No.1 Neuroscientist: The Science Behind Stress, Body Fat & Manifestation

Added: Jul 19, 2024

The Impact of Constant Connectivity

The conversation explores the effects of being constantly connected and "switched on." Swart discusses how smartphones have changed our behavior, leading to shortened attention spans and constant stimulation. She explains that early research showed shrinkage in memory and attention centers of the brain after smartphone adoption. The discussion touches on how this constant connectivity affects children's developing brains, potentially contributing to conditions like ADD, ADHD, and autism.

Building Mental Resilience

Swart emphasizes the importance of awareness and mindset in building mental resilience. She suggests practices like journaling, gratitude lists, yoga, meditation, gentle exercise, and time in nature. To make these habits stick, she recommends creating 12 micro-habits for a year, focusing on 3-4 each quarter. She explains the science behind these practices, noting that expressing gratitude triggers oxytocin release, counteracting cortisol and moving from a fear state to a trust state.

The Role of Stress in Health and Performance

The conversation delves into how chronic stress affects both mental and physical health. Swart explains that constant high cortisol levels can lead to fat storage around abdominal organs, immune system suppression, and reduced cognitive function. She notes that while we might be addicted to busy lifestyles, we're not addicted to stress itself, as cortisol doesn't feel good in the body.

Neuroplasticity and Brain Health

Swart discusses the concept of neuroplasticity, explaining that our brains can change and adapt throughout our lives. She emphasizes that this ability to change provides hope for personal growth and improvement. The conversation touches on how negative experiences and media consumption can impact brain health, with Swart revealing that she stopped watching news after 9/11 due to research showing PTSD in people who repeatedly viewed traumatic images.

The Importance of Diet for Brain Health

Swart highlights the crucial role of diet in brain health and performance. She recommends consuming 30 different varieties of plant foods per week and emphasizes the importance of dark-skinned foods for neurogenesis. She explains that changing eating habits can alter gut microbiome within 1-2 days, providing immediate benefits. She also discusses the connection between gut health and skin health, noting that skin issues can often indicate internal imbalances or stress.

Manifesting and Goal Setting

The conversation explores the concept of manifesting, which Swart describes as setting goals or desires and taking action to achieve them. She recommends creating "action boards" (similar to vision boards) to visualize goals and reinforce them in the subconscious mind. She emphasizes the importance of taking action rather than passively waiting for success.

Challenges Facing Young Men

Swart addresses the challenges facing young men in today's society, acknowledging the difficulty in navigating changing expectations of masculinity. She stresses the importance of emotional regulation for men and the need to create safe spaces for men to express vulnerability with friends.

The Science Behind Stress and Performance

The podcast delves into the physiological mechanisms of stress and its impact on performance. Swart explains that the adrenal glands release cortisol in response to stress, which correlates directly with emotions like fear, anger, and sadness. In a normal 24-hour cycle, cortisol levels fluctuate within a healthy range. However, modern lifestyles often lead to consistently high cortisol levels, pushing beyond the normal range.

Swart describes how the brain interprets chronically high cortisol levels as a threat to survival. Surprisingly, the first threat the brain considers is starvation, a legacy from our evolutionary past. This leads to increased fat storage in abdominal cells as a survival mechanism. This explains why stress can contribute to weight gain, particularly around the midsection, even when diet and exercise habits remain unchanged.

The Impact of Stress on Cognitive Function

High stress levels don't just affect the body; they significantly impact cognitive function. Swart explains that when the brain feels under-resourced due to stress, it enters a "low power mode." In this state, blood supply is redirected to basic survival functions, limiting resources for higher-order thinking like creativity, emotional regulation, and cognitive flexibility.

This survival mode can manifest as just doing enough to keep one's job without excelling or innovating. Over time, chronically high cortisol levels can become corrosive to the immune system, leading to increased susceptibility to illnesses ranging from common colds to more serious conditions like heart disease and cancer.

The Importance of Purpose and Social Connections

Swart emphasizes the critical role of having a sense of purpose that transcends oneself. She explains that humans are wired to exist as part of a tribe, and activities that contribute to others – such as volunteering, donating, or performing acts of kindness – boost the immune system and promote the release of oxytocin, the "bonding hormone."

The conversation touches on the importance of positive, meaningful social relationships for mental health, physical health, and longevity. Swart notes that older people who maintain social connections live longer and have lower rates of dementia. She encourages listeners to cultivate these relationships and engage in activities that promote social bonding.

Nature's Role in Health and Well-being

An intriguing aspect of the discussion focuses on the health benefits of spending time in nature. Swart reveals recent research showing that certain trees, particularly cedars, pines, and cypresses, release compounds called phytonides. These compounds trigger the release of natural killer cells in the human immune system, effectively boosting immunity.

This scientific finding lends credence to practices often dismissed as "woo-woo," such as forest bathing or tree hugging. Swart suggests that our innate connection to nature is deeply rooted in our evolutionary history, and reconnecting with natural environments can have profound effects on our mental and physical health.

The Power of Beauty and Creativity

Swart introduces the concept of neuroaesthetics, a field of research exploring how beauty and creativity impact the brain. She explains that both creating and appreciating art, music, dance, and other forms of creative expression can have positive effects on mental health and cognitive function.

Nature plays a special role in this context, as it represents the "palette" humans have existed in throughout history. Swart suggests that the beauty and awe we experience in nature have calming effects on our nervous system. For example, birdsong can reduce blood pressure, breathing rate, and stress levels because it signals safety – birds wouldn't sing if predators were nearby.

Practical Advice for Implementing Changes

Recognizing that changing habits can be challenging, Swart offers practical advice for listeners looking to make positive changes in their lives. She outlines a four-step process:

1. Raise awareness about what needs to change.

2. Focus attention on observing current behaviors and decision-making patterns.

3. Engage in deliberate practice of the new, desired behavior.

4. Establish accountability, either through a coach, friend, or technology like habit-tracking apps.

Swart emphasizes the importance of patience during this process. She explains that changing behaviors or regulating emotions involves physical changes in the brain, including neuron growth, new connections, and myelination of pathways. This process can take anywhere from a few weeks to several months, depending on the complexity of the change.

She encourages listeners to persist through the challenging period before the "tipping point" where the new behavior becomes more natural than the old habit. Swart also advises being kind to oneself during this process, recognizing that setbacks are normal and don't negate progress.

Conclusion

In her final message, Swart reminds listeners of the incredible potential of the human brain. She encourages everyone to take small steps towards unlocking that potential, emphasizing that even tiny changes can lead to significant improvements in mental resilience and overall well-being.