Podbit · The School of Greatness
Before you optimize, stop the damage. Alcohol, tobacco, high blood pressure, poor oral hygiene, head strikes in sports — these are active insults to the brain. Add exercise, diet, helmets, and curated language and you have the foundation of genuine brain health.
Where this was said
At 48:25 · chapter starts 46:50
Lewis asks what someone can do to optimize their brain through thoughts and actions. McLaughlin's answer begins with subtraction: stop insulting the brain. Alcohol, tobacco, uncontrolled blood pressure, poor oral hygiene, dietary neglect, and contact sports with head strikes are all active insults to the nervous system. Then the additions: regular exercise (which improves memory consolidation and learning), helmets for skiing and cycling, and the deliberate curation of language and habits to move toward goals rather than away from fear. He shares a personal example of breaking his post-emergency-surgery Cheetos habit — two large bags at 2 or 3am, justified as a reward — and replacing it with a glass of water and driving home. Epictetus's line anchors the habit section: habits must first be weakened before they can be destroyed. [1] — Dr. Mark McLaughlin "Before you optimize, stop the damage. Alcohol, tobacco, high blood pressure, poor oral hygiene, head strikes in sports — these are active i…" 48:25
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