How to Bring Out the Genius in You

Aug. 05, 2014

“Mediocity is self-inflicted. Genius is Self-Bestowed.” ~ Walter Russel

The word “genius” is commonly used to describe as an individual who displays exceptional capacities for intellectual learning, creativity, and originality. I find this to be a fairly accurate description although I do not believe genius is something reserved for the exceptional individuals among us. Genius is a quality that is intrinsic to all humans—the distinction is some have suppressed this faculty through a lifetime of improper lifestyle practices, but it can be regenerated by the will of the individual. Activating genius not only has to do with unlocking new thought forms, it has a lot to do with activating our genetic potential. The great riddle of our time lies dormant within two universal principles; you are what you think about and you are what you eat. The bridge that connects these concepts can be found in the sanctity of our dietary patterns.

We have turned a corner in our understanding of diet by observing the consistent downfall of civilized eating patterns in the form of processed, artificially manufactured, chemically sprayed, genetically engineered false food. The organic and slow food revolution signifies the return to a state of inner brilliance by getting back to the natural rhythms of life and thus tapping into an amplified sphere of genius. Alternative doctors, nutritionists, philosophers, neuroscientists, and all the like have probed at what makes human “tick.” With the cross referencing of information the internet allows and my own deductions, I surmise that we are driven for creative expression. Honing into this state, otherwise known as stepping into your “zone,” is in my estimation to activate genius. The appropriate use or gross misuse of food as fuel can either help us line up with this capacity or drastically sway us away from it. The choice is entirely ours to make.

Although the brain is only 2% of your body’s weight, it uses 20–30% of the calories you consume. The calories our brain uses as fuel supports three primary physiological functions: vasodilation (blood/oxygen transportation), neurotransmission (neuro-chemical production), and myelination (nervous system insulation). I believe in order to properly construct the life we seek to live we should put our attention on constructing our diet in a way that supports the brain-gut connection. There are more nerve-endings in our stomach than in our entire spinal column. This means that each food we ingest confirms a new layer of building material in the blueprint of our mind. In order to maximize our brain’s potential for learning and sensory acuity we should identify specific food groups that can assist us in our goals.

As mentioned above there are three core areas we want to focus on when it comes to accelerated brain performance and diet. We want to add in foods that assist smooth blood flow; this will allow more oxygen to reach our cells and reduce inflammation. This would include green vegetables and their juices. Foods rich in the green pigment chlorophyll help move oxygen in and out of the cells. We can also look at foods that increase blood vessel dilation, such as raw cacao (chocolate), hot peppers like cayenne, and herbs like ginko biloba for increased benefits. In addition, begin adding in colorful berries to increase antioxidant potential and feed different regions of the brain for healing and neurodegenerative prevention.

The second principle is neurotransmission, increasing the production of important chemicals such as serotonin, dopamine, melatonin, and acetycholine to name a few. These chemicals help us experience increased states of ease, relaxation, focus, and overall pleasure for a balanced life. Foods that can help here are organic raw nuts and seeds such as pumpkin seed, hemp seed, chia seeds, brazil nuts, walnuts, and pine nuts. The chewing action increases serotonin up to 15% and provides valuable amino acids in a raw form that help secrete neurotransmitters. For increased performance, begin to explore tonic herbs such as mucuna pruriens for dopamine production.

The final stage of this conversation is myelination; the production of a fatty tissue called myelin that insulates our delicate nerve fibers. All forms of neurodegenerative break down have a large degree of demyelination (myelin-breakdown) associated to them. Therefore we want to aid in the protection and rehabilitation of this material. Foods high in saturated fat, omega fatty acids, magnesium, and sulfur help to repair myelin. For this I recommend adding in cold pressed extra virgin coconut oil and coconut products, hemp seed and hemp seed oil, spirulina, chlorella, and other organic, raw, plant-based superfoods available!