Hey friend,

Years ago, in what feels like another life, my girlfriend (now wife) and I roamed around in our self-converted camper van—an old ambulance transformed into our cozy home on wheels!

We were young and in our twenties, living our best lives as vagabonds, journeying across the West Coast.

From majestic mountain peaks to the sandy beaches of Southern California, every day was an adventure!

But then, things took a strange turn...

I woke up one day with the most bizarre symptoms: a dense brain fog, a weak, fatigued body, systemic joint and muscle pain, and vertigo that made me feel tipsy 24/7 (and not in a good way).

Not only that, but I couldn't think clearly.

It felt like the connections that made my thoughts fluid and effortless were now broken, forcing my brain to take the long, difficult route.

I'd often lose my train of thought mid-conversation and struggle to form sentences.

I'd pause frequently, trying to recall a word but failing—it was incredibly frustrating.

No… it wasn’t just “frustrating,” it was TERRIFYING!!!

I was only 22—why on earth was I experiencing such significant cognitive decline??

It took a long time to peel back the layers of my chronic illness, but fortunately, I finally started to gain some insights.

I discovered that mold toxicity was wreaking havoc on every system in my body, especially my brain and nervous system.

My body was also hit hard—I faced extreme chronic fatigue that left me bedridden for months.

In those desperate times, I realized I needed to reclaim my cognitive power to understand my condition, as the countless doctors I consulted weren't providing answers.

I had to take matters into my own hands.

Regaining my cognition, memory, and learning ability became crucial to reclaiming my health—and ultimately, my life!

Today, I want to focus on memory and learning, and how you can optimize and enhance them, regardless of your age or health condition…

Memory is everything

Memory and learning are fundamental to quality of life.

Whether it's remembering where you left your keys or recalling information to excel in an exam or boardroom presentation, they play a vital role.

Without optimal brain function and memory formation, everything in life becomes incredibly challenging (and it’s already tough enough)! 🤦‍♂️

This is increasingly urgent as Alzheimer’s and dementia rates soar. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, about 6.7 million Americans aged 65 and older are living with Alzheimer’s.

How devastating would it be to reach your later years and see all your cherished memories slip away?

Those are the ONLY things you take with you to your grave...

My grandmother, a true saint, fought Alzheimer's until her passing.

Watching her struggle was one of the hardest things I've ever faced—this issue hits home for me.

And what’s alarming is that modern lifestyles, diets, and environmental toxins—like heavy metals, air pollution, pesticides, endocrine disruptors, and industrial chemicals—are major culprits in cognitive decline!

So, what can you do about it?

Let’s explore the many herbs, supplements, and biohacking strategies for safeguarding your brain and enhancing and maintaining optimal memory and learning capacity as you age.

Lifestyle factors that protect your brain & enhance memory

Sometimes, the best way to clarify a strategy and solidify information is by highlighting what not to do.

Here are key lifestyle factors that sabotage your memory, cognition, and learning power, plus a quick tip you can start using today to biohack your brain:

😩 Get stressed: Stress affects memory formation by making it harder to create short-term memories and convert them into long-term ones… leaving you feeling like information goes in one ear and out the other (not ideal).

• Recommendation: Adopt a daily mindfulness practice like meditation or breathwork (every morning I’m doing the Wim Hof Method), and consider exploring new neurofeedback technologies to soothe your nervous system and reveal mental overwhelm.

😴 Don’t sleep: Lack of quality sleep affects memory consolidation and recall.

• Recommendation: Go to sleep earlier (by 11 PM at the latest), block out light with blackout curtains, turn off your Wi-Fi, reduce blue light exposure before bed, and use sleep-promoting supplements like melatonin, glycine, chamomile, valerian, or L-theanine.

🪑 Be sedentary: Sedentary lifestyles reduce brain plasticity, decrease the production of nerve growth factors (NGF), and limit the flow of oxygen and nutrients to the brain.

• Recommendation: Aim to include three types of movement each week: meaningful movement (like walking, hiking, biking, yoga, or dancing), resistance training (weights, machines, bodyweight exercises, bands), and high-intensity interval training (such as 10 to 15 minutes of sprints).

🛋️ Don’t challenge your brain: Always taking the easy road and not challenging your brain weakens neural connections and reduces neuroplasticity, making it harder to retain and process information…

• Recommendation: Read new books and articles, dive into stimulating conversations, learn a new skill or language, play brain games (like puzzles, board games, or Elevate), or expose yourself to novel experiences like travel.

🍺 Drink alcohol: Alcohol disrupts neurotransmitter function, damages brain cells, and harms the gut microbiome, which is crucial for brain function and emotional health.

• Recommendation: Opt for the least toxic alcohol (vodka, gin, or tequila), cut back on quantity and frequency, or explore alcohol alternatives like microdosing psilocybin mushrooms, Kanna, Kava, etc.

🍟 Eat processed foods & seed oils: Processed foods have been linked to cognitive decline and high omega-6 foods promote inflammation and oxidative stress, and disrupt the balance of essential fatty acids needed for optimal brain health.

• Recommendation: Focus on organic veggies, grass-fed meats, and omega-3-rich seafood, while cutting back on lectins, oxalates, sugar, and other inflammatory compounds. A ketogenic diet offers the best neuroprotection. Don’t be afraid to add a little bit of intermittent fasting into the mix too!

☣️ Become a toxic cesspool: Toxins like heavy metals, mycotoxins, pesticides, and endocrine disruptors (such as BPA and phthalates) cause brain inflammation and oxidative stress, disrupting neurotransmitters, damaging brain cells, and hindering the brain’s adaptability and connection-building!

• Recommendation: Opt for a ‘low-tox’ lifestyle: use natural personal care and cleaning products, choose organic foods, check for mold, and stick to natural options. Enhancing detoxification will be covered in future newsletters.

Okay, okay, okay…

It might seem overwhelming at first, but over time, these habits will become second nature.

By integrating these recommendations into your lifestyle, you'll develop a lightning-fast, sharp, and bulletproof brain!

Herbs & supplements that boost memory

I don’t want this to get too long—this newsletter is getting lengthy as it is—so to keep it simple, I'll highlight 5 key memory-boosting herbs and supplements in this next section.

Once you’ve mastered the basics of brain-boosting lifestyle factors, biohacking with herbs and supplements is the perfect finishing touch.

Here are 5 scientifically proven herbs and supplements that enhance memory, protect the brain, and boost overall cognitive performance:

🌱 Bacopa Monnieri: Bacopa has been shown to enhance memory by increasing levels of acetylcholine, reducing oxidative stress, and enhancing neural connectivity and brain function.

🌱 Ginkgo Biloba: Ginkgo has proven to support memory by improving blood flow to the brain, enhancing oxygen and nutrient delivery, and protecting against oxidative stress and neuronal damage.

🌱 Asian Ginseng: Ginseng supports optimal learning and memory by increasing acetylcholine release and raising BDNF, a protein that promotes new brain cell growth. The ginsenosides, the medicinal compounds, have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and neuroprotective properties, helping prevent and treat neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.

🌱 Lion’s Mane Mushroom: Lion’s Mane boosts nerve growth factor (NGF) production, fueling neuron growth, brain repair, and plasticity. It also enhances cognitive function, reduces stress, and improves ​mood​.​

🌱 Phosphatidylserine: Phosphatidylserine (a key component of cell membranes, particularly in neurons) improves neuronal membrane fluidity and enhances communication between brain cells.

These are just a few powerful tools in our cognitive toolkit!

If you’re looking to take good care of that noggin’ of yours, I’d highly suggest taking 2–3 of those supplements previously mentioned.

There you have it! I hope you feel empowered to take control of your brain health and cognitive function!

I’m curious—do you struggle with retaining or retrieving information and memories?

How are you enhancing and protecting your brain? Which of these lifestyle factors and supplements are you using or considering?

Hit reply and let me know.

I’d love to help you optimize your brain function so you can keep killin’ it at life!

Onjae

References:

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[2] Bakulski, Kelly M., et al. "Heavy Metals Exposure and Alzheimer’S Disease and Related Dementias." Journal of Alzheimer's Disease: JAD, vol. 76, no. 4, 2020, p. 1215, https://doi.org/10.3233/JAD-200282. Accessed 7 Aug. 2024.

[3] Chandra, Mina, et al. "Air Pollution and Cognitive Impairment across the Life Course in Humans: A Systematic Review with Specific Focus on Income Level of Study Area." International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, vol. 19, no. 3, 2022, https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19031405. Accessed 7 Aug. 2024.

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[6] Phillips, Cristy. "Lifestyle Modulators of Neuroplasticity: How Physical Activity, Mental Engagement, and Diet Promote Cognitive Health during Aging." Neural Plasticity, vol. 2017, 2017, https://doi.org/10.1155/2017/3589271. Accessed 7 Aug. 2024.

[7] Daviet, Remi, et al. "Associations between Alcohol Consumption and Gray and White Matter Volumes in the UK Biobank." Nature Communications, vol. 13, 2022, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-28735-5. Accessed 7 Aug. 2024.

[8] Bala, Shashi, et al. "Acute Binge Drinking Increases Serum Endotoxin and Bacterial DNA Levels in Healthy Individuals." PLoS ONE, vol. 9, no. 5, 2014, https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0096864. Accessed 7 Aug. 2024.

[9] Gomes Gonçalves, N., Ferreira, N. Vidal, Khandpur, N., et al. "Association Between Consumption of Ultraprocessed Foods and Cognitive Decline." JAMA Neurology, vol. 80, no. 2, 2023, pp. 142–150. doi:10.1001/jamaneurol.2022.4397.

[10] Patterson, E., et al. "Health Implications of High Dietary Omega-6 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids." Journal of Nutrition and Metabolism, vol. 2012, 2012, https://doi.org/10.1155/2012/539426. Accessed 7 Aug. 2024.

[11] Stough, C et al. “The chronic effects of an extract of Bacopa monnieri (Brahmi) on cognitive function in healthy human subjects.” Psychopharmacology vol. 156,4 (2001): 481-4. doi:10.1007/s002130100815

[12] Kennedy, David O et al. “Modulation of cognitive performance following single doses of 120 mg Ginkgo biloba extract administered to healthy young volunteers.” Human psychopharmacology vol. 22,8 (2007): 559-66. doi:10.1002/hup.885

[13] Kim, Mia et al. “Effects of ginsenoside Rb1 on the stress-induced changes of BDNF and HSP70 expression in rat hippocampus.” Environmental toxicology and pharmacology vol. 38,1 (2014): 257-62. doi:10.1016/j.etap.2014.06.004

[14] Kim, Ki H., et al. "Beneficial Effects of Panax Ginseng for the Treatment and Prevention of Neurodegenerative Diseases: Past Findings and Future Directions." Journal of Ginseng Research, vol. 42, no. 3, 2018, pp. 239-247, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jgr.2017.03.011. Accessed 7 Aug. 2024.

[15] University of Queensland. "Mushrooms Magnify Memory by Boosting Nerve Growth." ScienceDaily, ScienceDaily, 10 Feb. 2023, www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/02/230210115544.htm.

[16] Docherty, Sarah, et al. "The Acute and Chronic Effects of Lion’S Mane Mushroom Supplementation on Cognitive Function, Stress and Mood in Young Adults: A Double-Blind, Parallel Groups, Pilot Study." Nutrients, vol. 15, no. 22, 2023, https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15224842. Accessed 7 Aug. 2024.