8 principles to achieve optimum mental health | Dan Banos | TEDxRockhampton

Summary

The speaker introduces the concept of neuroplasticity, the brain's ability to adapt, and outlines eight evidence-based principles for optimal mental health. These include a plant-based diet, regular exercise, hydration, exposure to sunlight, temperance in lifestyle, spending time outdoors, adequate rest, and trust in a higher power. The talk encourages personal practice of these principles to reduce reliance on mental health professionals and enhance overall well-being.

Takeaways

• 🧠 Neuroplasticity is the brain's ability to adapt and change its structure and processes based on behavior and activities.
• 🥗 The first principle for optimal mental health is nutrition, emphasizing a plant-based diet, similar to the diets found in 'Blue Zones' where people tend to live longer and healthier lives.
• 🏃‍♂️ Exercise is vital for mental health as it helps reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety by generating endorphins and neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine.
• 💧 Water is crucial for mental health, as it aids in the transportation of essential nutrients like tryptophan to the brain, which is necessary for serotonin production.
• ☀️ Sunlight is important for better sleep, reduced pain levels, and overall mental well-being.
• 🍷 Temperance involves creating a balanced lifestyle that includes abstaining from harmful substances like alcohol and caffeine, which can impair decision-making and increase symptoms of depression and anxiety.
• 🌳 Spending time outdoors is beneficial for mental health due to the fresh air and natural light, which contribute to the production of positive neurotransmitters.
• 💤 Adequate rest and sleep are essential for mental clarity, memory, creativity, and overall cognitive function.
• 🤝 Trust and social connections, including family, like-minded individuals, and those sharing a common faith, are key to a longer, happier life.
• 🌟 Developing a sense of purpose and trust in a higher power can decrease anxiety, increase motivation, and contribute to a happier life.
• 📝 The challenge is to integrate these principles—nutrition, exercise, water, sunshine, temperance, rest, and trust—into daily life to achieve and maintain optimal mental health.

Q & A

What is neuroplasticity and why is it significant for mental health?

Neuroplasticity is the brain's ability to adapt and change its structure and processes based on activities and experiences. It's significant for mental health because it forms the basis for achieving optimal mental health, allowing individuals to improve their cognitive functions and emotional well-being.

What are the eight principles or habits mentioned in the script for achieving optimal mental health?

The eight principles are nutrition, exercise, water, sunshine, temperance, spending time outdoors, rest, and trust in a higher power or divine purpose.

Why is nutrition considered the first principle for optimal mental health?

Nutrition is crucial because it directly affects the brain's health. A plant-based diet, rich in beans and limited in meat consumption, is associated with longevity and better physical and mental health, as observed in centenarian cultures.

How does exercise contribute to mental health?

Exercise contributes to mental health by generating endorphins, which are 'feel-good' chemicals, and by promoting the production of neurotransmitters like serotonin, which are linked to mood regulation and can help reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety.

What role does water play in achieving optimal mental health?

Water is essential because it helps transport nutrients, like tryptophan, to the brain, which is necessary for the production of serotonin, a neurotransmitter that contributes to happiness and well-being. Adequate water intake also enhances mental clarity and reduces frustration.

Can you explain the importance of sunshine for mental health?

Sunshine is important for mental health as it helps regulate sleep patterns, making sleep more sound and refreshing. It can also decrease physical pain levels and improve mood and cognitive functions.

What does the principle of temperance entail?

Temperance refers to creating a balanced lifestyle that avoids excesses and harmful habits. It includes abstaining from substances like alcohol and caffeine that can impair decision-making and increase symptoms of depression and anxiety.

Why is spending time outdoors beneficial for mental health?

Spending time outdoors is beneficial because it allows exposure to fresh air and sunlight, which are essential for physical health and the production of mood-enhancing neurotransmitters. It also encourages physical activity and connection with nature.

How does rest and sleep affect mental health?

Rest and sleep are vital for mental health as they provide the brain with the downtime it needs to consolidate memories, process information, and recover from daily stressors. Adequate sleep enhances cognitive functions like critical thinking and creativity.

What is the significance of trust in achieving optimal mental health?

Trust, particularly in a higher power or a sense of purpose, is significant for mental health because it can decrease anxiety, increase motivation, and contribute to a happier, more meaningful life.

What is the challenge presented at the end of the script for the audience?

The challenge is for the audience to pick three of the eight principles and start practicing them, such as consulting a GP for an exercise program, ensuring adequate sleep, and building strong relationships and commitments with loved ones.

Outlines

00:00

🧠 Embracing Neuroplasticity for Optimal Mental Health

The speaker introduces the concept of neuroplasticity, which is the brain's ability to adapt and change its structure and processes based on activities. They emphasize the importance of this concept for achieving optimal mental health and outline eight evidence-based principles or habits that can be adopted to improve mental well-being. The speaker encourages the audience to practice these principles to potentially reduce the need for professional mental health services.

05:01

🥗 Nutrition and Blue Zones: The Role of Diet in Longevity

The speaker discusses the significance of nutrition in mental health, referencing the 'Blue Zones' concept where centenarians have common dietary habits, such as a plant-based diet with a focus on beans and limited meat consumption. They mention the recent update to the Australian dietary pyramid, which emphasizes plant-based eating, and suggest that adopting these dietary principles can contribute to better physical and mental health.

10:02

💧 Water: The Essential Component for Mental Clarity

The speaker highlights the importance of water in maintaining mental health, noting that the human body and brain are largely composed of water. They explain that water aids in the transportation of nutrients like tryptophan to the brain, which is essential for serotonin production and mood regulation. The speaker warns against the negative effects of dehydration on mental clarity and happiness, advocating for adequate water intake.

15:04

☀️ Sunshine and Temperance: Balancing Life for Mental Well-being

The speaker discusses the benefits of sunlight exposure for sleep quality, pain reduction, and overall mental health. They introduce the principle of temperance, which involves creating a balanced lifestyle to avoid the extremes of harmful behaviors like excessive alcohol consumption. The speaker also touches on the historical context of societal habits and their impact on health, urging the audience to embrace balance for better mental performance.

20:06

🏞️ Outdoor Exposure and the Healing Power of Nature

The speaker shares a historical anecdote about the flu epidemic in Eureka, California, where patients treated outdoors with hot water bottles had lower mortality rates. They suggest that spending time outdoors, exercising in fresh air, and allowing natural elements to cleanse the body can improve mental health by providing oxygen and creating a healthier environment for the brain.

💤 The Importance of Rest and Sleep for Mental Performance

The speaker emphasizes the importance of rest and adequate sleep for mental clarity, memory, creativity, and critical thinking. They debunk the myth that staying up late leads to better productivity, citing research that shows sleep-deprived individuals perform worse in cognitive tests despite feeling more confident in their abilities. The speaker advocates for a society that values rest as a key component of mental health.

🤝 Trust and Community: The Power of Connection and Faith

The speaker discusses the role of trust in achieving a long, happy life, referencing research that shows people with strong social connections, shared faith, and a sense of purpose tend to live longer. They suggest that trust in a higher power or a community can reduce anxiety, increase motivation, and contribute to a happier life, urging the audience to consider the benefits of trust and connection.

🚴‍♂️ New Start: A Challenge to Improve Mental Health

In the concluding paragraph, the speaker challenges the audience to adopt three of the eight principles discussed: exercise, sleep, and building trust through social connections. They encourage the audience to seek professional advice on safe exercise, prioritize sleep, and make commitments to loved ones and communities to enhance mental health without necessarily relying on mental health professionals.

Keywords

💡Neuroplasticity

Neuroplasticity refers to the brain's ability to change its structure and function in response to experiences, learning, and behavior. It is a foundational concept in the video, suggesting that our mental capacities are not fixed but can be enhanced through certain habits. The speaker emphasizes the importance of neuroplasticity as the basis for achieving optimal mental health, indicating that by engaging in specific activities, we can positively influence our brain's adaptability.

💡Optimal Mental Health

Optimal mental health in the video is portrayed as a state of well-being that can be actively pursued and achieved through lifestyle choices and habits. It is the overarching goal that the eight principles or habits mentioned are aimed at facilitating. The script suggests that by following these principles, individuals can improve their mental capacities and overall well-being, thus reducing the need for professional mental health services.

💡Blue Zones

Blue Zones are areas identified by researchers where people commonly live to be 100 years or older with a high quality of life. In the script, the speaker references the Blue Zones to highlight the importance of a plant-based diet, particularly the consumption of beans, as a key characteristic of these long-lived cultures. This serves as an example of how certain dietary habits can contribute to achieving optimal mental and physical health.

💡Nutrition

Nutrition is one of the eight principles discussed in the video, emphasizing the impact of diet on mental and physical health. The speaker mentions the significance of a plant-based diet and the consumption of beans, drawing a connection between dietary habits and longevity. Nutrition is presented as a fundamental aspect of maintaining and enhancing cognitive function and overall well-being.

💡Exercise

Exercise is highlighted as a crucial component for achieving optimal mental health in the video. The speaker explains that regular physical activity can reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety by generating endorphins and neurotransmitters like serotonin, which are associated with mood regulation. Exercise is positioned as a natural and effective way to improve mental health and well-being.

💡Water

Water is presented as an essential element for mental health in the video. The speaker points out that the majority of our bodies and brains are composed of water, and its importance extends to its role in transporting nutrients, such as tryptophan, to the brain. Adequate water intake is linked to increased serotonin production, which contributes to a sense of happiness and mental clarity.

💡Sunshine

Sunshine is discussed as a natural resource that positively affects mental health by improving sleep quality, reducing pain levels, and enhancing overall mood. The video suggests that regular exposure to sunlight can contribute to better cognitive function and a more rested state of mind, which are integral to maintaining optimal mental health.

💡Temperance

Temperance in the video refers to the practice of moderation and balance in lifestyle choices, particularly in relation to substances like alcohol and caffeine that can impair mental health. The speaker argues that temperance involves abstaining from harmful habits and embracing a balanced approach to living, which is vital for achieving and sustaining mental well-being.

💡Rest

Rest is emphasized as a critical component of mental health in the video. The speaker discusses the importance of adequate sleep for cognitive functions such as memory, creativity, and critical thinking. The script challenges the notion that staying up late leads to greater productivity, instead advocating for sufficient rest as a means to enhance mental clarity and performance.

💡Trust

Trust, particularly in a higher power or a sense of purpose, is presented as a key element for long-term happiness and mental health in the video. The speaker suggests that trust can decrease anxiety, increase motivation, and contribute to a meaningful life. This concept is linked to the idea that having a strong support network and engaging in activities with like-minded individuals can extend life expectancy and improve mental well-being.

Highlights

Introduction of the concept of neuroplasticity as the brain's ability to adapt based on actions taken.

Eight principles or habits are proposed for achieving optimal mental health.

Nutrition as the first principle, emphasizing the importance of a plant-based diet.

The Blue Zones study and the diet of centenarians, particularly the consumption of beans.

Exercise as a key factor in diminishing symptoms of depression and anxiety.

Generation of endorphins, serotonin, and dopamine through regular exercise for mental health.

The significance of water in the body and brain for optimal mental health.

Tryptophan's role in serotonin production and the importance of water for nutrient transport to the brain.

Sunshine's impact on sleep quality, learning capacity, and pain reduction.

The concept of temperance and its role in maintaining a balanced lifestyle for mental health.

The negative effects of alcohol and caffeine on decision-making and mental health.

The benefits of spending time outdoors for physical and mental well-being.

The importance of rest and its effects on mental clarity, memory, and creativity.

The impact of societal expectations on rest and the myth of the all-nighter's productivity.

Trust as a principle for reducing anxiety, increasing motivation, and living a happier life.

The challenge to practice the New Start principles for optimal mental health without needing a psychiatrist or psychologist.

A call to action for the audience to adopt three of the eight principles for immediate implementation.

Transcripts

[Music]

[Applause]

thank you kindly

you are right

um

i would like to thank you first of all

for allowing me to introduce to you a

passion that i have

and um

and allow me to introduce a concept that

we call and you might have heard before

called neuroplasticity neuroplasticity

is nothing but the capacity the brain

has

to be able to adapt based on what we do

so you and i have the ability to change

some of the

structures that bring has and also to

change some of the processes

and i'm excited about this concept

because the reality is that this concept

is the basis for achieving an optimal

mental health and these eight principles

or habits that i'm going to encourage

you to do

will be challenging

will be out of the ordinary but i

believe will provoke

you

and it will allow you to visit the

people

and and share these concepts but it will

also do something very important which

is what was mentioned just earlier it

will allow you to visit people like me

less

and that is something good believe it or

not um so

these eight principles

i don't only

believe in them and practice them but

they're evidence-based

and so i would like you to if you can

pay attention to this so that maybe take

one or two or three and practice them

when you get out of here

principle number one it's a very simple

one it's a principle of nutrition

nutrition is an important thing and

allow me to share with you something

that some of you might know some of you

might not know

but a member the name of dan

batna he

teamed up

with people from national geographic

and the mission was to find out

a group of people or peoples around the

world who can

demonstrate that they can live healthier

physically and mentally these are people

who the norm was to achieve 100 years or

older

so as soon as they found them they named

these zones around the world blue zones

and they found nine characteristics i

won't share them with you but i would

like to share one which is related to

this concept

one characteristic was that centenarian

cultures and centenarian groups of

people

have the basis of their diet

as beans

crazy isn't it

i have an advantage in there i'm

originally from mexico and mexicans have

a lot of beans

i'm not 100 sure i will live to 100 but

uh i'm hoping i will because like i said

i believe this and i practice it

what they have found is that people who

live more than 100 physically and who

are physically and mentally able above

the average also only consume uh flesh

or meat products only five times a month

and it shouldn't be a surprise because

even just recently maybe a couple of

weeks ago

the national council of australia who

talks about dieting has remodified the

pyramid i don't know how many of you saw

it but at the bottom the greatest amount

of it is it's plant-based so the message

is goal plant-based and that's what they

found these societies have embraced so

the principle number one is nutrition

principle number two shouldn't be

surprising

principle number two is exercise

now what we have found is that exercise

is a matter of life we cannot achieve an

optimal capacity if we don't become

active

there is a lot of research that i could

share with you but allow me and perhaps

believe

get out of here perhaps research it that

exercise alone can have a great

contribution on the

diminishing of symptoms of depression

and anxiety it's very simple you

exercise and you generate endorphins

good happy chemicals you exercise

regularly and you will also generate the

production of a neurotransmitter in your

brain called serotonin neuropathy and

dopamine

all of these are related to depression

parkinson's disease and also alzheimer's

disease

so

to

actively participate in exercise will

definitely contribute to achieving an

optimal mental health that will set you

and the community above the average and

will reduce

visits to people like me

principle number three

that will be water

water is so important

seventy percent of our bodies are made

out of water

eighty percent of our brains are made of

components that are water that's a lot

of that's a high percentage

so it shouldn't be surprising again that

to achieve an optimal mental health we

need water

perhaps more than what we utilize

now

let me share with you something there is

certain chemicals that we can only

achieve by eating foods certain types of

food we already talked about food we

didn't go in specifics but there are

certain foods that we can consume one of

the certain types of food produces

something or gives you something called

tryptophan

tryptophan is a substance that if it

reaches the brain to good proportions

will allow you to secrete more endo

serotonin

so

tryptophan is the raw material that the

brain needs

to produce serotonin and you might be

thinking well what does that have to do

with water you're talking about food now

and i'm confused what allow me to share

with you why water is so important the

reason why it's so important is because

water is one of the elements that allow

these things that you consume and these

nutrients to travel to the brain the the

key is simple the the formula is simple

more the more water the more tryptophan

goes to the brain the more raw material

we have to generate serotonin and the

happier you become

some of the things that water can give

you is a great clarity in your mind

but some of the things that it could

give you if you lack intake of water is

a reduced ability to be happier people

who do not consume enough water become

more frustrated

they have less clarity of mind

and then it will affect as a default

your mental health performance

the next principle is sunshine

i will keep this one simple we need the

sun and that is basically it and there

is three reasons that i can share with

you why we need the sun or at least a

couple one is if we allow ourselves to

intake sunshine on a regular bay on a

regular basis

you can actually achieve a greater level

of

sleep your sleep will be increased it

will be sounder and you will feel

refreshed next time

that by default will increase your

capacity to learn to memorize and to

concentrate it's very simple

sunshine as well believe it or not can

also have an impact on

the level of pain that you might have

physically if anybody here or if anybody

in the community has some pain sunshine

can decrease the level of pain that

someone has

it's amazing what sunshine can do if

take it in the right amounts

let me share the next principle

this is a principle that is very

important temperance i don't know you

ever heard these words uh not many

people have but allow me to share what

this means

temperance implies

that

we are to create

and practice in our lifestyle schedule a

balance

a balance that will set you up above the

average

what that implies is we need to make

sure that we allow ourselves to

introduce certain habits and behaviors

that will provoke and will allow you to

have

a better mental health performance

you might be thinking well can you

explain a little bit more let me share

with you something our societies are run

in such a way that we tend to take

something that is bad and make it good

and sometimes unfortunately we take

something that is

good and make it bad

one example is it's something that

happened in the 1950s in the 1950s

sometimes someone realized i think i

think smoking is related to lung cancer

so what people did in the 1950s is they

introduced what we call the filter in

the cigarette

because the tower of the cigarette was

related to lung cancer

today we continue to know that

smoking is one of the greatest causes of

disease and death

in our societies

so it didn't fix it

another thing that we know that is

harmful and we tend to embrace it is the

use of alcoholic beverages australia

reported in 2011 to 2012 that

19.7.7 that's a reasonable percentage

19.7 of relationship breakups

of interpersonal relationship breakups

occur as a result of an alcohol related

problem and that doesn't account for a

psychiatric condition

that's a high percentage

what alcohol can do to us is it can

impair the frontal lobe cortex that

allows us to make good and sound

decisions research has shown us that

consuming

such substance

increases our likelihood of cheating

between 30 to 50 percent

funny that because a lot of the times

when we do business there is always

something like this involved so we kind

of need to prepare a set of ourselves to

go to to break a good deal but i'm not

saying that everybody who does that is

cheating but the the research and the

numbers that's what they indicate

another health harmful substance that

decreases our mental capacity and our

ability to deal with things such as

depression and anxieties is coffee

caffeinated drinks caffeinated drinks

that stress our nervous system

and they stress it so much that can

increase the level of depression or

depressive symptoms and also the level

of anxiety

so

what basically temperance this is we

need to learn how to abstain from

certain things that might be harmful and

perhaps utilize certain things that are

good for us within measure it's creating

a balance and i think the picture

describes that it's creating a balance

in our life it's not only about what you

drink or it's it's also about what we do

in general if we work too much or too

little can perturb our performance

or if we play too much in too little can

also have an impact on our performance

another one is a

i would like to share with you a story

which is a perhaps an incredible story

in the 1990s

no that was wrong 1919

that's a year in eureka california

a hospital was facing a great

epidemic of flu

and it was getting out of control

so much that the chief physician said i

think we need to call the army i don't

know we don't have a space so the army

came and in turn they brought tents

coats and some blankets and so the

overflowing hospital all those patients

that were getting the infection were

placed in these tents and the only thing

that they had a part of the blankets

were hot water bottles to keep the feet

warm

what they found is that the people who

were in the tents were not dying

as compared to the people that were in

the hospital once someone realized

what was happening they turned down the

heaters in the hospital they opened the

windows up and they put heavy underwear

on the patients

and the death rate diminished

the key today is spend time outdoors

when you think about it many of these

things are interrelated with each other

if you exercise unless you go to the gym

and that is okay too but if you exercise

outside you get that

air that you need to have

scientifically it just makes sense

you get oxygen and oxygen cleanses your

blood the blood is the same blood that

will come to your brain and we want to

create the best environment that we can

have in our brain in our systems to be

able to create those happy feeling neuro

neurotransmitters

the challenge is spend time

outside and open our homes open the

windows let the sunshine and let the air

do what it's intended to do do what it

was created to

to do now the next one

is rest i would like to emphasize

something here

we live in a society that

is

very outcome driven

unfortunately we

live in a society that

indicates that for us to be able to

succeed we have to

achieve the greater goal of whatever

position you might be having it's a

society that says i have to put the top

level man or woman down so that i can be

that person eventually

and that creates a lot of stress we live

in a society when we expect many many

people many children to succeed to the

top they can and we should expect such

thing but sometimes we push so much that

we lack the in the amount of rest that

we should have

one of the things that we know is that

the idea that a staying later at night

it's better because i achieved better is

a fallacy it's nothing else but

a self-deception

some of you and i had lived that too uh

before i got to know about these

principles and practices and some of you

will know that or would have thought of

i stayed late at night because i seem to

achieve a lot more in the middle of the

night it's like amazing

but research shows otherwise

a group of people

have been taken and they have been

exposed to an overnight

an all-nighter party kind of thing no

alcohol no substances the key was the

only key isolated factor was keep them

awake for as long as you can

and then the next day do a critical test

a critical thinking test

were compared to to a group a controlled

group of people who had slept eight

hours in the night

the results will be quite interesting

for you to know and i'll share them with

you now

you will be expecting this the eighth

night control group the eight hours of

sleep control group perform better in

the test of critical thinking

but the next thing you might not be

thinking of the all-nighter group

perform worse but they have a perception

that they did better

and then another test self-reported test

reflective showed that they not only had

a perception that they performed better

but they were more confident in their

work

was the other people that slept nicely

the night before they performed better

they were less confident but the results

spoke for themselves

rest can give you mental clarity can

help you to remember and memorize things

clearly can enhance your ability to be

creative to think objectively and

analytically rest is an important thing

that we must not forget if we want to

achieve optimal mental health and go

above the average

the last one

is trust

there is an author

in the 1900s who said that the greatest

need

of this world is that of people

who

stand for the truth

as the needle of a compass to the pole

it is the need

of the world to have people

who extend

strong to principle

even though the heavens fall

it's quite an interesting concept might

be a bit poetic as well

but today it's very hard to develop

trust in many things

when you think about it i talk about

rest and we have that tendency to be to

be wanting to achieve the latter of

success and for that sometimes we have

to put someone else down

so it's hard to trust many people but

what we found what they have found what

these investigators at the beginning

that of my conversations they found in

terms of the people who live long

healthier and happier is that they have

three things in their lives

one

they have people they love

clothes and they invest in that number

two

they also have

a

an amount of time that they spend

with

people who are like-minded

people like you who mean here to talk

about like-minded things and perhaps

different ideas to enhance our community

and number three

i lost it maybe i didn't sleep too well

last night

i'm kidding number three was they also

they also

showed

they also showed that they met

with regularity with those people that

they that they resonate with

so number one

they got the parents grandparents and

children close by

number two they met together as a matter

of fact uh the research goes deeper and

they found that people who have some

kind of faith and gather together at

least four times a month

reach or or have a likelihood of

reaching a higher expense expectancy of

life of 14 years

in simple words people who gather and

have some similarities in faith four

times a month they can expect to live 14

times uh 14 years longer

that's just research uh i appreciate the

presentation of before that talks about

the meaning of life and just having a

meaningful life and knowing what your

life is knowing why you wake up every

morning can give you seven years

seven years extra

i would like you to think about this

because today even though it's hard to

believe in in

people and society we need to achieve a

sense of trust

this new strategy goes beyond and

declares or rather and emphasizes the

idea that we can

achieve a level of trust in a superior

power

you can call it god or you can call it

whatever you desire

something that gives you a sense of

purpose what we have found is that it

decreases anxiety increases motivation

and gives you a happier life

and let us just summarize because you

might forget what these are

news start

nutrition exercise water

sunshine

temperance a

rest

and trust

in divine power

today my challenge for you is to pick

three of these

you can do it even today and tomorrow

one go to your gp

your friendly gp in town and say gp what

can i do to exercise safely

do i have any conditions that will

impede my exercises and if you don't and

if he can give you some a hand to be

able to develop a good exercise program

with the limits and the capacity that

you currently have exercise

number two don't wait too long let's

network after here but don't wait too

long to go to bed

try to do eight to nine hours of sleep

she liked that she wants to go

and number three

make

commitments

get those people you love those people

that you embrace

get a sense of purpose

and make a commitment

today new start is something that i

challenge you to practice

and if you want to practice and achieve

a higher an optimal mental health a

higher capacity this can be yours today

you don't have to go to the psychiatrist

you don't have to go to a psychologist

unless you have a condition that needs

that professional input but otherwise

you can achieve a higher capacity that

will set you above the average thank you

[Music]

you