Optimizing the Brain for Peak Performance - with Dr. Andrew Hill

Guest Introduction: Dr. Andrew Hill is one of the top peak performance coaches in the country. He holds a PhD in Cognitive Neuroscience from UCLA's department of Psychology, and continues to do research on attention and cognitive performance. Dr. Hill is the founder of Peak Brain Institute, and host of the Head First Podcast with Dr. Hill. He is also the Lead Neuroscientist at truBrain, and lectures at UCLA, teaching courses in psychology, neuroscience, and gerontology. Promotion: Listeners that mention this show will receive 10% off services at Peak Brain Institute with code CHARISMA (excludes equipment purchases). Interview Summary: In this interview, Andrew starts by discussing his background and the work he does in neuroscience and peak performance. He then describes the process of neurofeedback, and gives examples of brain problems that it can be used to treat. Andrew also explains how the brain evaluates our environment, attention, and behavior. He goes into detail on how PTSD affects the brain, mind, and body, as well as how it can be measured and treated. Next, Andrew explains how brain neurons fire and communicate with each other. He describes the different brain wave frequencies (delta, alpha, and beta) and reveals what activities cause our brain waves to increase and decrease. He then discusses how brain waves are measured, and how positive reinforcement works in neurofeedback. Andrew reveals how many neurofeedback sessions it takes before people start seeing significant changes. He also talks about how neurofeedback helps the brain become unstuck and more flexible over time. Andrew then discusses how he would work with people who are in depression. He talks about some of the subtle side effects of neurofeedback, and why it's not a one size fits all approach. We ask Andrew how people can nurture brain health by paying attention to their bodies. He discusses the benefits of mindfulness and meditation, and offers advice on developing a mindfulness practice. He also recommends loading up our working memory and directing attention on certain types of tasks to combat anxiety and stress. Chris talks about having better focus after cutting out excessive consumption of news and social media. Andrew then shares his insights on managing stress and being selective about the information we engage with. FInally, he explains the process of neuroplasticity and how the brain changes. Andrew discusses how nootropics and biohacking improve brain health. He also recommends seeing a functional medicine doctor to check for health issues that impact cognitive function. He leaves us with more information about Peak Brain's services. Find out more about Dr. Hill: http://peakbraininstitute.com https://www.trubrain.com The Craft of Charisma Podcast is also available at: bit.ly/Soundcloud-CofC-Podcast bit.ly/Stitcher-CofC-Podcast bit.ly/iTunes-CofC-Podcast bit.ly/Spotify-CofC-Podcast bit.ly/GooglePlayMusic-CofC-Podcast bit.ly/iHeartRadio-CofC-Podcast