This presentation outlines the talk I gave at the Negev July 12, 2015 about biohacking. In this talk, we address: How inflammation negatively effects brain health How does the gut-brain connection influences neurotransmitters production How to increase neurogenesis What supplements/diet/lifestyle changes support all of this

1. Brain Hacking 101

2. Objectives
You should know:
• What inflammation is and how to stop it
• How the gut-brain connection is key to brain health
and neurotransmitter abundance
• How to optimize neurogenesis through BDNF
• Diet, supplement and life hacks to kick ass

3. The brain
2% of your body’s mass. 25% of your body’s energy
requirement. 80% fat.

4. Parts to an optimal brain
• Stop the inflammation
• Increase energy to the brain
• Optimize neuron quality and neurogenesis
• Increase neurotransmitters

5. Pop Quiz
What do diabetes, ADHD, autism, and Alzheimer’s
have in common?
Answer: inflammation

6. Brain-gut connection

7. 1. Stop inflammation
Inflammation is the body’s natural response to stress,
such as an injury or infection.
• What is oxidization, free radicals and advanced
glycation end products (AGEs)?
• Evolutionary perspective on our inflammatory diet

8. How to stop it
• Reduce carbs, especially fructose (10x glycation
rate than glucose) and gluten (creates leaky gut,
exorphins)
• Fix gut with probiotics —> let the good bacteria
win. Especially if you: were born w/ C-Section, had
antibiotics as a baby, have autoimmunity, weren’t
breast fed
• Increase exercise (HIIT FTW) —> super anti-
inflammatory

9. 2. Feed healthy neurons
• Increase cholesterol
and fat (low
cholesterol —> low
cognitive function)

10. 3.BDNF: the neuron supercharger

11. Eat more of:
• DHA (fish oil) —> almost 50% of brain’s cell membranes
• MCT oil (coconut oil) —> gives brain fuel, increases mitochondria,
• Cholesterol (eggs, meat,—> anti-oxidant, neuron function,
• Vitamin D (get a tan for fuck’s sake) —> needed to create
• Probiotics (sauerkraut, full-fat yogurt, —> helps the gut brain create serotonin, helps good
bugs win
• Other anti-oxidants (vegetables, coffee, tea) —> help you neutralize free radicals
• CoQ10 (pill) —> anti-oxidant and part of mitochondria’s electron transport chain
• Curcumin (turmeric) —> improve glucose metabolism, anti-oxidant, protect mitochondria
• Resveratrol (red wine, pill) —> more blood-flow to the brain for cognition
• Alpha-lipoic acid —> powerful anti-oxidant

12. Eat less of:
• Fructose —> limit 1 unit of fruit/day
• Wheat (gluten) —> bread, pasta, cereal
• Carbs in general
• Omega-6 Fatty Acids (corn, vegetable, soybean,
canola, sunflower oil)
• MSG (monosodium glutamate) —> Chinese food
• Artificial sweeteners (aspartame, sucralose)

13. More stuff
• Exercise (especially HIIT) —> increases BDNF,
blood flow, highly anti-inflammatory
• Intermittent Fasting —> Increases BDNF,
neurogenesis, executive function
• Cold thermogenesis —> increases neuron
myelination

14. Questions?