust OmegaKrill 5X | Fish and krill oil omega-3 fatty acids supplement
Native Remedies Vitamin B12 Methylcobalamin | B12 is essential for good mental performance
Inspire3 Zen12 | Get benefits of meditation quicker with brainwave technology
ShapeShifter Yoga | Evidence-based approach to yoga
Inspire3 Subliminal360 | Combines neural science and technology for self-improvement
Rocket Memory | Brain-hacking memory program to quickly improve mental performance

About the Author

Deane Alban holds a bachelor’s degree in biology and has taught and written on a wide variety of natural health topics for over 20 years. Her current focus is helping people overcome brain fog, “senior moments”, and other signs of mental decline now, and preventing Alzheimer’s and dementia in the future.
The human brain is designed to last a lifetime, but modern life takes a greater toll on the brain than most people realize. Deane teaches the best ways to keep your brain healthy and stay mentally sharp for life at her website BeBrainFit.com where you can learn how to make your brain sharp again.

8 Clues That We Are Experiencing a Spiritual Awakening

By WakingTimes November 21, 2014   

 

 

Michelle Walling, CHLC, In5D Guest
Waking Times


In essence, a spiritual awakening occurs each moment we make a choice. However, one day a grand opportunity for awakening occurs that will change the past, present, and the future. When the choice is made to advance beyond the old beliefs and patterns, triggers and clues emerge that are telltale signs of a spiritual awakening.

1. We Question Who We Are

One of the main things we begin to question in our spiritual awakening is who we really are. Through various teachings and information available in books and on the internet, we get clues to how to go within. By going within we realize that we are an infinite being having a physical experience in a human body.
The biggest realization in a spiritual awakening involves remembering that we have always had a connection to our creator but it has been veiled from us by a group of beings that wanted to control us. Then we realize that there is not only a connection to our creator Source, but we then gain an understanding of what it means to be aholographic spark of that Source.
The understanding that you are a fractal of an omnipotent Creator being changes everything because accepting who you are reflects the love of your Creator. It mirrors back unconditional love and allows both you as an individual and the Creator as an infinite being the understanding of identity.

2. We Question Why We Are Here

Once we begin to realize who we are we are drawn to question why we are here. The life purpose is different for each individual however, we begin to search for soul groups that have similar likes as we do. Some people are attracted to the ET/planetary groups while others are attracted to the meditative/spiritual theme. Ultimately these groups are the same thing packaged differently and are great tools to connect with like minded individuals. We begin to remember that we made agreements to mirror our life purposes to one another.
Living out our life purpose is one of the most fulfilling things we can do. It is on the mind of most all spiritually awakened people. People often make finding their life purpose more complicated than it needs to be. Many times the answer has been in your life all along but your energy was not directed toward it. Doing what makes you feel happy without harming another person is a big clue toward your life purpose.

3. Our Lives Turn Upside Down

Once we realize that we are spirits living in a physical body, we suddenly see that we live in a world where everything is backwards and upside down. We begin to right things and withdraw our energy from the system that has been created to enslave and control us.
We begin to be able to read the secret code around us in symbols and language that is embedded with trickery and magic spells that do not have our best interests in mind. We learn how to offset this black magic with white magic and begin to think for ourselves with clarity and purpose.

4. We Begin to Experience Synchronicities Beyond Coincidence

Synchronicities are a clue that a person is on the highest path. They may come through a repeated catch phrase or word that you see several times a day or even throughout an extended period of time. Often times a person will happen to glance at the clock at just the right moment where 11:11 appears or a derivative of it like 2:22, 3:33, etc.
Things begin to unfold in our life seamlessly and we may experience precognition and deju vu more often. Eventually we learn that our reality is a malleable matrix comparable to a television program; if we do not like what we see we learn to it change it by changing the frequency or channel.

5. We Lose A Lot Of People In Our Life And Gain A Few Very Important New Relationships

As the spiritual awakening progresses, the creative energy we are made of vibrates at a faster rate. This particle acceleration changes how we affect others and may even make people uncomfortable that have yet to begin this process. We find that some people are forced away from us because their defense mechanisms kick in and their ego creates an excuse for them to not want to be around us anymore.
As we look back, we vagely remember those who have fallen away. Awakening and advancement is a choice that not everyone will make, but those that do begin close knit relationships based on trust.
Due to the Universal Law of Vibrational Attainment, our vibrational level will naturally attract those of the same level to us like magnets. Since the percentage of people on the planet who have awakened at this time is less that 51%, we may find ourselves suddenly moving for a new job or perhaps we follow a dream that we have always had to live in a certain location where our soul mates have the opportunity to appear in our lives.

6. We Get Rid Of Clutter And Material Possessions

Spring cleaning comes any time of the year when we understand the energy attached to excess clutter and material things that weigh us down. The ancient practice of Feng Shui takes into consideration that positive energy flow in a room or a house can bring harmony to those who occupy it.
If a person has gone through the transition of moving, the feeling of lessening the load is liberating and palpable. We begin to realize that material possession brainwashing was created to weigh us down and keep us vibrating at a slower, dense speed.

7. We Realize Love Is The Basic Building Block

One of the biggest accomplishments in a spiritual awakening is peeling back the layers of protection around our heart. For most people this lifetime has been full of heartbreaks, whether it is from a relationship gone bad, a best friend betrayal, or even a child leaving  home for college. Positive occurrences include the birth of a child or finding a healthy relationship that allows growth together as you share the spiritual awakening path.
The ability to attract the right partner or soul mate begins with doing the work of loving yourself for who you are. A chain reaction of events will occur that will bring up stuck energy that can be cleared in order to prepare yourself for a healthy, loving relationship. This period of time has been called “The Dark Night Of The Soul”. If you had already found your soul mate before your spiritual awakening, than you find yourself in a really good position to have someone who will support you while you do your inner work.


Whether we realize it or not, we affect everyone around us in our proximity. We are all in a symbiotic relationship of loving each other at a soul level, and when it becomes a conscious awareness practice it is magnified beyond expression. The affect you have on someone else’s vibration may not seem positive in the beginning because a person’s reality may begin to fizzle apart just like it did for you. One day soon everyone who awakens will look back and realize that the domino effect of the vibration of love is what changed the world.

8. We Become The Calm During The Storm

By realizing that we accomplished a spiritual awakening in this lifetime, we move from survival and fear to forgiveness and love. When we release the fear of survival and dying, it creates a space within us to create our future while changing our past. This usually creates a longing to be of service to others.
Teaching, sharing, loving, and healing become our new goals and we long for everyone to wake up and smell the roses.

A shared goal of freedom

Following the clues and confirmations along the path will lead to the highest calling of love and happiness. Changing the world occurs one person at a time and starts with responsibility of awareness and intention on an individual level.
The ultimate realization of the big picture is that humanity has been enslaved by a small group of beings that have kept us locked in a low vibration. Those that become aware of this naturally gain the tools to free themselves of this prison.
Becoming spiritually awakened goes hand in hand with increasing your consciousness and bringing more of your soul essence into this lifetime. Love heals all and truly is the key to change.
When we love ourselves we create a space to love others. All war, competition, and domination falls away and the answers to all of  questions become available on an individual level. The increase in the number of spiritually awakened people has made an impact on the planet and will continue until we have freed ourselves and collectively choose a new reality.

About the Author

Michelle Walling is a Certified Holistic Life Coach.  She has devoted her life to being a bearer and grounder of the light in service to others. As a truth seeker, she is committed to share her experiences with the world. She is also a hands-on healer, a distance healer, an empath, and an intuitive. Michelle has recently joined forces with Gregg Prescott as an admin for the In5d Facebook page, as an assistant for In5d Events, as a contributing author forwww.in5d.com, host of The Cosmic Awakening Show and Body, Mind Soul & Spirit Show (The BMSS Show) onIn5D Radio and webmaster/author/editor on CosmicStarseeds. Michelle also supports Gregg’s endeavors in many other areas including alternative and holistic healthcare. Their next project is a walk in clinic under the name AHH- Alternative Holistic Healthcare to be launched in the Sarasota, Florida area, and then subsidiaries will be opened around the world based upon that model.